The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-30

L
secretary tie clerk who would the work At tn
contract prees mu.l satisfy the mind OF every gentleman
the truth Of what the committee have asserted hoS aI
reputable Tor Congress endsssOrt get hsr work don'
below srsnd reasonable price may be matter Of doubt
ought 20 be adequate 10 the object Of procuring
,ees done ats proper time, and in Suitable mAnnsTH
Such is the language Of the committee, (sad Mr.
P,,) and repeal tho law and all the evils which the
joint resolution Of 1919 was intended TO remedy
! will again he experienced. Why gentlemen will be
oontenied with nothing Ia ls+5 the rates OF print
ing as fixed by the law OF 1919 were reduced ~
per cent; and at this session they again reduced
no one can tell how much. Before this law goes
into operation we called upon TO prepare 10 re-
peal IT, and to resort To the old and repudiated ex-
pertinent OF letting out the printing TO the lowest
bidder Mr.. p. wss opposed 10 the whole object OF
tho resolution, and he would vote against H. .
MIR CAMERON then rose and moved the post
ponement Of the further consideration Of the subject
an tomorrow. .H n... ... ""
Mr. SEWER Supported the motion. o. u. d. 81.
Mr.. X. JOHNSON opposed 1t, and presented some
details with regard to the expense Of the pruning
Mr.. CAMERON then said that this whole basi-
ness had originated in motives and feelings entirely
separate from the subjectmatter When an author
90, angry he often cursed the PRINTERS. And Just
party spleen often vented itself against the public
printer. The contract system would be altogether
Influenced by party successes or reversos- The plan
proposed, even taking Il for granted that IL the
result Of proper desire Of economy, objection
able. He desired to rctain the present system but
IL they were to have the contract system, he wished
TO have IL in proper and sale form. One great rea-
son Why he wished the printing 10 he executed as
At present, was, because he desired 10 secure the
preparation and publication of the congressional pro-
oeedings and debates. That was a work Of very
great expense Genllemco possessed Of the neoes-
ssry qualifications for reporting these debates com
manded large salaries, and the work was necessarily
exDenSlVa knt M neW.psneF could undertake. N
give these reports without the patronage Of the gov
eminent to the moderate extent afforded in the ex-
ecuton Of the public printing. This Vas not like
one ofthe great commercial cities where q large
The hitihs~oo Was still IN the receipt Of money
from the government for the printing OF past
sion. IL the public printing were given out by con.
trac, the reports Of congressional debates, would, Of
necessity, be discontinued. Ii quite true that
the bills Tor printing during this session were large
but Il had only been to the extent ordered by Con-
grsss With regard TO the Patent ofioe document,
Of which much had been said, Was true that il
was too yolumlnous-as he Was now ready 10 admit
but was the printer 10 be blamed foe that Ger
family not; he had only faithfully discharged his
duty, and printed in proper style the copy gwen
him by the committee. he wished the subject post.
poned because he desired TO look into the resolution
morc carefully than he had been able to look
He had his table paper containing
the proceedings Of a meeting Of the "Coumbia
Biographical Sociesy"-an association of practi-
cal printers in the city Of Washington. They were
opposed to the contract system on the ground thai,
t would not be found TO work well They were
better acquainted with the subject than the members
of Congress could be supposed to be, As to the
character Of those gentlemen he could speak in the
highest terms. A more honorable, upright, and in.
telhgent class Of men than iourneymen printers
could not he found, Every reliance Was to be
placed on their Judgment and integrity. He there
fore considered that the subject required further
examination; and he renewed his motion to post
pone. -.--..--- L...rs ... ...... ....
Mr.. J. Nj. CLAYTON opposed the motion, sd-
vooated the JOINT resolution, and diselaimed with
great energy against "the Abominanon" OF govern
mcnt press
Mr.. MANGuM knew that the contract system
would not answer the purpose--ji would fail ; but
he would support the resolution, because he was
consoiennoasly opposed to eonnexion between the
government and the press. .....
Mr.. SEWER opposed the iolnt resolution, and
showed that the very gentlemen who now COM
planned Of the exteptof the bills Cor pube printing
were only the other day mos, sol,cous 10 swell the
amount by printing documents which were not
usually ordered to be printed.
Mr.. DICKINSON would vote for the joint res
clution, because the legislature OF his State New
York; had adopted the contract system.
The question was then taken by yeas and nays,
and decided IS follows 4. 800.
YEks-Mesrs, ,llen. AtehisOA. A,AsrtOa Bsssy, IA,
tea rsSSas chytos csrSia CrrfssSss, DaTi. nsStSs
nsckiasoa. Div. Evsns, Greese flanagan Huntfnrtoo
Lewis NsnsaE. Niller NereAeAA Mics RearcN JI@Irs
scnFle, snSSas, ssurseoA CPhHz, Webster and woeSf
NaYs-Mesxrs- Ashley, s-ecss. Caasron. Chalner.
FsrAeh aSsstss- NsDsfse nsaayhasker, Rass. sewer
SPeieht, rarnsy, and wsssooa-l1 ~
Mr.. CAMSRoN offered resolution restoring
10 the public printers the existing At the con-
nenoemeat Of the session when their contract was
mades winch rejected.
THE sUs-rkEAsVRr.
The Senate thea resumed the consideration Of
the act 70 provide for the better organization oC
of the Treasury Department. &c, ana AGAIN took
% the amendment 10 the slsg seciion.
Mr.. ALLEN opposed the amendment. He QUO
ted the passage in the Presidents annual message
relating to this snhjeci, and oonsended that the
amendment Was IN direct opposition to the doc
time there announced,
Mr., LEWIS asked If the gentleman from Ohio
would have treasury drafts 8, alp
Mr.. ALLEN. No, 90 a Circulating medium.
Mr., LEWIS asked What additional guards the
gentleman desired in order to preveni them from
beng s circulating netiGus
Mr., ALLEN replied that he wished the amend
merit straes ont altogether.
MIR. LEWIS then remarked that tha, xo.h be
eqaivalens to dispensing enurely with treasury
drafts.
Mar, SpEiGHT said ths he had sluay. savc-
nIhilaie II possible every bank in the country He
vas in favor Of an exclusive metallic CURRENCY
But II Was not Secanse Presidents message or a
Baltimore convention advocated the s1b-sruzs-
ury system that he supported 1t. He vas
IN fsver Of hat system from the Convictions
Of his Own nind, and the constitution irapsylcl
him to iSs advocacy. He had not voted for
the ISSUE Of treasury notes, because there was
an express power granted in the CONSTITUTION
Which Vas adequate wlihoa, ring 10 forced
! construction, whsa thsr~ was 1usho-sty to bo~re~
money, there Was no necessity to issue treasury
notes, Ba, he took an onurely different vie~ Of
the anendaaeni from that taken by The senator fnnm
Ohio.
Mr.. LEWIS then replied to the ebiectians urced
against the smeniAenL he desired 70 EXPRESS. in
the moss emphatic manner his reiec1oa Of the idea
that tho drafts were 10 he used as Circulating me
dram, Ne man vas more ~ favor u hard money
currency than he vas no nsa was more Opposed
10 anything hike government banking. He MAS not
a; Al surprised - hcsr the srnenauenl objected 70
On the opposite sSie Of the CHAMBER because he OF
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