Mr. HENDERSON. On page 1, line 9 of section one, I move to strike out “ 25” and insert “ 15;” so as to read: On teas of all kinds, 15 cents per pound. I have just stated in regard to teas, that the duty is 100%., as shown by the inportations of several years past. It is an exorbitant duty, largely too much in my judg ment, and it can be reduced very ". The importations show that the article costs in the foreign market, o an average, 25 cents per pound. We by sad experience in the West find that it generally costs us from a dollar and a half to 2 dollars and a half per pound. Senators will see that I am correct in my statement of the foreign value by looking at the tables of importation for the last 3 or 4 years. In 1863 and 1864 there were imported into this country 37, 229, 176 pounds of tea at a valuation of $10, 549, 880, the duty on which was over 9 million dollars. In 1864 and 1865 the importation was 18, 595, 314 pounds at a valuation of $4, 702, 856, and the duty was the same, being just about the original cost of the article in the foreign market. The importation was largely reduced in 1864 and 1865. I have not the tables before me for the subsequent ear. Thus it appears that if we were to take off the duty entirely the loss to the revenue would be perhaps $4, 500,000. By taking off ten cents a pound, of course the reduction will be in the proportion of 25 to 15, so that we shall lose by my amendment $1,500,000 of revenue not exceeding that under any circumstances. Now, Mr. President, I desire to call the attention of Senators for a moment to the very extraordinary duties of this bill, not that I am going to occupy their time, because I will not o so, but I wish to state some facts that senators can see by merely examining the bill. I wish to call the attention of the Senate to the extraordinary provisions of E. this bill which to tax the people of this country 100%. upon tea, and only from 35 to 70%. upon the article of silk. Table salt, which the farmer is comelled to have, which is an absolute necessity, is taxed from 160 to 250%. under this bill, while the article of silk is taxed from 35 to 70%. The Senfrom Maine informs us that it is an easy and simple matter to get reve nue from tea and coffee and salt. The Senfrom NewJersey stated the other day that we imported last year into the single port of NewYork $25,000,000 in value of silks. Is it not just as easy to get a large revenue from silk as from tea or coffee or salt? I cannot for my life see the difference in this point of view. The importations of silk into the country are very regular, and so are the importations of foreign carpets. Inasmuch as we are acting in the direction of having high taxes upon woolens, I ask would it not be as well to. an additional tariff of 50%. upon ne carpets, making the duty 100%. instead of 50%., which is all the bill now imposes upon the finest foreign made carpets? Would it not be just as well to increase on that article as to insist on keeping the tariff at 100%. upon an article that is used at this day by almost everybody? Mr. President; I sincerely hope that this proposition will be adopted. I am perfectly willing to increase the duty upon silks if gentlemen will say so. I will do it at the risk of increasing the profits of the silk manufacturers. reduce the duty upon the raw material of silk, if you please, and increase it upon the manufae tured article. That will be an encouragement to the manufacturers; and if they can profit by it I shall not grumble. But it is a motorious fact that the poorer people of this country, many of those who use salt, tea, and coffee, do not perhaps use 20 dollars' worth of silk during the year. It is the wealthy people, those who are able to pay for it, who use silk. The poorer people do not use this expensive fabric. It is a notorious fact, and it cannot be denied, that the duty upon the very lowest quality of woolen goods in this bill is the highest% age. Even the ordinary article of carpeting is taxed from 70 to 100%., while the finest article of carpeting is taxed but 50%. That is true, i is easily demon strable if any Senator will take the amounts of importation and compare them with the val uation of the articles abroad. Very little will be lost to the revenue, and it will be some relief if ". proposition be adopted, as I hope it will be.