Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1844-05-31
POLITICAL.
SPEECH OF MIR. COLLAMERO OF w.
ON WOOL AND WOLLENS.
Delivered before The House of Reps in Committee of

the Whoie on the Tariff .qprl 30, 1914.
Mr.. CHAIRMAN AT the commencement of the
present session it my lot to be placed with 9th
er gentlemen, by the selection of the Speaker on
the Committee on Manufactures. 1t is due to can.
dor TO say that the committee was apparently fair
ly selected, with view to that important interest (;
but its treatment, by the House, since, has convn-
ced me that it was regarded but as a nominal com
mtee, existing but falsely to amuse and CRAFTY the
manufacturing interest. All important subjects
which deeply involved that interest, have, by the
House, been studiously withholden from that COM
mttee, and sent to others very differently constitu
ted 1t is, however, true that resolutions and
memorials, involving the whole subject have ST.
lently and perhaps accidentally, found their way to
that committee and which have resulted in report
prepared and presented, under the order of the com
mlttee, by the gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr.
lludson,) well worthy Of the large measure of cor
rect intelligence he possesses on this subject That
report, which is the only one with which that com
mittee has troubled the House., is general one on
the subject; and, in the ordinary courtesy of the
House, would have received the order for prntn =
Of extra copies, which has been so literally extern
ded to such reports by the House, even in relation
to subjects of infinitely less importance. Yet,
! though that has been twice moved, il has been
promptly, and, as 1t seems to me, very ungracious
ly, wholly refused by the majority of the House.
'Vhd the House has printed, for circulation the
unusual number of twenty thousand copies of the
report of its Committee of Ways and Means, (which
is pfofessedy intended to utterly withhold and des-
troy all public countenance or encouragement from
home manuiactures) and these copies have been,
by the ranking privilege, sowed broadcast over the
land, yet the House utterly deny any measure of
assistance to circulate intelligence, or to furnish ar
gument or hearing before the people in behalf of
this great interest cannot but hope that all, di-
rectly or colaterally concerned, may understand
what they are to receive at the hands of the party
which now holds predominancy in the House of
Representatives. But that report is printed with
out the aid of the House. and will be in the hands
of the community; and am willing to entrtst the
issue of the general doctrine of public protection
to that pper and shall not now enter upon the gen.
eral subj ect.
am, sir one of the representatives of small
agricultural State whose staple production has for
some time been the article OF wool and to that
subject my remarks will be confined, and more es-
peclay as the section of the bill now under con-
sideration relates to the subject of wool and wool.
lens.
There is species Of adventurous cre,lulity which
dsdanng the beaten track of truth is ever catch
ing at the improbability of circumstances, as the
better guide of faith and duty; and nearly allied
to this is that admiration of theories which gratifies
the speculative, amuses the curious and captvates
the visionary. | must say in the words OF Patrick
Henry, | have but one lamp by which my feet are
guided, and that is the lamp of experience. know
OF no way Of Judging of the future but by the past.
| shall therefore proceed to give very succinct
account of the past history of WOOL more especial
y in this country, to show its present condition, and
thence to deduce light for our present duty and f-
ture action.
Although almost every country on the globe had
its sheep, possessing various degrees of neness of
fleece and adaptation of excellence to its climate,
SOIL and exigences, yet was not until very re-
cent period that any fine woolled sheep were to be
found but in the kingdom of Spain; nor does Eng
land now produce any wool from which could be
manufactured the coat of any gentleman in this
hall. How that race of sheep came into Spain is
a question of difficult solution 1t has been sug-
from the Arabic flocks, at the time so large part
of Spain was in their possession. But it is also
said there is satisfactory evidence that they were
there when Spain was Roman province, and must
therefore have been brought in by the Carthageni-
ans, That they were brought into Spain, their