Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-12-20

imputsble to tue Chairman OF the committee for
their not passing thro both Houses at the last ses-
session. The bills came TO the Senate too late tn
allow proper examination Of the papers connected
with the respective cases; and he would tell the
Senate now. that in case these petitions, memoir.
ais. and bills. were not acted upon, no would not
DO held responsible for the deiay He said so now
Mr.. Bonton, agreeablv to notice yesterday Civ
en- asked and obtained leave to introduce a bill to
encourage tho discovery and working Of certain
Copper Mines supposed to lie on the South side OF
Lake Superior; which was read, and passed to I'd
reading.
The following joint resolution, yesterday intro.
duced by Mr.. Eaton, was taken up, read sc cond
time. and considered as in Committee of the
Whole:
Resoiued, &C. That, within - svs before
the adjournment of every Congress, each House
shall proceed to vote for a Printer to execute its
work Tor and during the succeeding Congress; and
the person having majority OF all the votes given,
shall be considered duly elected; and that much
Of the resolution, approved the Sd Of March, 1919.
entitled ga resolution directing the manner in
which the printing OF Congress shall be executed,
liking the prices thereof and providing for the ap
this resolution, be, and the is hereby rescnd-
ed"
Mr.. Eaton moved to fill the blank with the word
thirty; which was carried.
Mr.. Knight then submitted the following as an
additional section:
" .dnd it is further Resolved, That the Secre-
tary OF the Senate and the Clerk of the House of
representatives, at every Session of Congress, lin
chosen, shall severaily give notice, in three Of the
pubic papers printed in the City Of Washington,
Elk weeks in succession for sealed proposals to be
made to either Of Them Of the terms for which the
Puoiic printing will be performed for each House,
Tor the succeeding Congress-; and that such propo-
sails shall be and remain unopened, until the last
Monday in February following. when those made
to the Secretary of the Senate shall be opened by
the presiding officer, and in the presence Of the
Senate, and those made to the Clerk Of the House
| shall he opened by the presiding officer, and in
the presence Of the House; and the election of
PRINTERS shall be made at such time thereafter as
each House may think proper"
MIR. knight said, the only object of this asnend-
ment was economy, as it was his impression that
much more was paid for the printing than " a. ne
cessary. They did not, by the adoption of this a
mendnent, bind themselves to elect the person
| sending in the lowest proposals. He supposed it
might be done for much less sum than il was
| at present, and when they had before them the
several propositions, they could elect whomsoever
tney please. II would also produce competition,
| the result of which would be n reduction in the
prices. He was confident, that at least twenty
1--we per cent. more paid than it could be done
for. and equally well done. The same course OF
advertising for the lowest proposals was pursued
by all the departments, and as he believed that it
would save considerable sum, he hoped the
course he proposed would be adopted
Mr.. Eaton hoped the amendment would not be
adopted. When he first in Congress, the
system proposed by the gentleman from R. Island
was the regular system pursued; but all who re-
membered the time he spoke of, and remembered
the manner in which the work was done at that
time, would oppose a return TO the system. The
| work was miserably done and the Secretary OF the
Senate was frequently obliged to apply to other
than the regular printer to the body, to have the
work done in season. The Senate ought not to ask
any printer TO do their work for less than It was
worth. II too much was paid for it, let the sum
md fNn it'll -
but he was opposed to the plan of setting it I'D to
| the lowest bidder. He wished TO have the Jour
ha's anu documents go down to posterty printed in
proper manner. The Senate perceiving the diff
hcuties under which they labored, had, few
years since, referred the subject to Mr.. Wilson,
member from New Jersey, who had been all his
life printer. He graduated the prices, and they
had been the established prices ever since that
Tune. The price OF labor had not diminished in
the country since that trne the price of paper and
materials had not diminished, and he did not know
that the work could be afforded any cheaper
sun he had no objection TO an investigation of the
subject, and 10 having the price lowered, il too
much was now paid. Many men would be induc-
ed to do 1t for very reduced price, and at no pro-
ut, for the sake OF doing it, but he was in favor of
having il done well His proposition was very
simple on- merely having for its object the change
in the mode Of eiec;ing, that majority, instead
OF plurality, should be necessary to the choice
This was a common course in elections, and in
many States even the members Of Congress were
elected by majorities. This same proposition had
been made two years ago, at which time the Sc
nate were in favor Of il. The object of it was
that no person could get the place, who was not
the choice OF the Senate. The result of the a.
menduent would be, that five, six, or a dozen
men, would come there with their propositions
the Senate would be bothered with them; il was
putting the printing of the Senate up to the low
est bidder, and an individual not the choice of the
Senate, had an opportunity Of being elected
Mr.. Knight thought the gentleman from Ten
nessee nisconceived the object Of his amendment.
He only asked for that info nation which was ne
cessary to aid him in the choice, and which those,
who had not been in the Senate SO long as the gem
tleman from Tennessee, were in want of. The
same course had been adopted in the several De-
partments. No alteration was made in the original
resolution, and IL was merely an addition which
did not interfere with it.
Mr.. Eaton could no object in applying to
printers Tor their TERMS unless the Senate were to
be governed by those terms after they were re-
ceived. He, therefore, moved that the whole
should be laid upon the table, and the amend.
ment be printed; which motion prevailed
message, of confidential nature, having
been received from the President of the United
States
On motion of Mr.. White, the Senate vs. tent into
the consideration OF Executive business, and safe
short time with closed doors.
The bill for the purchase and distribution of In.
tantry Tactics, &c. was read a second time; but
Mr.. Chandler, the Chairman Of the Committee
on the Militia, not expecting the bill would be
called up at this time, and being unprepared to act
upon II at the present moment, moved an adjourn
Inent; which motion prevailed; and
The Senate adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
MIR. Burner, OF New York appeared on Friday
last, MIR. Wales, of Vermont, and Mr.. Mitchell,
OF south Carolina, appeared on Monday, and Mr..
Williams OF North Carolina appeared to-day.