The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-01-11


uay papers the speeches of members written and
revised oy themselves even after the very full and eabo
rate reports OF each days proceedings have been given
IN Their columns at the personal expense of the editors
10 say nothing OF the dminution of general interest
which such epubcaons are calculated TO produce, after
the arguments and views of the speakers have been so
Complementary given in columns by our reporters
IL Is unreasonable expect that the editors OF daily
paper should support the cost OF reerang those argu
ments and views in still more extended form, going
over the same ground, and in many in almost the
same words Look at the "unon OF Saturday evening,
Tor nsance-nearly threefouhs OF which is exclusive
y devoted to the proceedings of House alone. Now,
il the speeches therein fully reported should be repub
shed in yet enlarged form, every must per-
ceye that our limits would necessarily preclude from
keeping up with the current proceedings, leaving
altogether cut of view the exclusion of other topics
of much interest to all We hope that this hint will be
taken in the spirit in which it is given and that
friends in Congress will attribute no want of dispo
siton to obge them, but will consider that i'm
PEELED 10 this course by paramount of duty to
selves as well as to subscribers.
Indeed ii must be apparent to all, that except upon
few extraordinary occasions, newspaper pub
sh word for word and letter for letter. the speeches de-
hvered in Congress the same evening Nor would such
course, even if practicable, observing the correctness
requisite, be useful and instructive than the practice
which we have adopted. reference to the columns of
Unon since the OF the present session.,
must convince every reasonable mind that there is
popety in the demand TO publish speeches OF members
written out by themselves We give fuller reports than
have before been furnished daily in this city. We
give reports which satisfactory TO the public, and
which have elected the voluntary encomiums of nell
gent gentlemen OF both parties in Congress- We have
thus done duty to the public and to the members
themselves; and compliance with demand that we
should do more and fill the Union with what is not al
ways uttered in Congress, would be manesty unjust to
readers to the constituencies of honorable gentlemen
and to ourselves We therefore-speakng for our read
es well ourselves-must respectfully decline COM
plying with any such demands upon our columns
We stated in August last what would be our future
course in respect to the cusom" advered custom
which, il not "moe honored," is certainly profta
BILE. both to ourselves and readers Sin the breach
than the observance" Supposing however, from the
number Of applications which have reached for the
sertion OF speeches." that statement has failed to
reach the eye OF many interested have thought it ad
vsable to republsh it contenting ourselves with
merely reiterating in the views of our
contemporary, that the time has arrived when the
porting and publishing in the Washington papers, at the
expense OF their propretors, of all Cor any considerable
poron) of the elaborate speeches delivered in Congress
must cease"
| From the Union of Aug. 10.
CONGRESSIONAL SPEEcHEs.-In the prospectus which
we issued few days since, and which will still be found
another column OF our paper we adyerted to the large
/
subjected if it undertook to publish full the daily pro-
ceedings of both houses of Congress. 1t our inen
ton some future occasion to explain the matter more
in detail but the experienced editors OF the National In
telgencer have strikngly exhibited some OF the
growing burdens under which they well as ourselves
labor, by article in their paper OF Tuesday morning,
under the above CAPTION that feel the task has been
almost perfected to hands, and shall consequently
content ourselves, for the present. with merely adding
or two considerations that may serve still further to
elucidate the subject.
"In asserting that expense of reporting and pub
i fishing the debates in Congress involved less sum
than 1900 or 10000 dollars we were fully aware that
statement under rather than the mark but
we felt disposition to exaggerae the NATTER and chose
to err if at ALL the safer side Subsequent examna-
ton has satisfied that the nellgencer approximates
the amount much nearer than less perfect acquaint
with the business had led us to suspect and we are
convinced that cotempoarys estimate in nought
oversteps the truth
"Like the ntelgencer, we have mo thought Of de-
pyng readers hereafter Of such report OF the pro-
ceedngs and debates as generally interesting TO
them. and, may add OF such as are useful and In
structve to all who feel interest in the sayings and
transactions OF the national Legislature On the contrary,
desire 10 render these proceedings and debates acces
sibe TO ALL has determined to publish Congrrson
al Register to be issued weekly during the and
to contain tN report OF the daily action OF Congress
This will be furnished at low price as to be within
reach of every who is deslrous of informing himself
of what passing the legislative halls OF the nation
We scarcely know how shall be able to carry
VERY run reports Tor he 9aon unless Me tnem
pay the expense of the Union by transferring its reports
to its columns.
awe fully agree with the National Integencer, that
the practice OF printing in daily journal the elaborate
speeches of MEMBERS addition to the reported debates,
is burden too heavy to be borne by the publishers,
and is such mo newspaper printed at Washing.
| ton stand' especially in view OF the change OF
circumstances approaching We have lately had
occasion to look into the matter with an eye to ascer.
tain the expenditure which this practice has enailed
upon the proprietors of the Union, independently OF
what pay reporters; and have been startled
at the result By careful calculation made it has been
demonstrated TO that the cost OF composition alone,
for printing these isolated speeches for members, has
just terminated This of ITSELF will appear to all think
ing people sufficiently onerous but when it is recollect
ed that this of matter necessarily dispaces like
amount of advertisements he chief of profit to
newspaper, and from the emouments OF which II Is
pro tdno excluded0 twill be obvious every that
the serious loss of at least two three hundred dol
lars per week falls upon the proprietors through this
! CUSTOM
SAT moment of greater leisure, may feel disposed
to take up this subject again. and to show that however,
under some circumstances, disposition might urge
to accede to the wishes of our friends in publishing their
speeches erteso III the present prospect OF
affairs must govern discretion and determine
each case AS arises what it is prudent for to
pursue.
"After disposing of the few speeches yet on hand,
which we are under promise to publish, we wish 1t to
be understood that the practice alluded to, and for the
reasons above given must be considered far as we
are concerned, TO be for the present discontinued
From the National In'elligencer Aug. IS.
'sSrEEoHEs ~ CoNeREss.We have in hand great num-
bsr pamphlet copies of speeches delivered at the late
Congress- reported large and revised by their authors,
whom we would willingly obige, possible, by publish
Il nj dntn