Mr. FESSENDEN. I feel it my duty to state that a very short time ago there was no bunting establishment in the U.S.; all the bunting for our own flags was imported; the flags that went at the masthead of our vessels and so on were of foreign bunting. We did not manufacture the article in any way whatever. A gentleman called at the Navy Dept, and in conversation on the subject there it was mentioned, as a matter, that was rather shameful to us, that we could not manufacture our own flags, and the Dept intimated a wish that somebody would get up a manufactory of bunting in this country. He told them that he would see whether it could not be done, and he went home and went to work and contracted with the Navy Dept to furnish them with bunting. He established a manufactory for that purpose and I believe it is the only one in the U.S. If there are more now, as gentlemen intimate, they have grown up since. In a former bill a clause was inserted to protect the manufacture of bunting by requiring that all the Government used should be of American manufacture. When the HoRep sent us this bill proposing, additional duties on wool, of course it also proposed additional duties upon all manufactures of wool. At the time tohpiesreastitoanblishment of which I speak went into the Canada wool came in free. he reciprocity treaty had not then expired, and the long wools from Canada, out of which this bunting is made, came in free. That was the great encouragement at the time to establish the manufactory. When the reciprocity treaty ceased of course the duty fixed by the existing tariff upon wool applied, and I think it wasabout 16 cents a pound. The duty on wool fixed in this bill is ten cents a pound and ten%. advalorem. In view of the heavyduty that is imposed upon the wool out of which the bunting is made the House regulated the duty upon bunting. The bill recommended by the commissioner reduced the duty on this wool from ten cents down to 6 cents, and he put his duty on bunting with reference to that; but the ComFinance adopted the House rates on wool, therefore the House rate on bunting which had been fixed to correspond with the increased duty on wool