Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-12-30

nation He mainiained- and it was in contor-
nifty with that sen;inont that he had offered the
proposition before the IIouse-,hat this govern.
menl ought not, in AM d! lis operations, 10 con
meet itself with the newspaper press II The coun-
iy'-th1t IL ought net - become The patron ct
y-prcs,ituea PIES; whether attached In one
or linz o,hcr OF The PARTIES that divice ne PEG.
pie OF the United States lie maintained that
II was The duly CT Congress 10 reform this bn-
siGess, and the people should demand Of Con-
gresS thai reform re 4. once effected In assum-
ing that position i, was not his purpose, il was
not his object, 10 cas-! any exclusive cehsure on
any particular party in The House OF in the nation.
Parties, in some oi their srea. features, and in
their aclinn, were essentially the same and, whe.
ther the one parry OF he other administered The
Government, and had the election q! Il public
printer, The practical results would he pre;y much
the same. They had been pretty much Inc same
"a mos, improvidcnt expenditure Q! PIoiic mo-
ney for the printing. Two three years ago, we
had Proposition 20 reduce The public printing;
and it succeeded SO TAI as it related 10 The print
Ing OF his House. a similar proposition was
made, and prevailed AT the last session. There
was an apparent reduction %! The cost Of the pub
lie printing; but still Il mode was devised by
which The PUBLIC primer could be irdrnniiied,
AMI that vas b. the publication Of IN extra num-
Der OF documents entirely useless and vaIue!ess.
Tie asked the attention 81 the House 10 one or
Two facts A few years ago, tables If the asgre-
gate census The United States were printed, and
on that Job alone il was ascerlained that the proi,
amounted 10 sT15 001 or 100000. II the plnc-
pic he (Mr. D. proposed had then been in opera
liou the Government, would have saved 80, 600
OF The public money in The printing Of The census
NJ 4 III. had hr,
ordered ior this House. and proposition had
been offered 10 do the work ior about twolhirds Of
lie amount which was actually charged. Bat
the principle for which III conlended, and sought
10 establish by the resolution before the House,
was not in operation. and an immense sum went
into the pocket o.. the public printer.
II had tine aud inclination, | could advert 10
numerous facts establishing, in an equal or pro-
porionae degree, the numerous abuses resulting
from lh- mode Of electing public printer hlr.
ID. referred the tact that similar practice vas
established in the Navy Department, some years
a2o, OF letting all their contracts Tor supplies 10
the lowest bidder. This system worked we'll, and
resulted in The work being done al the Lowest pos
sible rate, and BY practical and skiliul men. The
fruit has been al immense saving la the Govern
ment. And similar esulls would follow The
adoption OF the proposition lie pow made.
my IN this matter weighed nnIhing, in his esiina :
ton, 10 The higher and more important considcra-
ton Of the moral influence which this change
would have on the pn5.ic sentiment and The pub
lie interest OF The Union. II was The duty OF Con
gress-oi the country 10 disen.hral Itself from
such patty sheets resulted from coupling The
patronage OF The government withlhe public press.
/ he press on.hi 10 he pare Independents; il ought
10 iisentangle Itself from gove!nmeD!-ifom fac
tions---it ought 10 speak morality and high prin-
cipes 10 this country; and i, is vain 10 EXPECT il 10
speak in voice answering 10 these sentiments,
as long as the public press is dependant upon The
Government patronage. The proposition which
he made would result in the saving Of at least
33s per cent. OH The public printing and would
also purify, 10 some extent. The press Oh the coun-
Try; and he trusted i, would be adopted
In conclusion, Nh. ID. demanded the yeas and
NAYS on his amendment.
Mr. BAiLY, OF Virginia, remarked that The
Amendment Of he gentleman IRON Kentucky had
taken him entirely hy surprise; and that surprise,
in some degree, originated from what seemed 10
him new born zeal for TetIenchment IN this di.
reclon.
