The Arkansas banner., 1844-12-11
TIE puBLIC PRINTING

the 6ominttee on irlnting, we Will add few words, to what we have heretofore said upon this subject, merely to disabuse the public mind of the false im- pressions sought to be made upon it. by disappont- ed and interruptions applicants.
 The Gazette of last week, although it continues its grambling virtually acknowledges that it's bid, for the daily printing, was higher than the terms on which We have undertaken to do it. It omitted te bid for printing the Acts and Journals This omis- sion was voluntary; and is now mentioned, by the Gazette. to give false color tohis complaint against the committee; and to conceal the fact that, if he had bid at all il would have been at higher prices than those paid to Eli Colby, al which We have un- dertaken the work We care warranted in this state iaent by the bid made by inc Gazette for printing the Acts and Journals of the last session. which was higher than inc bid of Eli Colby. If the editor of the Gazette had any candor or the common sense of justice he would state this to be true; and farther that the prices, at which we have undertaken the printing are as low as any printer can afford to do the work for. There is not competent printer in
 this city who will contloyer this, as the Editor oi the Gazette well knows He but demonstrates his utter destitution of moral principle, in seeking tc make party capital, or gratily his personal malice by what he dare not deny to be suppression of the truth, and a gross misrepresentation of facts
 0fthe Times and Advocate, and the issue its os- ieasble conductors made to seek with us and the Committee We have nothing to say, except to point out an attempt to deceive so bare faced, and mis- satementso gross, that they need only 10 be seen, to subject their real authors to the seorn and contempt of every honest man.
 After admitting that our prices. for the daily printing, are sercaty.hce ceats paee. lower than theirs, the Times and Advocate goes on to say:-
 "By reference to the Auditors account, we find that the amount paid for the daily printing ill 1842 was one thousand and four dollars, and the amount paid the same year for the Acts and Journals was nine thousand one hundred and six dollars and fifty-fve cents. Now suppose that the same quant- ty of work be required the present session, the daily printing al our bid would amount to one thousand one hundred and eighty dollars, being one hundred and seventy-six dollars more than the Banner is now doing
 1t for, and the Acts and Journals al our bid would amount 10 three AoUsaad and thirty doliarS, whereas, the Banner will rcceire nine AousaAd one Hundred a1d Ste dollafS a1m .ffiy-frc ccAts, being six thousand one hundred and ninety-six dollars and twenty three cents more than we offered 10 do il for.n
 From this it would appear that the amount paid Eli Colby, and to be paid us at the same prices, for public printing is indeed. But is true The individual who dictated well as he who penned, the statement we have quoted. knew il to be false in fact, and intended il 10 make I false im- pression, The amount of "Niae thousand one hun dfea aa2 SIC dollars" here stated to haYebeen paid Eli Colby, for printing the Acts and Journals of lS42, as appears upon the Auditors account, was .4baasas Baat paper which, at its current rate of Htg cents in the dollar is only four thousand fue hundred and .fty-thyee doilars and this is the amount we are to receive, for the same quantity and description of work. An amount for less than which no honest printer will say the work can be afforded, The sum of Ltfee thousaad and Mirty dol lars, which the Times and Advocate claims as it's bid for the Acts and Journals, even if counted as specie, as IS we'll known to printers, would fall short ot the actual cost of the work If counted as Arkansas Bank paper, it would be only .fffeen hun dred and ffeea dollars, amount barely sufficient to cover the cost of paper and press work and leay ing nothing for composition, and other ndispensa- be expenses. It is evident from this that this bid of S3,030, was intended 10 be estimated as so much specie. And in this appears the bare faced decep- ton and gress fraud, sought to be practced, by the statement in the Times and Advocate. That state ment puts down the amount paid Eli Colby at S90l,o6 as so much specie while the writer knew it was Arkansas Bank paper, and really amounting 10 only $1,558 Whereas, the bld of Colby and Gish of Ss0s0 is put by the side ofthe So io6 and com pared with it, for the purpose of creating the im- pression that both amounts were in the same kind of funds and the excess of the latter over the former sum, stated to be more than SC 6000-a sum greater by about l500 than the rhole amount we are to re- ceiYe for the Acts and Journas-and greater, by several hundred dollars, than we are to receive for all the work done for the Legislature. We repeat that S6000 is more than all the printing for the Le gisature, including daily printing, and Acts and Journals, will amount to. And yet the Times and Advocate is made to say that we are to receive up- wards of S6,00o more than the bid of Colby and Gish. Take this single statement of the Times and Advocate in all its naked deformity, and t brands iasehood and dishonesty so deeply upon the faces of its authors, to render them unworthy of credit or countenance of any honest man any par ty.
 ltis proper to state that the Committee on Printing did not report without qualification, that the propo- sals of & Borland & Co. were lower than the bids of the other offices. The Report was, in effect, that our proposal was e lowest and best that is, taking into account the ability of the several offices to do the work in proper time, and in proper manner it was to the interest of the State to accept our propo sals Similar Reports were made to the House and to the Senate. In view of all the facts, our propo sals were accepted; and when the two Houses met in Convention, we were elected public printers, by s2 out Of the 95 or 9i votes given. That our pro- posals were lower than the bid of the Gazette, was obvious to all, and is admitted by the Gazette itself And that the Times and Advocate was and is totally Incompetent to do the work, whether at a high or low price, was equally well known to all who took the trouble to examine the subject As is notorious in the city that office has neither the Types Presses,