Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-03-25


,encer until the approaching Presidential struggle,
as recommended twenty v; years ago. in the House OF
Representatives by BoLLlSG ROBERTSON, as pure an'
high-innded Of Virginia, possibly. as BRUINS
WICK" himself 1t may also serve to moliy ms inoig
,aion TO he informed that the bill did not propose to
stribc the work 10 members Of Congress, or to dis
pose of single Cory in that way. We would schd you
copy of III. b telf for publication II we were not
unwilling 10 ask much Of your space
Very respectfully, yours, u. y ).
\. Senate cf tic Uned States, Feb. %, 1913
Mr. WoopsgIpGE made Tie following Report, which
was ordered 20 be printed
The Committee On the Library, instructed by re-
solution of the Senate to enquire INTO the expectancy
of providing for the publication of continued series
Of the debates and proceedings of Congress from the
beginning of the first the end OF the present session.
and of procuring for the OF the United States
certain number of copies of the same, having haa Inc
subject under consideration, respectfully report:
That in all free countries 1t must ever be considered
matter Of great interest," and well worthy of the public
care band down 10 poserry not only true record
of the acts Of the Government bu. correct history OF
those circumstances which attended their adoption, and
are calculated TO explain their origin and character
In those countries in which civil governments ex-
ised before letters generally cultivated, syste-
matte exerons have been made 10 recover The frag
nenls OF their history and 10 gather them into vo-
lumes which have been published under the direction
of their several Governments at the public charge.
In this country, the history OF whose Government,
in all lis development is, from its earliest germe, is sus
ceptlble of compilation and preservation, from mate
rails accessible research and industry, would be
strange indifference to neglect The opportunity while
it is yet within reach, TO give 10 those materials
compact and convenient form. This 1t IS proposed to
enable the publishers to do, by subscription to
compilation of the history of Congress, be published
by Gales & Seaon, from the beginning of the Govern
TO the second session of the eighteenth Congress,
in connection Wit. the ex.ant "Regiser OF Debates,
from the beginning of that session to the end of the
first session Of the 18th Congress- and its continuation
from the end of that session By Blair " Rives.
The proposed subscription rests upon the same prn
cple as several other works TO which Congress have
authorized subscriptions all part and parcel OF the ma
t;onoI history bu, none oil Them having the adva image
of consecu,iveness and completeness which belong to
the work now under consideration OF these, beside
the "a merican State Papers, and the DOCUMENTARY
History it Will be only necessary to MENTION for ex
ample, "Wais State Papers" "Sparkss Compilation
of the Journals, Proceedings, and Correspondence OF
the old Congress-, "Gordons Digest of the Laws,
oSeyber,'s Statistics the "Madison Papers," NC.
or character analogous to that of the proposed
expenditure Of money for the publication of the His
tory of Congress, there arc, indeed, many apPropra
lions 10 be found the statute books For instance:
time after time, year after year. appropriations of tens
upon tens of thousands of dollars have been made for
paintings and sou plnres for the capitol. II is not
merely 10 encourage the fine arts that these uppropra
lions have been made; but, in the language Of the first
events in the history of the Revolution. The object
of the work to which it IS now proposed 10 subscribe is
TO preserve the memory OF things that have passed
since the establishment, of Independence the traces of
which are almost oblterated
The preservation and publication of the History of
Congress, moreover object, If not expressly en-
Joined By the Constitution, in The torn now under
consideration, is consistent with the spirit Of that in
strument, by which the two Houses of Congress are
required to keep journals of their proceedings, and
from time TO time, to publish the same The puhlica.
ton thus made, however expedIcnt and proper, the
committee need not observe, affords little if any nor
nation the grounds and motives OF the votes and
proceedings which the journals record This is de
fciency which the proposed History of Congress will
supply, as far as it is possible now to do it,
Influenced BY these considerations, the committee
report herewith bill 10 provide for the publication of
the debates and proceedings of Congress in continued
series, asking leave refer the Senate, for further
illustration of the object Of this bill to the following
report made in the year 1918, by highly respectable
committee of the House of Representatives in con-
nexicn with bill which failed to become law under
circumstances having relation The merits OF the
work proposed
House of Representatives, 1sIS
Mr.. Tnos BoLLI3G Robertson, of Louisiana, from
the Committee tn whom referred the memorial Of
Gales u Seaton, reported
"Tha, the memorialists engaged in publishing
History of the Congress of the L. S. from the COM
y,
continuation of the same history, to keep pace with
the pr cent and future transactions of that body The
memoralists solicit the aid Of the Government in this
their laborious and expensive undertaking. The corn
mittee iul!y impressed with the importance Of this
work Nothing can be more useful than a correct le
gisative history Of the United States. II is
of much regret that has not heretofore existed ;
and that it is proposed 10 be published, there
be hesitation in giving il encouragement. The
views and opinions of the great actors The theatre Of
Government not less necessary TO be known than
their acts themselves The utility of judicial reports
is very generally admitted; and, il the Of the
judge ough, to accompany hs exposition of the law,
how much proper it that this should be the
in respect to the views Of the Legislator the author o!
the law itself To right understanding of statutes,
nothing IS essential than knowledge Of the
causes and motives which produced their enactment;
and this can in way be satisfactorily obtained as
by resort to contemporareous debate
"That the aid Of Congress is necessary to this work
arises out of the great labor and expense attending it,
while, at the same time, no adequate remuneration can
be expected from its sale. The agrculturist the
chant, the mechanic, and the physician, who purchase
other books, will feel comparatively little interest in
this however useful it may be to the politician, the
and the lawyer. The work will afford
amusement to the general reader, bat without it the
chives of the nation defective.
"Congrcss has not been backward in giving aid 10
publications OF similar character. OF The edition
of the laws of the u s. subscription directed of
one thousand copies before the work commenced.
Three or four hundred have been since purchased Of
that work, and it is now proposed to purchase eight
hundred copies more A subscription was, in like man
ner, authorized to Waits edition of the public docu
men's and further proposed to purchase equal
number of copies Of additional volume of that work.
about to be published The policy is not less just than
liberal which provides for the widest aitanabe dfu-
sion of whatever concerns the development of the
springs and principles of Government.
"With such views, is that, al The present sesson,
the publication of the journals of the Convention and
OF the secret journal of the old Congress, hus been
thuTlzed; and, with such views, the committee ask leave
10 report bill authorizing subscription 10 the fIiso
~ Of Congress-.
CHARLES LUiiSnEN, W.1cH MAxIa $50 JEwELAra, Pc.
~ rsburg, continues repair Watches Clocks and
Jewellery short notice, and in
f15@ such manner Ia give entire
.SESiN isfaction. lie keeps constantly
rs U S&J hand wei selected stock of Watch
Mok M es Jewellery, Silver Spoons and
III" Nh Fancy Goods, embracing almost
no g. aim every article usually kept in Jew
Nso NoED} cl-ry Store.