Mr. JOHNSON. I stated yesterday and the previous day, when this subject was before us, that it was really a controversy between the American owners of American mines and the British owners of mines in Nova Scotia or Americans who have become the owners of those mines. And I stated also, independent of that, the grounds upon which I supposed it was just to ourselves and proper to protect our own mines as against the competing mines referred to. I was not so well advised then of the facts as I am today. I find upon my desk I do not know whether other members have seen it the paper of the morning, in which is an article written by a gentleman who is perfectly familiar with the coal trade, and is in the habit of writing strongly upon the subjects to which he addresses himself, stating that it really is a contest of that description; that the question which this amendment involves is whether the American owner of the mines within our own limits is to be sacrificed either to the foreign owner of the foreign mines or to the American refugee, who, leaving his own country and unwilling to engage in mining in his own country because it promised to be more profit able elsewhere, has purchased foreign mines. Now, it is not for me to use such a term as that as applicable to any American citizen. Every citizen of the U.S. has a right to go anywhere that he thinks proper, and buy coal mines or any other property under the expectation or for the purpose of making it profitable by introducing the product of these mines into the U.S. I would not, therefore, apply to any gentlemen who may think proper to invest their funds in that way the term “refugee;” but I call the attention of my friendfrom Massachusetts to the fact that he is now supporting, or seeming to support, the interest of American refugees, as contra distinguished from American loyal men who are looking to the true interest of their country; and that he is doing something more than that, he is seeking to protect, and to promote by protecting, in our own legislation the interest of the foreigner as against the interest of the American citizen. It seems to me a little singular that when he is protecting as against all other American citizens, or at least against a wast majority of American citizens, the interests of his own section, and particularly of his own State, from the effect of competition by importation from abroad, he should be found urging so strenu ously the protection of the interest of foreigners where they are alone concerned as against his own fellow citizens, and especially that he should be found protecting American citizens who, in the language of the paper to which I have adverted, are ioas refugees. I have no objection to the article, except that the language in which it is couched would, I think, bejarliamentary to use here, and certainly, with my notions of what decorum requires in debate, I should not apply it to the constituents of any member of this body upon any such evidence as that to which the editor refers. But there is a further intimation and I call the attention of my friendfrom Massachusetts to that fact there is not only an intimation, but there is a further charge in the article that we are being influenced (not I in this particular instance, but I suppose my friendfrom Massachusetts and those who may be found to concur with him in this matter) by the persons who are hanging around our Chamber, foreigners in point of fact, or the agents of foreigners, who are seeking in every way to which they can resort to strike down American industry, for the purpose of protecting foreign industry. I hope the fact is not so; and certainly if the fact is not so, the paper to which I advert is the last paper in which such a charge should be fo Mr. WILSON. I have always made it a habit to readoto let them criticise me just as much as they please, and never to take any notice of their remarks on the floor of the Senate. I do not propose to do so at this time. I will simply say, without any reference to this article in this paper or any other paper, that the manufacturers, the farmers wool growers, business men of every kind an degree, are coming here, writing here, using their influence as far as they properly can, to see that in adjusting this tariff their interests are taken care of; and they have a right to do it. The importers, the free traders, all classes and conditions of men who do not wish the tariff changed, or rather who would wish to see, it reduced, are coming here, writing here, and using their influence to affect our i.tion. I do not suppose any member of the Senato closes his ears to whatever is written him or whatever he hears; but it is proper that he should listen to all persons in the country in regard to this matter, and act conscientiously and according to the dictates of his own judg.ment. That persons will go to the Presses of the country and there exPress their views on both sides of these matters, so as sometimes to do injustice, is to be expected; and for one I do not think it worth while for us here on the floor of the Senate to take any notice of such things or feel at all troubled about them, but to do our duty, and the people of the country will judge of us by our i.lives, by our general course of action, rather than by any particular vote we give here on the subject.