Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1828-06-25

directed TO obtain from each of the members
the name of the next post-oiiice to his resi-
dence, and then procure from the Postrlas-
ter General an exact statement of the dis
lance Of that post office from the Seat Of Go
vernment, on which, his mileage is to- pc
computed. We believe great abuses have
taken place from the various and arbitrary
manner III which members have sometimes ,
estimated their mileage; not taking pest
routes, but founding their calculations on the |
navigation OF steam boats through all the |
sinnoSlties of large and extensive rivers
They would, moreover recommend that The
accounts of each member be certified by him
oa honor; and that the certificate state that
he has deducted from his account every day
on which he may have been absent from the
seat of gorcrnment duringthc sitting of Con
Srcss.
And for all these purposes your committee
will report a bill.
F., As il respects the number and fixed sala-
ries OF the officers of the House, they regret
that, from the short time allowed them, com
pared with the comprehensi, cness Of their
| labors, ,hey should have been unable to III
ves:igatc this branch OF the subject, together
with the contingencies Of the House, with
| the scrutiny they deserve. The opinion of
the Clerk Gan experienced officer is certain
lily entitled TO weight; and your committee
viii not venture to recommend any rcIuc-
ton o. the latter, although they think, by a
new distribution and classification of tho Ia
bofs OF the clerks, it might be affected to pcr-
haps limited extent
in relation to the contingent expenses Of
| the House, much depends on the discretion
/ Of the Speaker of the House, and the vigi-
, lance of tlie Clerk; but much moro on the at
| trOtI0n of tho Ir,,oo
and the amount of printing which may be
ordered. 1t often happens, that large docu-
! ments arc directed to be printed; which in
}fact are altogether useless; and the evil
us greatly increased, when numerous CO.
apes are ordered, which, in many ca
| ses, swells the profit of the printer, with
! out the smallest benefit to the country.
I our committee consider the size of the
! documents as unnecessarily large, which ari-
ises, first from hubit Of proixitv and detail
| into which all the Departments are more or
! less liable to tail-inore especially as & new
ipractice has been introduced, by tic Secrc-
] tarlcs OF the Departments sending the reports
!ot their clerks or heads of bureaus. instead
; OF condenslng them and making them sub
lStantialiy their own communication: and.
! secondly, from the practice, in printing tho
communications, OF using title pages for all
GOT them If the title be placed at the head
!ot the communication, and the printing OF
the communication itself immediately follow,
/ all essential saving III expense of binding. ~
: wen as the cost of printing, would accrue.
L! L ms together with all alteration OF the mode
joi printing the figure or ruled work by sub
jstiiutlnS, IN many cases, the octave for LARGE
tables, would be productive Of a valuable
saving tor which they will report Joint reso-
luton. They moreover strongly recommend
TO the consideration OF the House, the expc-
idicncy OF organizing, as one Of the Stand
ing Committees of the House, q committee
to be entitled The Committee Oh Printing
10 winch the expenditures, alterations, and
ircforh1S on this subject should be corfi,ied,
together with reference of every document
over one hundred pages, communicated or
reported to Congress- TO report on The neccg-
slty OF propriety of printing it before the
House make such order.
F.; In the course of their examination Of the
printing Of the House, your committee as
ccrtained that hIessrs Gales & Seaton. prin-
ters of the House, had dcviated from the
condition Of The resolution Of Congress, of
the Sd Of March, 1910. under which they we're
bound, and had contracted to perform tic
! printing.
The resolution directs ':that all printing,
otlct than rule or table work, Is to be done in
a small plea type, on royal paper, in pages of
Tie same size as those of the last edition Of
the Laws of the Z. States, including the mar
! ginal notes.
! BY 4 comparison Of the size Of a page of
the documents printed by Gales &, Seaton,
since the 3D. March, 1919, with that Of. the
edition Of the Law Of the u. States referred
% IN the resolution Just cited, Is found that
I each of thn ccfoyo ,>;,o IT,.
wants from $50 to 22O ems of the size Of the
page OF the edition ofthc Law. Of the 9. s.; by
which the size OF the page of the documents
and journals Of Congress, has been reduced
nuariy onc-scvcnth Of the standard establish
ed by law.
BY reference 70 the appendix, all tho in
formation which your committee nave col
looted, together with their correspondence
with Messrs. Gales &, Scaton, will appear,
which they do not conceive that it is nccos-
sary 70 recapituatc. IT will be sufficient to