The New York herald., 1845-11-28

giving for mercies past, and prayers for more
cannot go on as / intended, and give you some
interesting personal passages between Messrs. Bu-
chanan and Walker, in the passage TO the door; and
In tact, this letter has run to such length that
must omit touching several topics indicated in the
heading 10 this epstle
WASHINGTON, Nov %, lS45.
The Public Prsating-Hs great palue to Printer
The Independent Press-Its effect on the Nation,
&C., &c.
The weather, though little colder this week
than the few weeks preceding, Is still serene and
beautiful. In politics. too, there is dead calm !;
but the barometer of keen observation foretes that
this viii not last long. The mercury is rising and
we may look out soon for sudden squalls, if not
dlreful hurricanes. In other words Colts battery
will be IN operation and though some of the expo-
sions will be perfectly harmless, there old hulks,
now floating In fancied security, that will be
blown sky-high. predict that the three segmens
OF the democratic party will, in single instance,
cohere, but that each will form an alliance with
portion OF the whig party, who, from their i'm
potence Tin the House at least,) as distinct or
ganization, will naturally lend themselves to this
result
The great national questions which ostensbly abb
sorb the minds of politicians, are the tariff Oregon
Texas, &c. but there reason to believe that the
real questions which agitate every nerve and fibre
o their bodies, and call into activity every energy
OF their souls, are those which involve hopes OF pre-
ferment-the fat pickings of ofice-the yet und-
vlded spoils OF the campaign Of 1874. Among these
may be enumerated the Speakership, the places of
House clerk. Senate sergeant alarms, various
subordinate Offices in the gift OF Congress, and last
not least, the public printing Indeed, the printing
appears 10 be the Aaron's rod which swallows up all
other considerations, and regulates the bestowal OF
all the secondary prizes and when the magnitude
OF the stake Is considered, II is not surprising
tor the printing Is OF more pecunary value than the
office of President of the United States. This may
sarte some OF your readers, but the public records
under the scrutiny OF committees of the Senate and
House OF Representatives, set forth in their
various reports, have ndisputably established the
fact. BY the report Of the Committee on Printing
IN the Senate, June II, 1912, it appears that
From the year 1884 to 1910, inclusive, the
printing OF the Senate amounted to. 49,. S272 1876
That OF the House OF Representatives to- $50, ,S97
and that Of the Executive Departments to. sll,96a
Together, amounting to. o............ 81 les. .66l
making an average of $l66, ,95l per annum for the
printing large proportion Of which (perhaps the
amount OF 10 per cent? has been gained by the
printers as clear profit the work. Assuming
this as moderate estimate OF the profits. the gain
for the whole time (7 years) would be S467 464 and
the average gain by them for each year would be
S66,7sO.
Since ls4O the Congressional printing has in
creased, especially the lucrative kinds OF IL; and
Congress has been more than once invoked to sep
nrate the public printing from the party press. But
parties. when IN power, have been unwilling to
forego the supposed advantages Of this lever OF pa
Tonagei and hence the extraordinary spectacle of
the political press of the country being divided into
two rival orchestras, Chat OF the dominant party
being led by haad-organ at the seat of govern
ment, the crank OF which is turned by the existing
admnistration) and in either of these orchestras,
increasingly and excruclatlngy,
They give a touch of the old tunen
The rapid rise of the independent press in this
country. however, of which the Herald, if it was
not the first, Is now the foremost of its pioneers,
will doubtless soon bring these humdrums of the
orchestras, like their confreres who grind for the
children at doors, into merted contempt.
Then may we expect to see the public printing,
with Its enormous profits and huge peculations,
taken from the party press, and executed IN some
economically administered governmental establish
Inent, or given to independent press, or prac-
teal printer, more prominent tor public spirit, or
mechanical ability, than tor politico- orchestral
beating and braying.
On reflection, it is wonderful that the present
mode has existed SO long. Practical printers are as
eiectualy excluded from the post OF public printer
by the selection OF none but party editors leaving
out OF view the aspirations of political hacks and
desperadoes, though it did not involve technical
knowledge and great mechanical skill. What
would be thought Of that individual in private life
who should go to the physician and3get his shoes
made, and indemnify him for his want of know
ledge OF that honest handcraft by such an increase
OF price az would enable him to pay the proper
workman his plttance for labor, while ne (the phys-
cian) pocketed an excessive profit! Or in what
estimation would be- held the executive officer Of
this Cover ment, who should invariably place cot
ton-splnners In command of our ships of war, bar
bers Chose of the chm, mean) in charge of our
fiscal affairs, and scavengers upon the bench of the
Supreme Court I! The mere mention of such mon
stroslties excltes mingled feelings of mrth, ndigna-
ton, and scorn yet they not whit more abb
surd than the pr lctice OF selecting broken down
lawyers poets, philosophers, I'd gent.s one TO do
the governmental printing.
Members OF Congress are fast assembling. MANY
bring their famihes-a wise measure, when they
bring them tor the pleasure of their society, but
very questionable when they bring them, as some
are said to have brought their sons, for the oaves
and fishes OF Office.
Our AFFAIRS WITH ENaIAND.-The Boston Post
of yesterday contains the following paragraph We
give it for what it will fetch.
ImroRrArr.-we have good ground for believing that
the English Government will Immediately recall Mr..
dm combat in the negotiation about Oregon with Mr..
Buchanan and send minister to this country to
adjust the differences between the two nations upon
more liberal terms than have heretofore been insisted
upon by Great Britain.
WASHINGTON, Nov. rs, lS45
About hundred members have arrived. and
the excitement continues
In relation to the Speakers place there are many
candidates. The democratic majority in the House
is over fifty; hence there is no chance for whie
under any circumstances. Most of the Western
and Southern members, and many of the m;ddl.
Stas.a ~ Ixoll l,...