Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1803-03-25

gislatue would listen to any propositions
Of that kind from the partnership, but As
their connexion was well known, and their,
motives as well understood, which could
be no other than either to injure the pre-
sent Public Printer, or render the lie.
gislature unpopular, the memorial was
rejected with becoming contempt.
AS It was foreseen that every advan-
tage which this shallow artifce could af-
ford, would be urged by the enemies of
the legislature, aCommittee was appoin-
ed to examine into the allowance hereto
fore made to the Public Printer the COM
mittee appeared to have performed their
duty. with ability and integrity, and re-
ported q lengthy and minute detail 33of all
the evidence that could be procured up
On the subject. It cannot be supposed
that the members Of the Assembly are
acquainted with the labor, expense and
PPriee=of Printing, they must therefore
have recourse for information to those who
are: The several Printers were called
upon, Mr.. Thomas Nicholson in his es-
innate Of the expense, makes it amount
to 36S 10 c, but it appeared that the pub
lie Printer had paid this man eonsidera-
bly, more for the same work than is char
gedin the estimate. BY an estimate Of
Mr.. Davis, the former Public Printer, il
appeared that The least expense attending
t nat business amounts to two thousand and
forty one dollars and sixty six cents this
estimate is made upon the presumption
that the business has not increased, which
it certainly has very considerably, and
MIR. DAVIS further adds, that there are
many other expenses necessarily incur
red by the Pu5lic Printer inexscuting the
business, which cannot be calculated so
as 10 form an item in the estimate. -
Messrs. Peasants & Olson, two other
printers, were of the same opinion with
Mr.. Davis, and the committre reported
as their unanimous opinion that the pre-
sent salary CATER deduetingathr necessa-
-ry expenses didnot amoun::sso more than
reasonable compensation fors1he tron-
BILE and. labour of the printing. This
eontrariety of evidence, 'WIsss Isfd before
til house produced adiversity ofopinions.
Some gentlemen declared their respect
for the statement of Mr.. Nicholson,
which corresponded with that of Pace &
Calender, whilst others supposed that
the unanimous report Of the Committee,s
aided by the evidence of three or four Of
the most respectable Prin.ersiRtheeitsi,,
and sanctioned by an act of former As
semhly, grounded upon q representation
of the then Federal Printer, was entitled
to more respect. But as the proposed
reduction could not afectFthe present
Printer, and could only operate on the
next appointment, it was thought by ma
ny, and / among the number, that it would
be better to postpone the subject untilthe
next meeting or the Assembly, who might
be enabled to regulate the salary before
the appointment Of the Printer. uponsuch
evidence as might obtain more general
I confidence. But it is objected that as
these printers tfered to do the business
i for q great deal less than the present sa-
larry, it was the duty of every member to
! accept the terms-But hdts my fellow ci-
tizens does this apply to me more than TO
my opponent 1.-THE acceptance must be ae-
companied with the appointment, and
why did not some ofthose champions for
public economy nominate either Of those
| meritorious citizens who offered to work
| for the Public for less than half the usual
: price were they not as free to bestow
their SURFACES, upon these as upon any
other, and iftheir numbers had prevailed
the laudable object would have been at
once attained! But on the contrary, eve
/ ry member who was opposedse die pre-
sent Printer voted for one or the other of
those who declared the business could
not be done, neither would they do it for
tless, than the present allowance, and l
believe l may say without hazarding the
truth that most of those who were the
most jealous and active in reducing the
f4salary, voted for the Printer upon whose
representation it had been formerly in