The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-03-05
CONGRESS-.


In the House, on Thursday, after the presen-
tation Of petitions by Messrs. Rodney and
Riggs, resolution to give the use OF the Hall
on Monday evening to the Congressional lem
perance Society was adopted.
Mr.. Thompson, of Indiana, offered joint
resolution, which was adopted by the House,
directing that no payment should be made for
the printing of the Compendium of the Census,
until it should be ordered by special joint reso-
luton to that effect.
The call for the previous question on the
amendment aboishing the Office of Postmaster,
&C. was pending. On the final vote, the ayes
and noes were demanded, when the amendment
was lost, AZ being in the affirmative and 1919 in
the negative. The original resolution abolish
ing the office of draughtman prevailed. The
next resolution of the Committee of Public Elk
penditures, diminishing the number of messen-
gers and pages, was considered. Mr. Hopkins
offered an amendment providing that the pages
should be selected from the INDECENT orphan
children of the District of Columbia found to
possess the requisite qualifications 1t was lost.
The resolution was carried.
The resolution fixing the per diem compensa-
ton of the messengers, pages and laborers was
next discussed Mr.. Underwood proposed TO sub
stitute an annual salary for the per diem pay. This
amendment was lost. Mr.. Wise then proposed
that the Assistant Postmaster Of the House,
having responsible duties, should be allowed a
remuneration of three dollars day instead of
TWO and half as proposed by the committee.
That officer had been allowed three dollars un
der former resolution. Mr.. Summers rejon-
ed and, in conclusion, called the previous ques-
ton The amendment was lost and the resou-
ton carried.
The House resolved itself into Committee OF
the Whole, Mr.. Briggs in the chair, and took up
the Civil Appropriation bill. Mr.. Davis prof. os-
ed to reduce the sum allowed to the State De-
partment for printing and distributing the laws,
from 1926, 900 to $4,000. This amendment he
afterwards withdrew. But he modified, in some
materia! points, the resolution IN relation to the
mode in which the printing, SC. should be put
out and executed. The amendment to the pro-
viso is as follows:
"And all other lob printing binding and stationery,
in any way relating to the Executive Departments
any business connected with them, shall also be done
and furnished in the same way by the office having
charge of the same; and money herein approprla-
ted shall be discussed in payment for the publication
of the laws of Congress in newspapers, which publ
cation shall and be discontinued for the future,
and all advertisements and other printing pertaining
to the public service published and done in news
papers shall be made in the newspapers of the
town city, or place where the same may be done,
" hch shall have the largest number of subscri-
bers; and when such publication may be made IN
two newspapers in the same city, town or place,
it shall be made in the two newspapers of different
hall hay he number
seribers be ascertaned and verified by the afIda-
Wit of the editor or editors; and such publication
shall in no case exceed one insertion per week Tor
three weeks, to be made in the country paper
Mr. Gushing renewed his objection to the adj
mission of the amendment, in its present form,
into an appropriation bill, for reasons already
assigned during the course of the debate. The
Chairman observed that his opinion on this mat
ter remained unchanged-but his decision hav
ing been reversed the previous day by the vote
of the Committee, he felt himself obliged to de
eide according to that vote. Mr.. Gushing re-
marking that the reversal was made when there
was but one beyond quorum present, and that
he wished TO ascertain the determination that
would be made by fuller vote, and accordingly
appealed from the decision which the Char telt
itself obliged to give. The question being put,
68 voted in favor of the decision, and SO against
it.
No quorum voting, the committee rose, but 1t
being ascertained a few minutes after, that
quorum was present, the House went again into
committee, and the vote being again taken, SO
voted in the affirmative and SIS in the ne gative.
So the decision which the previous vote COM
PEELED the chair to make, was again sustained.
The discussion proceeded, at length, IN one
or two cases deviating into an incidental inquiry
concerning the relative expense OF publishing
the laws in newspapers and printing them IN
pamphlet form In the debate Messrs. Fillmore,
Gamble, Glmer Cooper OF Georgia, Filling
hast, Botts and others, participated.
Mr.. SMITH, of Indiana, addressed the Sc
nate yesterday upon the resolutions OF Mr..
CLAY. in relation to the public lands and the
tariff