The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-03-09
CONGRESS.

On Monday, in the House, on the mo'ioh OIL
NJ Fillmore, the resolution forbidding extra
,,lowances 10 clerks, messengers, &C., in the
CAPITOL, together with two proposed amend
,,ents were laid on the table. On Tuesday, on
,he motion of Mr.. Bovine, this vote was recon-
s;dered, and the resolution and amendments
rassed. The amended resolution, which was
carried. now reads as follows;
R,,olp,d. That il be hereafter standing rule of
The House that extra compensation be allowed to
any officer messenger, page laborer, or other per-
,on in the service of the House, or engaged In or
,bou the public grounds and buildings.
prorided That so much of the foregoing resolu-
lions as fix the number of clerks, messengers, and
naye, shall go into operation from and after the
Close Of the present session of Congress. IT, howev-
err any of the pages under existing rules and resou
hons shall go out of employment before the close OF
the session, their places shall not be filled so as to
make the whole exceed the number provided for by
the resolution reported by the committee,
And that hereafter it shall also be standing rule
Of the House that no person shall be officer of the
House. or continue in its employment, who shall be
an agent for the prosecution OF any claim against the
Government be interested in any such claim other
wise than as an original claimant, and that It shall
be the duty of the Committee Of Accounts to inquire
into and report to the House any violations of this
rule
Attempts were made to introduce other reso-
uons, but the orders of the day were called for.
These were reports from standing committees.
Their presentation and disposition continued I'M
til the expiration Of the morning hour, when
Mr.. Fillmore moved to go into Committee OF
the Whole but, after some conversation, with
drew his motion, and the disposal of reports
was prolonged until two o'clock.
The House then went into Committee of the
Whole, Mr. Briggs in the chair MIR. Wise
had the floor, and was informed that the amend
ment of Mr. Davis and its provso would be
withdrawn, and Mr.. Fillmore expressed the
hope that Mr. Wise would also withdraw his
amendment, so that more rapid progress might
be made in disposing Of the items Of the appro-
priaon bill. Mr.. Davis remarked that he was
willing to withdraw his amendment for the pre-
sent, upon the information communicated by
Mr. Fillmore, that the Committee of Ways and
Means was employed in preparing distinct bill
on the subject Of the public printing, but he
gave notice that he would hereafter, when the
bill was gone through, propose an amend
ment, prohibiting payment for the printing
Of the Executive Departments under certain
limitations, unless authority was given by Con.
gress for that purpose.
Mr. Underwood sent TO the clerks table me-
mortal from certain printers and book binders
Of Washington, protesting against the contract
system,-which was read
Mr. Davis followed this by an animated
speech Mr.. Wise expressed his willingness
TO withdraw his amendment, provided that the
ptovlso offered by Mr.. Fillmore should be for the
present taken out also. Hethen proposed to strike
out from the clause providing for the contingent
ces OF the State Department the sum of $4,000,
together with the proviso, and insert 1884,
500
To retain that proviso, he said, would retard
the passage of the bil-the subject Of the print
ing was one Of too much magnitude to be legis-
lated on SO hastily in discussing items of appro-
priaiions. The whole question to be decided
now, was only whether the question of the pub
lie printing should be separated from an appro-
pration bill, that it might be more maturely con.
sidered at more proper period.
The District Bank bill was engrossed for a
third reading in the Senate yesterday, after be-
ing amended so as to make it obligatory on the
banks Of the District to resume specie payments
after such course shall have been commenced
BY the banks of Richmond and Baltimore