Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-03-17
I " En- T~Y-STGVENTII CONGTEE.SS--2d SESSION
RETRE.fCH.NE.rT.
HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES,,
UfdncSdaB, March ..
GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS Bif.

and the rules being suspended for the purpose, the
House resolved ~itseIfinio Committee of the Whole on
the state of the Union, Mr.. Briggs Of Massachusetts
in tie chair and resumed the consideration of the bill
making appropriations for the civil and diplomatic c.-
penses of the Government FOR the year 1912.
When the committee rose yesterday, the following
item was under considerations:
'No. -. For incidental aud contingent expenses at
the Department of State including publishing and dis
%tributir9 the laws, S25 GOO.
Which item had heretofore been amended, on the mo-
tion of MIR. FILLMORE, (madc under the direction ni
the Committee of Ways and Means by the addition OF
the following proviso:
"Provided that the Job printing, stationery and bind
ing Of each of the Executive Departments shall, until
otherwise directed by law, be furnished by contract,
proposals for which shall ae regularly advertised for in
the public rIn,s; the classes, character and description
Of the printing being specified in each advertise nlent
as far rs that can be done, and il being made 4 condition
in all cases, unless otherwise specifically stated IL the
advertisement, that the work shall be done in the city
of Washington; and the contract shall IN each case, so
far as the proposals and acceptance shall enable the con.
tract 10 be made, be gwen to the lowest bidder, whose
bid shall be accompanied with proper testimonials o!
the ability Of the bidder 10 fulG! lis contract"
To this item, as heretofore amended ~ the adoption
Of the above proyiso, Mr.. Wise had yesterday moved
an amendment 10 strike out from the fifteenth clause OF
the bill, as amended on The motion Of Mr.. Fillmore, all
after The word claws, in the 9Th line, and insert IN
lieu thereof the words ",wen,y-iuur thousand five hun
bred dollars, so that i, Will read
.'Fcr Incidental and contingent expenses OF the De-
partmeni of STATE, including publishing and d'str'bnl'
lng the laws, 81 $40"
Aud the question now recurring on the amendment
of hr. WISE
Mr.. $. MASON was entitled 10 the Aoor, but being
for the noinen, out of his scat
Mr.. MlchE0N rose and Observed that Ms The gentle
man from ONO, who was entitled la liG floor, (ilr. Ma.
son. was absent, lie would take the opportunity ol
presenting his views IN The motion under consideration.
Ii lie understood IL. 1t was 10 strike from the b'li the
proyso inserted on the recommendation oil tue chair
man III the Committee of Ways and Means, that The
stationery, Job printing, and binding of the Executive
Departments shall he furnished by contracts, &c. rs
he %as disposed 10 sustain tia! proviso, he would o'lrr
a few considerations in is support. TINS proposition
originally cane from gentlemen who were nov IN the
majority oil that House, and was put ~ Il bill OF lc.'on
the motion or The colleague a, that time OF the gentle
man from Ohio. He believed he was right III suggest
ing the name Of Mr.. Bond.
Before he proceeded 20 give the history Of this amend
ment, ii might he proper TO show why 1t was now IN
iroduccd into this bill. II was unqCestIonahly the en-
peciation Of those who inserted the provision, in the
bill Of lS39. that il would remain the permanent law
Of The land but TIA, expectation had been defeated
by the adjndications Of the Supreme Court, and the
action OF the presen, Executive Department OF The
Government. The Supreme Court had decided not
only in the case Of Gratiot, but also in the case
of Mines, that these restrictions On appropriations
applied only 10 the hills in which they were found,
and expired with those appropriation a''ls. The
Executive Department, following as they supposed,
the principle settled in those eases, had conform
ed to those those principles, and coae to the con
clusion that the contract system was not any longer
operating on the printing. The Committee OF Ways
and Means, finding that two Departments Ohe Jul
dicial and Lcgislallvc) had agreed with regard TO the
non.existcnce of the law but believing in its pro-
priciy, that committee recommended lts re cnactmcni,
and without objection Il las been inser;od in this bill.
