Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-02-06


Ter. His constituents had deeply snffered by thee
and many Of them were found among
the number of the claimants. nor should he have
performed his duty to them. had he omitted TO take
the step which he had done.
MIR. Drayton said that he had considered the |
resolution yes,erda, OF no special importance but
upon further reflection. he of opinion. that
its adoption was not only unnecessary, Blu, nigh,
prove injurious to the national character The
treaty itsef was not yet ratified by G,ea, Britain
A second payment had not yet been made, and vet
the House were called upon thus early to provide
for distribution OF the residuun which mic ht re-
main alter all the claimants were paid Should
Congress adopi such resolution. the practical eff
fec, upon the county would be to produce a GEN.
eral impression that such surplus would remain
Though such conclusion did not legitinately fol.
low, yet j, would infslliby be made. He consd-
er ed The resolution as decidedly premature. Thee
was abundant time 20 provide for such case if i,
should occur Should no law pass until next
session fer that purpose, il would be soon enough
and the house would then have certain information
TO guide il, instead Of mere probability, or vague
conjecture. Mr.. d. said he would not move 10
lay the resolution on the table, but was of opinion
that il ought not TO pass
Mr.. Taalerro said that il would be entirely a.
greeable 10 him that the resolution should be laid ON
the t"ble, as he was in no wise strenuous for its m-
mediate adoption; whereupon,
table, and the resolution was laid on the table ac-
cordingly
The following resolution. submitted by Mr.. Ia
lin!erro, yesterday and laid on the table was call
ed up and read:
Resoiued, That the President of the u S.
| be requested 10 ascertain, and 10 communicate tn
this House, the ground and the principles on
| which the commissioner. appointed TO execute the
treaty OF Client, fixed the relative value Of Slaves
as between the several State, and Territories and
the average value between the claimants in each
State"
| And the question of consideration thereon be
Ing put, The House refused, at this tune, o onsid
! er ii.
! PRINTERS OF THE LAWS.
| The following resolution moved by Mr.. Ssun-
ders, yes eTday, and laid On the table, was called
up and read:
! Resolved, That the Secretary Of State com.
munlcate TO this House list of such Of the news
papers in each OF the States, in which the laws OF
Congress directed he published i'm the wears
! 1895 and 1926 Also list of such, in which the
laws are directed to be published in 1927 dessna-
| ting the changes which have been made, and the
reason for each change
| The question of consideration being pu, by the
Chair was decided in The affirmative, yeas II
nays GO.
| In support Of this resolution,
Mr. Saunders observed, that it nigh, be prnper
TO submit TO he House some of the reasons which,
had induced him TO offer il. He had, al the last
session, presented similar call, but he had no,
| then urged us adoption, because he understood a
general examination would take place on the SUBJ
Jec' of the public ex sendiIure. But he had not
given up his object, los, sigh, of il. BY the &C,
| OF 1875, the publication OF tie laws was ordered
by Congress. IN the session OF 1893, il was or
dered that all the laws passed should be published
IN one newspaper IN each of the States; and If nc
one paper had sufficient circulation 10 give them
general publicity, then the publication might be ex
| ended to three f'iiferen' papers. BY the law oil
| 1914, they were directed to be publishes, IN two
| papers In each OF the Territories In 1918, the,
were authorised TO be published in one p per nth
| In the District OF Columbia; and, finally, by tn.
act oil iS2U, they we've to be published in one pa
per within The District, and III three papers in
OF tie States and Territories. What, asked Mr.
81, was the purpose n ended be effected by thest
successive acts? Was il the preserv alton oil
the laws themselves! or was 1t to give them sucl
circulation as should make them UNIVERSAL,
known 10 the nation? IL certainly could not have
been The mere preservation OF the laws in a vebi
Gle 20 evane-cent and perisbing 1t could have
only been that The acts OF the Legislature might be
diftused and rendered public, for the bene; of those
| on whom riiey were 10 operate. That this was
| The intention, was manifest from the act OF 1899
which provided that, if one paper had no, suf-
Client circulation, the laws might be published j.
three papers in Safe. Tie question which
now presented i'sel!, was, whether The intention Of
Congress in this respect, had been carried into IF
feet (said MIR. Saunders affirm that il has not,
The gentleman who is nov al the head OF the State
department, has been guilty OF selecting papers,
more Tor political and personal objects, than 10
| give the greatest publicity to the laws He was
| Ju-thed IN making this assertion, as well by the
information sent by that gentleman to this House,
as by credible information received from other
sources. shall not, trus,, be accused Of getting
up this cal Tor purposes OF effect, nor be told thai
this Is small business. II II il small business, il
has been made of for no small purposes I
draii ed this resolution with The intention of pre-
senting II when the late Secretary of s ate left tba,
Office to take the Presidential Chair But | was
then told that it would be rash suppose that the
gentleman who is now al the head of that Depart-
meni would make use of his pow err on this subject
Tor the purpose OF controlling the press; but eYpe
rIence has since convinced me, that he has BEEN
and IS, gully OF 80 doing Sir, what are the facts
In tins case! Look at the report made IL this
House last session, and you will find that though
that gentleman had been bat one year in Office
changes had already been made 10 sixteen differ
eni papers, before employed for the publication of
'be laws shall not now go into an inquiry as to
Inc political, or other characters of these different
papers, or the necessity of the changes which are
made, but shall leave it TO other gentlemen, who
come from the several vciniies where IN,
change was made, TO give to the House more accu
rae information than can; but do assert that the
power has been exercised for improper ends and
purposes. AS an illustration OF this position I
shall select the change which has been made in this
District, in substituting the National Journal for
the National lnteligencer, as the organ for rub-
fishing the laws. 1t is known to all who hear
me, that the National TnteIligencer had been etn
PloJ ed Tor this purpose from very early period in
ne he. "A. -.