The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-12-02


offering the amendment was to cut up, TO the ex-
tent which the system would cut up, the spoils
system. In England, the public press ~ said 10 be
the "fourh eslate." In this country, they all knew,
they all felt and acknowledged, the power and in
fiuence Of the public press in the concerns of the
government, and In the formation and control OF
public opinion. Ii was matter Of great national
momeD, that the public press should be pure-tha,
II should be incorrupt; and especially was II i'm
portan that the government in all its operations,
should disentangle itself from all connexion with
the public press. What did this government exhibi;
from year to year, and what had il exhibited AL
lying itself with party. prostituted press-feedng
It's corruptons and its veno n in conducting the inn
portant business of the government of this great
tion He Northumberland il was in conformity
with that sentiment that he had offered the PROPOSE
tion before the House-that this government ought
not IN any OF It's operations, to connect itself with
the newspaper press of the country"-that il ought
not to become the patron Of party-prosti-
tuted press, whether attached to one or the other
of the parties that divide the people Of the United
States. He maintained that il was the duty Of Con-
gress to reform this business and the people should
demand of Congress that reform be at effected.
Ia assuming that position, II was not his purpose,
il was net his object, any exclusive ceDsure
on any particular party in the House orn the nation
Parties, in some Of their great features and in their
action were essentially the same; and, whether the
one party the other administered the government,
and had the election Of public printer the practical
results would be pretty much the same They had
been pretty much the samoa most improvdent ex-
pendlture of public money for the printing, Two
or three years ago, we had proposition TO reduce
the public printing; and il succeeded so far as it ro
lated to the printing of this House. A similar prop
osition was made and prevailed at the last session
There was an apparent reduction of the cost Of the
public printing; but still mode was devised by
which the public printer could be Unidentified, and
that was by the publication Of an extra number Of
documents entirely useless and valueless. He ask
ed the attention OF the House to one or two facts
few years ago, tables of the aggregate census of
the United States were printed, and on that job alone
Il was ascertained that the profit amounted to $751;
900 or 100000. lfthe principle he (Mr. d. pro-
posed had then been in operation, the government
would have saved $4,000 Of the public money in
the printing OF the census tables Of 1910. similar
compendium had been ordered for this House, and
proposition had been offered to do the work for
about twothrds of the amount which was actually
charged. But the principle for which he contend
ed, and sought TO establish by the resolution before
the House, was not in operation, and an immense
sum went into the pocket Of the public printer
If had time and inclination, could advert to
numerous facts establishing, in an equal or proper
tionate degree, the numerous abuses resulting from
the mode of electing a public printer. Mr. ID. re-
ferred TO the fact that similar practice estab
lshed in the Navy Department some years ago. Of
letting all their contracts for supplies 10 the lowest
DuucI. HIN JbtcH WOThcu Weil, dfu fcouHcu u
The work being done at the lowest possible rate
and by practical and skillful men. The fruit has
been an immense saving to the government And
similar results would follow the adoption Of the
proposition he now made.
But again, he said the consideration Of economy in
this matter weighed nothing, in his estimation, to the
higher and more important consideration Of the moral
influence which this change would have on the public
sentiment and the public interest the Union 1t
the duty Of Congress--of the country-to disenthra
itself from such paltry sheets resulted from
coupling the patronage of the government with the
public press. The press ought to be pure, indie
pendent; il ought to dsenangle itself from govern.
ment--from factions; it ought to speak morality
and high principles this country and il is vain TO
expect it TO speak in voice answering to these
sentiments, as long as the public press is dependent
upon the government patronage. The proposition
least 33a per cent. the public printing, and would
also purify, to extent, the press Of the coun-
try; and he trusted il would be adopted EH
In conclusion, MIR. ID. demanded the yeas and
nays on his amendment.
Mr.. BAYLY, of Virginia, remarked that the
amendment Of the gentleman from Kentucky had
taken him entirely by surprise; and that SURPRISE in
some degree, originated from what seemed TO him a
newborn zeal for retrenchmeni in this direction.
Mr.. DAVIS asked leave to explain; to which
Mr.. B. asserting,
Mr.. d. said the gentleman was mistaken in mpu-
the year 1899, the gentleman would find that his
course and votes upon this subject had been uni
formy in strict conformity to the proposition he had
now submitted.
Mr.. BAYLY resumed. He was aware that a
proposition had been made at the commencement of
the last Congress similar to that now made by the
gentleman from Kentucky; and, without knowing
the fact he took for granted that the gentleman
that time sustained the proposition. But the gen.
tleman and his party were in majority in this House
in l642 and he had yet TO hear that that gentleman
at that time had introduced, and exerted himself 10
| carry out, such proposition. He thought it very
probable that zeal had been manifested by the
gentleman and some of his party on this subject
when they had power to carry it out; but he had
yet to learn that it had been manifested when it
could have been of some avail. But he did not wish,
in the discussion of this subject to give party caste
TO it, He had only referred to il account for the
surprise he had expressed rising that the PROPOSE
ton should have been made at this time, and under
such circumstances as at present existed. They
had now no public printer. They had elected pub
lie printer for the last Congress, and for the last
Congress only. They were expecting momentary
a message from the President Of the United States,
to which all eyes in this Union, and, indeed he
might say, Of Christendon,, were in some sort turn
ed. Was that not to be printed Were they to be
delayed until the tedious process Of the gentleman
had been gone through with, before this printing
and such other printing as Congress might in the
them to an extent Of Inconvenience, he was sure
which they were not called on to incur
But there was another objection to the adoption of
this amendment. If now adopted, the necessities of
this House, already referred to, would mako mper-
ativey necessary thata speedy should be en-
tered into with the public printer Who was to be
benefited by this Would fair composition be Sc,
cureds Thegentleman from Kentucky had referred to
the practice Of the government in the analogous cases
of the supplies Of the War and Navy Departments
by contract. But what was the practice Of the gov
eminent in these cases' Were these contracts let at
a day or two's notice, when the country was unap-
priced that such was to be the casei The contrary
was the fact. The practice had not been introduced
until law was passed sanctioning it, and then not
until after due notice had been given to contractors
from every portion Of the Union. The effect OF the
gentlemen's proposition, as now introduced, would
be, TO throw the competition for this printing be-
tween two establishments in this city, and two es-
adjustments only. If he was correctly formed,
he believed that the two establishments--the Ma
ional lntegencer and the Union--were the only
ones prepared at once to do this printing. But, IN
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