Mr. DAVIS asked leave TO explains 10 which
Mr.. B. asserting,
Mr. ID. said tie gentleman was mistaken in
impuiing 10 him newborn zeal upon this sub
jec, From the year 1899, the gentleman would
find thai his course and votes upon this subject
mad been uniformly in strict conformity 10 The pro-
position he had now submitted.
Mr. BAYLY resumed. He was aware that
a proposition had been made at the commence
ment Of The last Congress similar 10 that now
made BY The gentleman from Kentucky; and
without knowing The tact, he took il for grant
ed that the gentleman at that time sustained the
proposition. But The gentleman and his party
were in a majority in his House in 1912, and he
had vet 10 hear that that gentleman al that time
had introduced and exeried hmSelflo carry out
such a proposition. lie though: il very probable
that some zeal had been manifested by the gen
lleman and some of his parry on this subject
when they had no power 10 carry il out; but hi
had vel 10 learn thai il had been manifested wher
il could have been OF some avail. But he die
not wish, in the discussion Of this subject 10 Civ,
a party caste 10 il. He had only referred 10 j
10 account for the surprise he had expressed or
rising that the proposition should have beer
made al this lime, and under such circumstance.
as al present existed. They had now no public
printer They had elected public printer 10
The last Congress, and for The last Congress only
They were expecting momenlarily a mcssag,
from the President OF The United SiaIes 10 which
all eyes in this Union, and, indeed he nigh
say, of Chris.endom, were in some SORT turned
Was that not 10 be printed Were they 20 b
delayed until The tedious process Of the gentle
man had been gone through with, before hi.
printing, and such other printing as Congress,
might in The mean time require, could be- done
Ii would subject them 70 an cy,en, Of inconve
nience he was sure, which they were not called
on 10 incur.
But there was another objection 10 the adop
lion of this amenineni II now adopted, the ne
cessics OF this House, already referred 10, would
make il imperatively necessary thata speedy con-
tract should be entered iG'n With the public PRINT.
er. Who was 10 be benefited By hisl Woud
a fair competition be secured! The gentleman
from Kentucky had referred 10 the practice OF The
government in The analogous cases OF the supplies
of the War and Navy Departments BY contract.
But what was tie practice OF tie Government in
these asses ? Were these contracts lei al day
or twoS notice, when the county was unapprlscd
that such 10 he the case TIN contrary was
The fact. The practice had no, been Introduced
until 4 law was passed sanciionins il, and then
MOI until after due notice had been given 10 con-
tractors trcm every portion Of The I'm on. The
efec! OF the genemanS proposition, as now in
PRODUCED, would be, to throw the competIiinn for
this printing between Two Establishments IN this
city and tgo establishments only. II he was cor
recry informed, he believed batlhe two establish
were Tie cnlr ores prepared al once 10 do this
printing But in any event, under the amend
men, proposed by Inc gentleman. The House
would he subjected 10 an Inconvenience which
he did not think they we're called upon 10 incur
But, as FAR as economy was concerned, the
mode proposed by the gentleman was not neces-
sary. Tie compensation of the printer was re-
gnla'ed by Law, AMI was within The control OF
Congress II loo much was now paid, lei the
price be reduced. The gentleman wonld find no
one in this House who wnnd go farther than ne
would 10 secure economy in the expenditures OF
the Government oi this description. But he was
very much surprised 10 hear from the gentleman
from Kentucky, that there were these enormous
profits made blythe public PRIMER. II was subject
which he (Mr. B personally knew nnlhing Of; hut
he took il for granted that older members Of Inc
House OF Representatives, who had been here for
The last lew wears. were pretty good Judges Of the
matter; and, if ne we're 10 infer anything from
their action, the inevitable conclusion would be,
that TOO much was not paid What was The his
tory of the ma,lcrl AT he beginning Of the 9th
Congress, This House. as he understood. reduced
the pay OF the printer IS per cent At that time
the National lnleligencer was elecled the public