Mr. FESSENDEN. Asking for a duty of $100 on each painting. This gentleman came before us as the delegate selected by the artists to rePresent their wishes, and he stated to us that he thought the proposition to put $100 on each painting was unreasonable; that he thought perhaps it ought to be 40 dollars on each painting costing $100 or less, and then increasing at the rate of ten%. according to the value. He said that with regard to himself and a large number of other artists in the country the matter made no difference; they sold their pictures at remunerative prices as fast as they could execute them; but he said it was important for the encouragement of youn artists in the country, who did not have muc encouragement, and who were obliged to fight their way through a great many difficulties, actuated by their love of art, through perhaps years of poverty before they could arrive at that sort of eminence which was at all remunerative. For their protection, he thought, and the artists thought generally, it was necessary to exclude as far as possible these cheap pictures which are painted in Europe, or at any rate to limit their importation; that by o:on this duty we should get some revenue in the 1st place, and in the next place we should effect that very desirable purpose which would also have the additional effect of preventing the bad results that followed from having so many ill executed and ordinary paintings, showing no very great proficiency in art, throughout the country; and therefore that the artists, especially the older Ones, were desirous, for the benefit of the considerable number of persons who are struggling to make themselves proficient, of having a duty of this ". fo put upon these productions. After much deliberation, instead of fixing the bounty at 40 dollars, which this gentle. man thought was about right, we concluded to fix the duty at 30 dollars on all under $100 in value and then to increase at the rate of ten%. advalorem, as the price rose. That is manifestly proper, because these things command a price according to their finish, and these high priced pictures are purchased ordinarily by persons who can very well afford to pay for them, and to pay the duty on them, too, at the same time. I have stated the opinion which that del egate from the artists Presented to us. We thought it was right, and we were unanimous in the conclusion to which we came, which is embodied in this bill. I suppose the honorable Senator does not pretend to judge of this without information; he undoubtedly has information from some other person; but I am inclined to think that this gentleman who rePresented the whole body of the artists is quite as likely to be right as the informant of my honorable friendfrom Massachusetts. My own opinion is of course I have no feeling or wish about it that we had better adhere to the conclusion to which the committee came on the subject.