think the good people have a right to know that you have thus remembered the one college of your native State.

INCREASE OF DUTY UPON COPPER.

I am glad to know upon what theory this bill proceeds. We learn from the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Morrill) that it is a charitable measure, that it originated in a pure spirit of humanity. It seems that there is a class of people somewhere in the State of Michigan who are in a starving condition, and, because they are in a starving condition, the Senator has been willing to acknowledge here that he is content to destroy all the commerce of this country that is used in connection with this copper interest, and increase the value of every spike and nail, and the sheathing and yellow metal with which vessels are covered, to the extent of a very large per cent. If that is the spirit in which this bill originated, it seems to me it would be better to organize a branch of the Freedmen's Bureau, to take charge of those famishing and suffering people, than to increase the duty on every article of household economy that is made of copper. This increase comes off of every laboringman, artisan, and mechanic. It comes off of every man who is compelled to buy a cooking-stove. Instead of taking money out of the wealth of the country for feeding these famishing people in Michigan, you make every man in my State and in Illinois poorer to the extent that the Senator has succeeded in inducing this body to increase the duty from thirty-five to forty-five per cent.

There is another question I should like to have solved. I should like to know how much copper there is on hand. They protected us in my country, two years ago, by putting a high duty on wool, by which they succeeded in lowering the value of wool in my State from forty-five or fifty-five cents down to no market at all; but there were parties who were protected, and they were the people who had large quantities of wool on hand. The immediate effect was that everybody in the Western country attempted to increase the production of wool, and doubled his flocks, or increased his flocks to the largest extent possible. While doing that, you put a high duty on the imported wool, which was necessary to be used in order to manufacture the articles that each one wears here to-day, and the result was, there was not any market for our wool. But there

were parties that were benefited, who had, in anticipation of the passage of that law, imported large quantities of foreign wool, which they were able to sell, realizing the advance we put upon the tariff. The price rose in anticipation of the law, just as copper has risen to-day in anticipation of the passage of this bill. I am told there is a vast quantity on hand, and the passage of this bill will put immense sums in the pockets of the men owning it. That is the advantage of passing tariff bills in this way. I need not indicate, I think, that I shall vote against this bill, and against all other tariff bills that are not levied strictly for revenue purposes (January 19th)

Congratulating Mr. Cameron, of Pennsylvania, upon his liberal ideas in favor of free banking, Mr. Grimes said, February 22d:

I trust in a few months he will be able still more to liberalize his conceptions of public affairs, and that he will then be in favor of more liberal laws and rules in regard to commerce and trade, and that it will be but a little while before I shall be able to welcome him into my party of free trade.

Upon a resolution to admit books, maps, regalia, apparatus, art collections, etc., for certain purposes, free of duty, he said:

While in favor of throwing as few obstacles as possible upon the importation of such articles, I am not prepared to vote to put three hundred per cent. duty upon copper, that is used in all sorts of domestic purposes, and, at the same time, entirely exempt such articles from duty (February 24th).

In favor of paying three thousand dollars to the widow of Samuel T. Hartt, naval constructor, Mr. Grimes said, February 11th:

This man, while in the performance of his duties at the Norfolk Navy-Yard, conceived the idea of a new kind of elevator, such as had never been used in our own or any other navy, by which to elevate and depress the breech of a gun. Up to that time it had always been elevated by inartificial and awkward blocks, if I may be permitted to use an unprofessional phrase here. The sloop-of

365 war Portsmouth was about being fitted out at the Norfolk NavyYard, and was going to the Asiatic squadron in the Chinese seas, under the command of the late lamented Rear-Admiral Foote. He thought favorably of this plan, and, at his instance, the Secretary of the Navy allowed the guns of that vessel to be fitted out in this particular way. She sailed for China, and engaged in a conflict with the Canton Barrier forts, where the guns had a fair opportunity of being tested with this experiment, and with very great success. Shortly after, Mr. Hartt died, leaving a widow and four helpless children. She took out no letters-patent, nor did Hartt in his lifetime. Finding that it was a success, and that this screw absolutely became necessary, we have been introducing it into our ships, and using it with all our guns. Now the widow comes to us and says that she is entitled to some compensation for the use of her husband's method for elevating and depressing guns, and the Naval Committee have agreed with her in that. I agree with the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cameron) as to the general principle that an officer in the employ of the Government ought to bestow upon the Government his undivided services; but I think that this bill does not come within that rule, and this is the first case where I have ever consented to report such a bill to the Senate favorably.

