The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-12


the Commissioner of Patents. He did not And
fault with these appropriatonshe did not quarrel
with the large expenditures for Wilkess narrative,
or Fremonts report, for instance--but he contend
ed that IN justice 10 the interests Of the great Of
the people, liberal appropriation should be made
for the diffusion amongst them Of valuable informa-
ton Immediately bearing on the pursuits in which
they were engaged. He trusted that the report of
the committee would prevail He had heard il sta
ted that this report Of the Commissioner of Patents
contained something on political matters. He was
Informed by gentleman on the other side Of the
Senate, who had taken pains inquire a, the proper
quarter whether there were anything Of political
nature IN the report--any Bundeieundisms-a nc
was assured that there was nothing Of the sort
nothing whatever in relation to tho arf-nothng
IN relation to the questions that divided the demo-
cratic party and the whig party,-it was solely
conhned TO the agricultural and other subjects Of
which Professod 10 treat. Before sitting down. he
would beg leave to say that II, after the publication
Of the ordinary number, should be found that the
document was OF the value that II represented TO
be, he would ask at some future day for increase
OF the number, even OF IS 900, now TO be printed.
lie knew from his own experience that this docu-
ment was sought for more than any other docu-
ment. Notwithstanding the large number printed
last year, his table covered with applications
Tor additional copies. IT, he had calculated but one
IN one hundred and sixty ofhe agrcutursts obtained
copy by the present supply he hoped that IN ordi-
nary justice no more than one in one hundred and
sixty OF the manufacturers and mercantile classes
would be supplied with public documents.
Mr. NILES, IN reply, said he did not wish to re-
peat what he had said when this subject was under
consideration the other day. he would not go over
the subject again, but would only notice two
points In the remarks Of the senator, Mr.. ASHLEY
The senator says, whatever may be the case IN
gard to other documents published by the Senate,
which said to become waste paper, and TO be sold
by the pound, this report has been distributed and
such has been the demand for it, that the number
published large as Il was, not sufficient TO sup
| ply the demand. Mr. ". could not say how il was
with the senator, other individual senators, but
he knew that Of the large number Of this document
published last year by the two houseo large triton
Of them were not distributed by members Of Con-
gress, as the senator suPPoses A portion Of them
and he believed large portion found their way in.
TO the hands OF the booksellers and were disposed Of
like other publications Of private nature In proof
OF this, he would call the attention Of the Senate to
| copy OF this report now on his table. Mr. ~
then read from the tte-page follows "The re-
port OF Henry l.. Ellsworth, esq, Commissioner Of
Patents containing an account Of the proceedings of
the Patent Office for 1874, printed by order of Con-
gress Published by Thomas CopPerthwaite & Co,
| Philadelphia: Price seventy-6ye cents" This, Mr.
N. thought, was satisfactory evidence how the large
edition Of this report, published last year. was dis
posed OF. But this only one case; and he knew
that these reports offered for sale by persons
Il
towns. Instead Of these reports being distributed
by members Of Congress to their constituents thew
must have been sold by them at wholesale to the
booksellers, who put on them, and sell them
at retail. We pay for their publication from the
public treasury for the benefit Of the people and the
benefit they receive is the privilege of purchasing
them Of the booksellers as they buy other books. Is
this proper use Of the public funds, Instead OF
the large number printed being for the benefit Of the
people, is for the benefit Of members Of Congress,
or such Of them as have made disposition of these
reports In the manner he had referred to- In regard
To the value Of this report and the manner in which
It was made up, he had no wish TO 90 into that in
curry, as he had said what he had TO say upon IL
the other day. The senator says a large portion Of
II is original matter. A part of it is consisting OF
answers to circulars sen, out to anybody that il is
supposed would return answer. But there is no
system, no principles and the report has no national
character. IL does not give the statistics of the
agriculture Of the country. But his great objection
was that the whole proceeding was irregular and H.
legal. There was no law to sanction it-no law to
regulate 1t; 1t had grown up without authority. II
this government was to undertake to supervise the
agriculture of the country, it should establish an
agricultural bureau by law, and prescribe and direct
its proceedings, and place at il head a competent
ofhcer-a practical as well a learned man. But
he denied that we had any power to do this, and
doubted the usefulness of il If we had He had no
faith in the government undertaking to direct the
private interests Of the people. He Believed that the
people engaged in all the great interests of the
country understood their own business and their
interests better than did, and that any gov
ernmenta interference would be productive of more
mischief than good, besides being useless expen-
dmre of the public revenues.
< mr.. WEBSTER was in favor of the report of the
committee. 1t had 80 happened that a portion of
this document Of last year, belonging to his prede
cessor and also that which belonged to his colleague
had been assigned to his disposition, and he dis.
posed Of them all; and not only they all asked
for and received gratefully and gladly but down to
the last twentyfour hours, applications for copies
of this doc ament Of last year had not ceased to
come in upon him. The document was evidently
interesting. 1t contained great deal Of matter
He did not know anything of the merits of
the proposed annual publication, but for one
he could say, that no document had been so
generally read in the part Of the country with
which he was acquainted. No documents had
met so much general appreciation and been called
for SO repeatedly, as the publication on agricultural
subjects emanating from the Patent Office last year
Here there was call for the question: and the
President was about to put it, when
Mr.. JARNAGlN rose and said that he was de-
fore the Senate, and for that purpose he moved tina,
the subject now under consideration lie on the
table. - N
This motion was put and agreed to.
THE LIBEL ON THE SENATE
Mr.. JARNAGtN then said: I am aware that !,
is not usually necessary, expedent, or proper to
pay any serious attention to the suggestions or opin
ions Of newspaper editors. But cases may occur,
and case has occurred that, in my humble Jude.
ment, demands departure from that general rule I
allude to publications that have made their appenr
ance in paper called the Daily Times, published in
the city Of Washington, making direct, specific, and
positive charges of corruption against large Dor.
ton Of this body. II is not my purpose to say one
word harshy in reference to the editor or publisher
Of that paper Neither is it my purpose to pass, in
advance, upon the innocence Of those thus charged
but may be permitted to say this, if the charge has
the slightest foundaton-ifany member of this bodv
has 80 far forgot his own selfrespect or proper
respect for the dignity of the station he fills, as to
carry on any such negotiation as that CHARGED
against portion Of this body, it is high time hat
this country knew it. And, on the contrary if il turn
out that this charge is false and entirely unsustain
ed by proof will not say wha, should be the nun
shment OF those who make such a charge. In
the paper OF the 5th inst the editor after speaking
OF an amendment proposed by the senator from
Georgia, and a proposition to adjourn over that
had failed he says: ''''