The Morrill Bill passed the House in May, 1860, but the Senate would have none of it. That body was still Democratic and the South still led. Not only was the South strongly free trade in its opinions, but at that moment no bill originating with the Republicans had a ghost of a chance, such was the bitterness of the feeling. The bill went over to the next session, and the next session brought a tragic change in the Senate. By the time Mr. Morrill’s bill had a hearing six states had withdrawn from the Union, and their Senators had left Washington. The withdrawal of the Southern Senators left the control to the Republicans, and it soon became evident that the bill would probably pass. The result was a fierce onslaught by all sorts of interests. Almost everybody got what he wanted. Some of the items which went into the schedule were long subjects of mirth and scandal to the opposition. Such was the protection of 20 per cent accorded to wood-screws. At that time there was but one small factory for wood-screws in the country. It was situated in Providence, Rhode Island, and Senator Simmons, who secured its protection, and who was popularly supposed to be interested in the concern, was long known as “Wood-Screw” Simmons. The bill also carried a generous basket clause into which all raw materials and all manufactured articles “not otherwise provided for” were dumped. It was little wonder that jobbery found an easy way into the bill. The country was in an uproar over secession and in a state of doubt and unrest about Mr. Lincoln—what would he do? Was he the man for a crisis? A poor time indeed to consider deliberately so serious a matter as new tariff schedules! There was an imperative need of money and it looked as if this bill would give it, so the Morrill Bill finally went through, and 48 hours before his term ended President Buchanan gave it his signature. The immediate effect of the Morrill Bill was something quite unlooked for. The increased tariffs made Europe deeply indignant. England and France were particularly hard hit; for instance, the duties on cheap clothes, of which they sent us great quantities, were largely raised. Besides the growing free trade sentiment abroad, the sentiment of the liberal party everywhere was shocked that the new Republican party, which had arisen against human slavery, should take the narrower view of commerce. To make the matter worse for the Republicans, the seceders, in session at Montgomery, adopted a tariff for revenue only. Thus, before Sumter was fired on, Europe had turned to the Confederacy as the more liberal in commercial policy. It is probable that if the Morrill Bill had been simply a revenue measure the cause of the North would have met a very different reception in Europe from what it did. The London _Times_ clearly stated the foreign point of view: