The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-19 00:00:00

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PRINTING OF THE HOUSES.
Mr. J. GREENE moved for a select committee to
consider the cheapest, most expeditious, and most efficient
mode of providing for the printing of the houses of Par-
liament and the public service. He stated that the print-
ing done at the . Stationery-office was effected much
cheaper than that done by the printers of the house ;
the latter cost twice as much as the former ; and by
placing both on the same footing, an annual saving of
about 20,0001. a year would be effected. Some years
ago he had been concerned in a scheme for cheapenin
the cost of printing; but he had not been able to carry
it out successfully. The honourable gentleman pro-
ceeded to describe the minutim of his scheme, amidst
much laughter from the house. From what could be
made of it, it appeared to consist in an improvement of
the type ; and he offered to demonstrate that it would
reduce the cost of printing from a shilling to a farthing,
and enable compositors to set up 5,000 letters where
they now set up 1,000. At present all the morning and
evening papers paid at the rate of 3s. 10d. per galley of
5,000 letters. He was prepared to demonstrate that the
same work could he done for 72d. Under these circum-
stances, he thought he had a right to call on the horse
for an inquiry. At present their printing was slow—not
economical, and not good. Let the Government appoint
their own committee, and he would undertake to give
them a good printing-office in a small room. The Ad-
miralty might have such a one in every ship in the feet;
and that would be a great advantage at a time like the
present.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
thought this a question of very great importance, and it
involved considerations much more important than those
on the surface— considerations which it might be neces-
sary for him to bring under the attention of the house,
anl to which he hoped the house would give what atten-
tion they deserved. Two questions were before them,
of an entirely different character. The first was, whe-
ther the printing required for the service of the Govern-
ment and of that house was performed in the best and
most economical manner. As respected the printing
limited
dmpeotshtestGrioovtleyrnomf
aeneto,nfindoetntthiaalt
character, but the ordinary printing for the service of
odrtfiuovnth:disicehrywiease ofm
the Government, he believed that the best arrangements
which the market would permit was made for its per-
formance. As to the printing of the two houses, he was
not equally informed, but he was disposed to believe that
a very considerable economy might be effected in that
printing. (Hear.) That was not a matter which be-
longed especially to the executive government ; but whe-
ther it were taken up by them or by a committee of the
house, very considerable advantage might be expected
to result from the inquiry. He believed that that
branch of the public service might be more economi-
cally and advantageously performed than at present,
and he should be prepared on a proper occasion to act
upon that opinion. He did not think that there
would be any advantage in appointing a committee at
that moment, for the session had arrived at a period
so far advanced that no select committee appointed to
consider a question of that importance could be expected
to make any effectual progress in it during what re-
mained of the present session. However, the Govern-
ment would give the subject all the attention they could
during the recess, though they had no special authority ;
and, if they did not think fit to make any specfal pro-
posals, he should be glad to see a committee appointed
for that purpose. But the motion of the hon. member
raised other considerations—considerations of delicacy
and difficulty—of which he himself was not aware. The
hon. member said that he himself was interested in a
trading enterprise of great importance, which, according
to his representation, would tend enormously to econo-
naiee the important process of printing.
Mr. GREENE-4 beg pardon. Not in a trading
company. I stated that I was very much interested in
it ; but I did not say I was trading.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
understood the hon, gentleman to state that he had ex-
pended a large sum of money in trying to promote this
scheme. The house should evince great caution before
appointing instruments of inquiry, clothed with public
authority, to inquire into enterprises of a commercial
character in which its own members were interested, and
with regard to which the avowed purpose was that those
members or the patentees, should be employed in the
public service. There was another ground on which he
could not accede to the motion. The hon. member said
such was the effect of these new mechanical processes
that they would reduce the expense of setting a galley
of 5,000 letters from 3s. 10d. to 71d. ; while iu another
part of his speech he spoke of a reduction in an import-
ant department of printing from a shilling to a penny or
a farthiug. Now was it fitting for that house to under-
take to determine, by means of its own members, the
oonaparative efficiency and cheapness of different pro.
cesses ? Was it not rather their business to go into the
open market, where the capital and enterprise of the
country afforded far better opportunities of testing the
value of any discovery than any which were possessed
by them ? It appeared to him that they would be
standing on most dangerous ground if they said that
they, the stewards of the public money, would undertake,
while incurring no risk themselves, to examine into cer-
tain processes and modes of printing, and, in defiance of
those who were practically interested, to speculate—for
that would be the effect—in improvements of this descrip-
tion. They were told of a great saving of time, and of
a reduction of expense from a shilling to a farthing.
Well, had the proprietors of the daily papers no interest
in availing themselves of these advantages ? It might
be said that there was a good deal of the spirit of mo-
nopoly in the trade ; but that would not prevent per-
-80135 who were not in the trade from combining together
to carry out the invention. (Hear, hear.) He really
thought they would be acting contrary to the princi-
ples of common sense by undertaking to make that house
the instrument of trying questions of that kind. He
did not in the least undervalue the hon. gentleman's
statements. If it were the fact that the attention of the
public and of the trade were not sufficiently drawn to
the subject, the hon. gentlemen's speech would have the
effect of remedying that evil. Moreover, if the hon.
gentleman's statements proved correct, the names of
Faust and Guttenberg would be rivalled by that of the,
lion. gentleman himself—(laughter)—and bronze statues
would be erected to him and his friend similar to those
which had been recently set up in Germany. (Renewed
laughter.) It made a man's mouth water to hear of a
reduction in the expense of printing from a shilling to a
farthing ; but then that effect must extend to those who
were in the trade, or at all events to others, who would
naturally enter the trade for the purpose of carrying out
such an invention. (Hear, hear.) The Government
were perfectly ready, and most desirous, that the House
of Commons should consider the means by which its
own printing might be most economically executed ; but
for the reasons which he had stated, ho hoped the house
would not accede to the motion.
if a member
Mr. OTWAY agreed with the Chancellor of the
_Ex-
chequer that in any affair of this nature,
had a pecuniaryinterest, it was matter for grave consi-
way possess the ad-
Luse upen his vdae rnattaigoen
owf hteht
eh er
sanctionhe shouldtihnatan
under-
taking ; but he thought that when such an important
an inquiry should be conceded.
saving was in question
Mr. GEACH perfectly concurred in the principles
laid down by the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the
guidance of that house, but could not see what distinction
there was between the case of printing and that of the
manufacture of small arms. (Hear, hear.) The right hon.
gentleman had stood up in that house to advocate the Go-
vernment's becoming manufacturers of arms on a very
mtheeanmseoafnsexoefeuptriondguperiningtianrgm. s
Hweerheopase
dexthteenrseipvoe
large scale instead of going to the public market, where
gwhhtiehhonhe.
g(lletairtl.
eGmeeanchfr)owmaspearmseevmenbne
gr winouttlde
rtasof the
e
le)orenvimenitttteheeorfi
course on which be had entered. With regard to the
motion, he entirely agreed with the right lion, gentleman
that it was not desirable for the Government
to under-
take what was proposed. Re could not help remarking,
however, that be believed that, if the invention for perfo-
rating postage stamps had not been referred to a commit-
tee of that house, it would never have been adopted. He
was satisfied that a much larger saving might be effected
in the printing of postage labels ; but in almost all the
government offices there were people holding permanent
appointments who were obstructive of anything like im-
provement ; and it required a committee of that house,
composed of persons who were accustomed to business,
and who would not be put aside by a mere statement of
difficulties, to do anything effectual. Ho hoped that
next session the right hon. gentleman would call in the
assistance of a committee, and avail himself of the ser-
vices of members of practical experience.
Mr. J. WILSON said the honourable gentleman (Msr-
Geach) having alluded to the manufacture of small arms,
y
or sixty manufacturers prepared to do all thuat_ty,as
they
he wished to say that if the Government hadafouwnel_
ne-
cessary regarded both quantity and
manufacturersci
never would lave thought of becoming
department per-
that there were in every Government
to obstruct every im-
provement,manent officers who were ready
n justice to some of
themselves. (Hear, hear.) With regard to the remark
he felt hound to y
year ago Mr. M'Cul-
ent, aid Sir C. Tre.
-e to the Treasury, suggested
velyan, the Under Sleicre.T. y
Wilson) had given instruc-
tions the referred
head to,o thhea
et t moreamtap dtehspaln:tami
an inquiry, and he r.
condemned the course pursued by
Mr. PELLATT
with regard to arms, on the ground
the Government w
mpetition.
that it excluded co
tions for an investigation during the recess.
Mr. J. FITZGERALD thought the motion ought to
be acceded to both on account of the alleged saving of
expense to the country, and of the bearing of the ques-
tion on education and general improvement.
ohfa
that
a tno
kind objechti:
bteoen suchap p
Mr. V. SMITH said that if the hon, gentleman had
confined himself to asking for an inquiry into the most
effectual way of printing for the House of Commons, he
vese
appointed b motion,
enefobreeea, and
numaldithtae
with beneficial effect as regarded economy. The hon.
gentleman candidly stated in his speech that his object
committees

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stolen ; now it was a case. Which would the right hon."`
baronet stand by ? (Hear.) He (Mr. Williams) did notig
ask for any change in the discipline of the navy ; all he
wanted was a statement of the extent of punishment in
the Star. The right hon. baronet said that Commander
Warren had not been removed ; but he had requested
that this motion might be postponed until the Admiralty
had determined what should be done, and he understood
him to say that Commander Warren had been removed.
Sir J. GRAHAM—I did not say that ; I maid he had
resigned.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS said that was merely a gentle
way of letting him down.
Admiral BERKELEY denied that any petty officer
had been disrated for the purpose of being flogged. Such
a course would be contrary to the rules of the service.
Mr. W. 'WILLIAMS declined to divide, and the
motion was withdrawn.