Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1835-02-19
IN sENATE-FrpnvAnr IL.

On motion relative to postponing the election
of Printer
Mr.. Preston rose to say word. He express
ed his entire willingness in regard to the print
ing of the Senate, or any other subject concern
inc which charge of extravaganza had been
made, to 60 into an investigation in the spirit OF
reform and retrenchment he would be wiling
to act with any committee in the examination OF
such charge, whether it had reference TO the
general printing OF the Senate or the particular
Conduct of the printer There Was one portion
of the Senate which was inclined to check the
growth of Executive patronage, and another
horton which seemed to be Jealous to curb
what they deemed Legislative and Senatorial
extravaganza. BY mutual indulgence OF each
others wishes on these points, and by conceo,
ing to each other little, great deal OF gooo
might result to the country.
Mr.. Clay rose and said: that he could not con-
cur exactly with the Senator from South Caro-
lima. in all which had fallen from him in refer
ence to the charge Of extravaganza oil pruning
II was possible that there had been some IN
crease in the printing of Congress; he was w,
clined to think there had been an increase, ana
probably a considerable one within the last ten
or twelve years. But it was the cause OF tnis
extravaganza of printing. respecting which the
Senator from South Carolina had Omitted some
| remarks which should have accompanied MS
statements And what was this cause? The
increase which had taken place was attribute.
| BILE to the abuses OF the administration. Thal
| was the cause, and ii ought not to surprise any
one that the friends ofthe administration should
get up and oppose any printing which was cal
| culated to disseminate the knowledge OF THESE
abuses among the people. The less the print
| ing that was done, so much the better for them
OF the report last year, concerning the Genera
Post Office, there had been printed by the Sc.
nate 10000 copies, but the honorable Senator
from New York he feared, had suffered his
| quota of these reports to remain in his ONCE
! There had been printed 80 600 of these reports
here, and 5000 by the House of Representa-
tives That was the cause of the great mass OF
printing; and the misfortune was that the IN
creased printing could not keep up with the in
! creased abuses
AS to the General Post Office, was it believed
that if the Committee could have penetrated in
to the recesses of the Department. instead OF
merely penetrating the crust, the printing would
not have been much more volumnous? The
| Postmaster General refused to open the doors.
He held the key, and the consequence was mat
the committee could not get more than hall the
truth Ifthey could have succeeded in ferretlng
out all the abuses Of the Administration, the
printing would have been so considerable, that
the friends of the administration would have
had more reason still to get up and talk OF ex'
travagance in more doleful strains. This, then.
was the main cause of the printing being so con-
siderable. Sometimes, it was true, that matters
were ordered to be printed, which were no! pro-
per to be printed; but there were others where
matters which ought to be printed were not
printed.
He had no intention TO 60 into protracted
discussion but had thought it necessary to say
thus much in reference to the cause of the print
ing. He renewed his motion to lay the resolu-
ton on the table.