The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-12-03

err, vet, after the specimen Of my oratory which
| gave them on that occasion, and notwith-
standing they were hard run for speakers,
Ia augh,l | can assure you that they did not
afterwards honor with any invitations to address
wing meetings. Laughte.r And, let me here add,
sir that for the activity with which ! opposed The
election Of Gen. Harrison, was visited with bit
tcrness OF denunciauon perhaps rarely heapcd ON
any other man. was then, now, in the Acco-
mac district, and II then the boosted bannerds-
trict of the Union. IL was precisely at that dark
hour that, in that district was most active in main
tanning the great State-rghts and democratic prnci-
pies TO which have ever been, and trust ever
shall Le devotediy attached. Of the part taken by
me in the last contest il is net for me to speak. II
is enough 10 say never gave a federal vote never
maintained a federal principle. have never failed,
to the utmost of my ability to maintain the princi-
Piles which distinguish the democracy Of Virginia.
Thus, (Mr. b. continued,) the gentleman from
Kentucky, from that brief recapitula,ion OF his hum
bic political carecrathe necessity for which he re-
gretted--could Judge whether he had been well in
formed when he said that, at any time, he (Mr. B. }
had been AN active whig. His colleague, the "lone
star of the State,n as he was called, Mr. PENDLE-
TON, II laugh could sustain him in oil that he
had stated relative TO his past public life He adj
vised the gentleman from Kentucky, whenever he
wished 10 get informed IF his Mr. 50 conduct in
his district to make that the Of his inqu-
ries. There 1could readily be ascertsincd the OPT
mon entertained of his political career.
The gentleman from Kentucky had been pleased
TO 60 on and say that, although in profession he
(Mr. b. was opposed to what he called the spoils
system, yet he was actually cooperating with the
spoils party-with the parry that introduced the in.
famous system. That was too stale n subject to re-
quire particular notice. The truth and Justice of
such an accusation were sufficiently known to the
country. If ever there was party that indeceDtly
practised that system, II was the very party to
which the gentleman was himself attached. What
yas he course If (yener,l Harriaon when he canip
into power Did not all the honorable gentlemen in
that House recuect the boasts--yes absolutely the
boasts--of prescription made on that floor by
member Of his cabinet Did they not know
that there were more victims made of democrats in
the one short month of Gen. Harrison's administra-
ton than were sacrificed during the whole term Of
MIR. Van Buren, How was the fact nowi The
gentleman complained of democratic prescriptions
but, as he (Mr. B was eredibly informed, a ma
jority Of the oilice-hoders in Washington at this
day were wings; and how had they got into
Office The House would not fail to recollect
that the democratic party has been in the ascen-
dency ever since 160l-with the exception of
a short interval during the administration Of
the venerable gentleman from Massachusetts,, and
a portion Of the term of General Harrison. If
the democratic party had been proscripuve
was represented-if the members Of that party were
such unprincipled spoilsmen as they were accused
Of being by the gentleman from kentucky how did
1t happen that there were so many wing nionu-
ments If democratic clemency in this very city of
Washington This one single fact destroyed all the
The gentleman. He (Mr b. opposed the fact to
the assertion of the gentleman, and left the decision
to the country. But there had been another remark
made by the gentleman, in reference TO his MIR. b.
inconsistency, which It was proper to notice. The
gentleman had asserted that he Mr.. had, at one
time, denounced the editor of the Richmond En-
guirer, whom he had highly eulogized yesterday.
He cared not who was the informant of the gentle
man; bu, he knew well that word of censurc, APP
piled to the private character of the honorable
alluded to, never had escaped his lips. True, he
had had occasion to differ from him on political
grounds. He differed from him on the sub-trcasury
question, when first proposed; and on other ques-
tons he had entertained different opinions from the
venerable gentleman; but never one syllable of
censurc had escaped his lips. In his humble
opinion, purer man than the late editor of the En-
qurer did not breathe. In his opinion he was at all
events pure---as elevated above all selfish and
ignohle motves--as earnestly devoted to principle
the editors of the National lnclligencer on whom
the gentlema from Kentucky, Notwithstanding his
great dislike of panegyric, had pronounced such
glowing eulogy. But as to the attack of the gentle
man from Kentucky upon Mr.. Richie, by going
back to remarks made years ago with reference to
General Jackson, and which have often been pre-
scented to the country, il was only fitted to ex-
cite smile. These poisoned arrows, which have so
uniformly failed to reach their object, will be equally
iidTiHicSS HOW. lHeTC Is III tie dTn Vi tHc
archer who now undertakes to direct their course,
which can excite in the minds of any the slightest
hope that they will receive force which they
had when pointed by ADLER men. Hear, hear.
The gentleman from Kentucky insisted that he
wished to defeat his purpose Of economzing the ex-
penditure for the public printing. II was not so.
He MIR. B desired to fulfil the law it STOOD and
provide for the execution Of tile printing at 20 per
cent less than the charged by Gales q Seaton
but, at the same time, to raise committee whose
duty it would be to examine the whole subject,
and recommend such reforms as may be found
necessary But he was not willing to abandon
system which had prevailed since the foundation of
the government in the crude and hasty mode pro-
posed by the gentleman from Kentucky. They
must have all the details They must have de-
liberate investigation of the subject. And when they
felt it to be their duty to reform these old practices
of the government, let it be done cautiously and
calmly--n the right spirit, and not for nero party
purposes. He had no desire to prevent a full ex-
animation of the subjcct--no desire to prevent re-
form, if reform were necessary. He wished to have
the whole matter placed if possible, on better
basis, and one on which il could in future rest
Hc therefore proposed to modify the amendment of
fered by him yesterday; and, for The information Of
the House, he would ask it to be read by the
clerk.
The amendment was read.
MIR. BAYLY then proposed the following addition
to his original motion,
fLS0iped JuTiNer, scicCL committee OIL
pointed to which the whole subject of the printing the
two Houses OF Congress shall be REFEREED and that said
committee he instructed to inquire whether any and what
change be made in the present mode of executing the
particularly whether would be better TO let IL to
the lowest bidder have 1t done by press established
and owned by the government; and If not whether the
price, as fixed by law, can be reduced ea
Mr.. BAYLY proceeded to say, that the two res
ouons were before them and it was fol- them; to
say which Of the two was submitted in good faith T
He proposed to introduce the law was to allow
the public printiny to 90 on and in tho me antme
appoint committee to examine the whole subject,
and report to this House the subject, put
the printing OH proper footing. That was his
plana feasible and practc plan; not like that of
the gentleman from Kentucky. What was that
To advertise the printing for twenty days. to let it
to the lowest biddcrto any that would take il.
Who, under his resolution, to make stipu-
lations for the manner in which the work should
be donca Who were to draw up the contract
and specifications Were these so unin,portant
that they were to be delegated to others by the
Houc' What kind of work was to be done,
ott III