The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wlse) had been TN
derstood b. h.m (Al.. Mex 10 inquire Why wai ihis
re.enacted. If IL WAS 4 permanent law /; was not a
permanent law; it was so settled BY those who cons;ruc
orr laws, and those who will have The execution CT or
laws. lie hoped THIS would be sufficient answer 10
the enquiry.
The expediency Of this proYiso had been already
settle bv votes Of gentlemen on this floor. by refer
ring to The Journal Of $50, We would discoyrr b.
whose votes we're inserted on the appropriation bill OF
that year, the proviso that this printing should be done
BY contract, and given 10 the lowest bidder. a motion
was made TO strike the restriction out. The motion
was to strike out the provise, which he believed was IN
the very words of the provision under debate. The
motion was rejected BY votes OF the gentlemen, whose
names he would read, if in order so 10 do. Some OF
them were members Of this House.
The CHA said it was in order.
Mr. Nick. then read the names of 4 number of
gentlemen who voted against the motion, among which
were the following John Quincy Adams, John Bell,
WIN. Key Bond. Briggs, Calhoun, VIM. Is. Camp
bell, Campbell, Zadock Casey, Timothy Clilds, Ed
ward Curtis, Caleb Gushing, Edmund Drbrrry, Ed.
| ward Everett, MlildTd r IlIilOrc, fillanu nan, NC, thu-
in. with Henry A. Wise.
MIR. STANLY wished to know what the gentleman
was reading f~rom-whether he found his own name
there in favor Of receiving a petition to dissolve the
Union, or N favor OF receiving a petition from nc
groes :
Dir. McEEON said he was reading the votes Of gen.
tlemen on the molten 10 strike out, with n view 10 show
that those who had now the power would have an OPP
por,unity Of re.asser:ing the principle OF the proviso,
MIR. Mex. said he had examined the history OF this
$500 .-t T.~J ,l,t - .ra, aI,,goI afrnro t.ru
severe contest, not only in this House, but between
this House aad the Senate. After having been acopt-
ed by this House, IL was sent 20 the Senate, where 1t
was stricken oat. When the bill came back from the
Senate, another scene occurred here which might hc
usefully referred 10, for the purpose of answering
those gentlemen who insis, that any debate on such
questions will retard this bill. In 1c39, IL not only re-
iarded, but actually endangered The - hole bull. tie re-
ferred the committee to the history of ihe debates OF that
neriod. lie read the following
GENERAL. APPROPRIATION BILL.
"The amendments Of the Senate to this bill, upon
which they insisted, w: 10 have the Executive print
ing and binding done npon advertised contract, and the
one in relation 10 the Documentary History, were taken
"Mr. BOND. nj whose instance the FIRST provision
had been enrrafted upon The bill originally, briefly ad-
vocatcd lis expedency, and moved tia, the House ad-
here.
"The CHAIR explained, that this motion would pc
rl the whole bill; ana if both Houses adhere, the bill
would be lost.
M. BOND was aware OF the consequences, but he
should prrsis, in his motion nevertheless.
"Mr. MchENNAN did hope the gentleman would
Substitute the motion 10 Insist, and not peril the bill
in this way.
sNr. BOND substituted n motion to insist.
"Mr. RlNES, as being NOR, respectful TO the other
body, moved that the House s'recede from It's disagree
ment to the proposed amcndmento of the Senate.
"hr. CAMPBELL Of Tennessee demanded the yeas
and NAYS; which were ordered.
"Mr. HARLAN said, as the Executive printing had
been j monopoly for years, he hoped the protested anti
monopolis,s, the Loco Focos, would now SHOW the SIN
cerity of their professions by their votes.
'I'he question being then taken, the result was, yeas
20, nays 49,"
The House refused 10 rccede, and the Senate yielded,
to save the bill. Mr. Nick. made these illusions 10
show that, after a struggle, this mode Of performing a
portion of the public work was adopted. He proiessed
10 belong 10 that portion OF the Democratic party which