The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-03-03
CONGRESS-.

Mr. Cooper was qualified and took his seat.
Mr. Fillmore then offered resolution chang
,og the hour at which the House should meet on
Monday and thereafter from IL TO IL O'Clock.
The ayes and noes were demanded and 1913
voted in the affirmative and 22 in the negative.
Mr. Tahaferro gave notice that he would move
,be next day a reconsideration of the vote just
aken. If he did not succeed in obtaining a re-
session of the resolution, he conceived that the
committees should be discharged from the per-
formance of the duties inlrusted to them. The
ume now allowed for labor in the committee
rooms is already sufficiently contracted.
Mr.. Gentry endeavored to obtain the consent
of the House TO go into Committee of the
Whole to take up private bill, but he was un-
successful
The orders of the day were called up-beng
the report of the Committee of Expenditures
The portion under consideration, was the resolu
lion diminishing the number of Messengers in
the Clerks Office to three. Mr.. Briggs proposed
an amendment making the number tour. The
amendment was lost and the resolution was car
red in its form.
office of draughtsman of the House. Mr.. J. G..
Floyd added an amendment abolishing the Of
fee of Postmaster, and Mr.. Hopkins offered
another embracing all the Offices connected with
that establishment A long debate arose on
these amendments. The Post Office Of the
House it was contended is unnecessary and
even inconvenient TO the members. The letters
q ~. :. 4 L. "A
at an earlier hour each day if they were distribut
ed atthe City Post Office than they can be under
the present arrangement, and at the same time
the expense of the salaries of the Postmaster
and his assistants would be saved On the
other side, it was maintained that the work of
distribution must be performed somewhere; if
not done in the Post Office of the House, itmust
be done in the City Post Ofhce---and an equi-
yaent increase in the number of clerks in the
latter establishment would be required. No
saving therefore would result from the passage
of the resolution. After protracted debate
Mr. Morgan moved The previous question.
The Speaker laid before the House the com
munications and Senate bills on his table. One
of these was from Thomas Allen in relation to
the resolution Of the House directing him and
the propreors of the Globe to proceed no
farther with the printing ofthe Census Compen-
dunn. Mr.. Davis moved to refer this commu-
ncation to a Select Committee. After some
remarks from Mr.. Gushing, who was fire.
quently interrupted by Mr.. Davis, it was refer
red to the Committee on Claims, which has un-
der consideration the memorial of Blair and
Rives. A communication from the Secretary OF
State in relation to the job printing, &C., done
for his office, was, on motion of Mr. Adams, re-
ferred to the same Committee.
The House, on the motion of Mr. Fillmore,
went into Committee of the Whole, and Mr.
Briggs took the Chair Mr.. Anterior continued
the unfinished debate Of the preceding day, and
argued against the decision of the Chair. The
debate was continued by Messrs. Merriwether
and Davis, Mr.. Gushing proposed that the
Chair should state its decision and the ques
ton be taken at once on the appeal. At
Ter an elaborate exposition from the Chair
of the reasons on which the decision
was based, the vote was taken by tel
ers, when Sc voted in the affirmative and
was therefore reversed; and the question then
was the adoption Of the amendment of Mr.. Da-
Wis Mr.. McKeon objected to the portion
which selected the papers which have the great
est number of subscribers for printing the laws.
In many parts Of the country, there are journals
which have few or no subscribers, while their
circulation is the most extensive. The ostensi-
bic object of the amendment would not there
fore be obtained Mr.. Davis was understood
to be opposed to an alteration in conformity
with the views put by Mr.. McKeon Mr..
Everett thought the papers chosen for the pub.
LEGATION of the State laws, should be selected for
the printing of the General Government
Mr.. Smith, of Virginia, was opposed to the
amendment Of Mr.. Davis as unjust to private
interests AT all times there has been an organ
of the Executive, in part supported by the pa
tronage in the gift of that branch of the Govern
ment. Anticipating this support, the proprietor
Of the Madisonian had no doubt made large
outlay TO provide materials necessary for the
performance Of the work, on which he might
very nationally expect to be engaged. To de-
prve him of il now would nhct an injury on
him. After the preparations made by the In
telligencer for doing the work Of the Honse. il
would be obviously unjust to deprive it of the
printing required. For the like reason it would
be unjust to take the printing Of the laws, &C.,
a, this time from the Madisonan.
Mr.. Profit said that the tendency of the pro-
posed law went directly to defeat its osensible
purpose. Itrequired the Secretary Of State to give
the printing to those papers having the larges
number Of subscribers. The result, in many
cases, must be, that the presses the most corrup
would receive support from the patronage of thu
Government