Advocating the publication by Congress of the medical and surgical history of the war, Mr. Grimes said, February 13th:

I think it is but due to poor humanity, that we should let it know what has been accomplished by medical science during our war to save human life, for the benefit of the world in the future. The war drew to it the most eminent medical ability in this country, and the result is that medical science in the United States to-day stands higher than it does in any country in Europe. There may be individual physicians and surgeons in Europe, who have devoted their time to particular specialties, who have a higher reputation than any surgeons in this country; but, as a mass, in consequence of the developments of this war, I am assured, not by men who are interested in the publication of this work, but by men outside of the army-surgeons, and by men connected with the profession in other countries, that American medical science has a higher reputation than that of any country in Europe; and it grows out of the experience of this war. I think it is due to the country, it is due to

humanity, that we should let the world know what these developments have been, in the most authentic way possible.

6. In the Forty-first Congress. -First Session-March, April, 1869.

The country still groaning under the burden of taxation, Mr. Grimes continued to urge economy in all public expenditure. He introduced a bill, March 6th, to reorganize the Navy, mainly for the purpose of reducing its expenses, so that the number of officers should be a little less than at the beginning of the war; and advocated similar economy with reference to the Army and the Indian Department. Upon a motion to appropriate five thousand dollars for medallions of the President, to be distributed to Indian tribes, he remarked:

I am satisfied this is a custom more honored in the breach than in the observance. At an early day I lived in the neighborhood of Indians, and I have seen a dozen of these medallions hung up in corner groceries, where they had been bartered off by the Indians for whiskey. Once in a while an old fellow may carry one for some years, but generally they soon are lost, or fall into the hands of the whiskey-sellers.

Upon the introduction of a bill to authorize the prepayment of interest on the public debt, a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury being read in favor of the measure, Mr. Grimes asked why the Secretary preferred to do this, rather than to comply with the law in regard to a sinking-fund. Mr. Sherman said, "Many persons are opposed to a sinking-fund." Mr. Grimes replied:

Many people may be opposed to it, but Congress is not. When we authorized the debt to be created, we declared that there should be a sinking-fund. That fund exists only upon the statute. The law authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to buy the bonds of the United States. Where should we save any money by paying the interest in advance, over buying up the bonds of the United States, and putting them into the sinking-fund? (March 23d).

Mr. Grimes advocated the repeal of the tenure-of-office act, of March 2, 1867. That act was passed to tie the hands of President Johnson. It trammeled alike those of the new President. To repeal it, however, seemed to many Senators, as Mr. Morrill, of Vermont, remarked, like eating their own words, when they voted Andrew Johnson guilty of violating the Constitution, as well as the act in question. Mr. Grimes had no occasion for such scruples. He held that the Government could be properly administered only by enforcing a speedy and strict accountability of all officers to the Executive. He did not wish to have a hand in perpetuating such troubles and conflicts between the Executive and Congress as had existed to the injury of the public service under Mr. Johnson.

114.-To Henry W. Starr, Esq., Burlington.

WASHINGTON, March 18, 1869.

I shall go to Europe next month. Am glad to hear that the library is so successful, and trust that an effort will be made to keep it up.

The impeachment furor has entirely subsided here, and those who voted for it are now on the defensive, rather than those who voted against it. Between us, I am satisfied that I am stronger in the Senate in every respect, where I am so well known, than I ever was before I was tried in the furnace of impeachment. The only evil resulting to me from that attempt to act according to my convictions, has been the injury to my health. I am slowly overcoming that, however, and I hope that I shall some time be nearly, if not quite, restored.