Mr. SUMNER. Or, as the Senator says, both. Very well. As for protection there is nothing of it, for there is no American product of the Press which can come into competition with a book printed here to 1840. Therefore, the whole question of protection is eliminated. Then it is for revenue. But the revenue on those books is not large; it is trivial; it is not enough to justify this exercise of your power. But what is accomplished by the provision? You do exclude books which you ought to wel come. You impose what I shall insist. calling a tax on., and you give a bad name to the legislation of your country. I believe there is no other country in the world where imported books are subject to any taxation, unless it be merely nominal. It is for a Republic, founded on knowledge, to set the example of this unprecedented tax on knowl edge. I wish I could communicate to Senators something of my own conviction on this question. I approach it with no other object than the welfare of my country. I do wish to do what I can on this question in order to introduce these books as free of duty as possible. Since the discussion the other day I have received a letter from a gentleman engaged in literary pursuits, from which I will oa brief extract. He says as follows: “The Present tariff is to a great degree prohibitory; especiallyso as regards books printed, before the closeof the reign of King Charles I. such books are extremely scarce, and many of them are enor 2fdiveearper without the added cruel penalty of cent. for the privilege of bringing them into our country. I have beenfor the pastyear busily engagedon a new edition of the works of, an Elizabethan writer, andit seemspeculiarly hardthat owncountry should throw in my way astumbling block in the shape of a seycrefine on the importation of my working materials..I know that I need not remind you, who are so well versed in and, rare, curious old books, that original editions, of the works of the early English writers can be by scholarsonly by their purchaseby the mose bltvaeinsoerd by loan through the courtesy of brother scholars, or collectors, the public libraries of our country being lamentably bare of “I them. havejust returnedfrom Europe. There I found that every facility wasextended to thescholar. Where duties were levied on books they were of so light a character being chiefly a small tax per pound as to amount to, scarcely anything., of an enlightened civilization, but Our country boasts at the same time taxes knowledge as if it was a crime that should be oo or a luxury that should be indulged in only by the rich. It seemsvery strange to me that eventhe most despotic countries in Europe favor the scholar more than does our liberty loving Republic.’ I do not know, sir, that I can add anything to this compact statement of the question. I will therefore content myself by asking a vote.