My amendment reaches the large amount of works concerning science and literature and jurisprudence in ancient and in foreign languages; and why should these be subjected to a duty? Why should those scholars, those enlightened professional men who import these books, be subjected to this additional expense? Sir, I honor the man, whether of scholarship, of science, or of a profession, who imports these works of learning. He is a benefactor to his country. Every such work becomes a fountain in the neighborhood: but I would not put a duty on that fountain; I would unseal it; I would open it, and let it flow as amply as possible. MR. MORRILL [of Maine]. I should like to ask the Senator from Massachusetts whether there are any books in foreign languages that are not published in this country. Are not all the books in the ancient languages published in this country? MR. SUMNER. I beg to call the Senator’s attention to the boundless annual literature of Germany, where the volumes are counted by the thousand,--to the extensive literature of France, where the volumes are counted by the thousand,--to the less ample literature of Spain and Italy, with numerous publications, all of which, if imported, pay a duty. Now I wish to encourage that importation. MR. MORRILL. I understood the Senator’s argument to be in favor of ancient books. MR. SUMNER. It is also, certainly. MR. MORRILL. My inquiry is, whether those books are not all republished in this country. MR. SUMNER. Not at all. For instance, take most of the considerable works of scholarship in German, annually produced, bearing on the classics; they are not republished in our country, but our professors import them at cost. Then take another class of works, on science, in the German language, in the French language,--I would say also in the Italian language, for there are some excellent contributions to science as well as to literature in the Italian language,--those, if imported, pay a duty; but they do not come into competition with anything printed here. Why, then, should they pay a duty? Why not encourage their importation? Why not help the man of science, or the learned professor, who aspires to enlarge his library in this way? I have said that I regard such a person as a benefactor. I wish to give him my thanks, and my help, if I can. The best help I can give him is to try to save him from this additional tax. Mr. Sumner’s Amendment was rejected,--Yeas 12, Nays not counted. THE NASBY LETTERS. INTRODUCTION TO THE COLLECTION,[41] APRIL 1, 1872.