The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-08-12
MONDAY, AUGUST 7, 1913.
MIR. Benton made the following repo

MONDAY, AUGUST T. 1913.
Mr.. BENTON made the following report:
The select committee of the Senate the publication of
the debates and proceedings of Congress- appointed to
act with the Committee of the House of Representa-
tives. respectfully report:
That on meeting and consultation the two committees
agreed that the subect-maer referred to them very
proper for the action in concert OF the two houses but
not TOR their joint action and that consequently each
committee should report separately TO its own immediate
body But, while reporting separately, in obedience TO
the constitutional privilege and duty OF each house to
provide for the publication OF its own proceedings they
have the satisfaction to say that they agree entirely IN
their opinions upon the matter referred TO them, and
make the same report to each house
The subject referred to them OF great Importance
and has long occupied the most serious attention OF Con-
gess The publication OF the debates and proceedings OF
Congress due to the country and to the members them
selves and is necessary to proper knowledge OF the ac
ton of the government Public opinion is the judge OF
and under form of government, and the
two houses OF Congress being the great forums for the
discussion of public measures, IS to these houses, and
what is said and done in them, that enlightened public
opinion look for much of the material which is to
guide its decision.
The publication of the debates and proceedings involves
three points of expense and trouble, wit reporting,
printing and crc1atng and each of these, besides, re-
Qures and delty and reporting requires peculiar
talent and education. Congress, body. could not
take upon itself the management OF business requiring
so much skill care EXPENSE and trouble and accounting
" has never attempedt But the publication OF the de-
bates and proceedings in form and to extent,
being mperatively required by public opinion the news
paper press, at its own cost and tose especially al inc
Of government have endeavored to supply the want
but necessarily to lnaed degree and at great sacrlce
of pecunary interest TO tssf The Oldest established pa
per in this cy-that OF Messrs Gales Seaion-ls al
legged have paid out hundred thousand dollars for
reporting debates of Congress within the last thirty
years. and doubt the other principal papers which
undertook to give full reports OF debates paid IN the
same proportion during the time OF their reporting.
This mode OF publishing is evidently too expensive
or the press OF THIS Ely and vs. Oesaes m
The proper control and supervision OF It's own proceedings
Authentic publications, under the authority OF Congress
and at its expense, has therefore been the mode which
has suggested itself the adequate of making the
country acquainted with the debates and proceedings OF
body ntrusted with the power OF national legislation,
and exercising great influence over public opinion
throughout the Union; and this mode OF publication has
equenty been made the subectmater OF anxious con-
sideraton before the committees OF the two houses
Plans have been reported by these committees IN favor OF
this mode but general system has ever been adopted
by the two houses. A partial system adopted BY the
Senate for ITSELF the last session. has entirely failed
has failed at all the points for which reporting is desir
able, to wit promptude, accuracy and diffusion among
the people. II will probably be abandoned The House
of Representatives has system of It's own, and Is de-
pendent upon the voluntary services OF the public
for the publication of its debates and proceedngsa ser
vice which, howsoeyer well performed for that House
during the present cannot expect to be continued
Both houses therefore without any system OF report
ing its debates and proceedings.
By the constitution, each house is to keep journal OF
its proceedings and to publish them 1t would be very
narrow construction OF this clause OF the constitution and
very insufficient communication OF the proceedings OF
this clause the yeas and nays and the notices Of bills
and motions which appear the journals; nor is such
the practice, Reports of committees and public docu-
ments published in immense numbers, and at vast
expense and, after ALL without The great object and ad
vantage of publcatonthat is to say, diffusion among
The peopeunless the newspaper press lends its aid to
the republication of what Congress has printed. Pub
icity is the soul OF our government action Inc nature
of government, the interest of the country and the
will of the people require publicity; and it is exatted in
some form, from all the departments of the government
All the acts and communications, with few exceptions,
of all the branches Of the government are published
while in the document form they seen by few it is
through congressional debates that the contents of these
documents go 10 the country But for the publication and
diffusion Of the Congress debates no provision is made
and all other publication is inadequate without that
Impressed with full sense OF the Importance and ne
cessty of reporting and publishing the debates OF Con-
gess and convinced that nothing less than the power Of
Congressits power in point of authority and meansis
adequate to this object the committee OF the two houses
fully decided upon reporting plan to their respective
houses to place this business under the control and
agement of the two houses, each for ITSELF The prnci
pie being agreed n the details became points OF anxious
inquiry To accomplish the great object in view, two
different degrees steps the publication became ndis
pensabe FIRST, prompt publication OF the debates OF
each day the morning of the following day, and
their immediate communication to the people in all
parts of the United States To do this required the
columns Of the daily press, and necessarily involved
a running report OF the debate, to be put to press
most usually without revision Or correction BY the
ton of the debates in durable book form, TO con-
stitue the authentic parliamentary history of Congress
interviews Win me prdCtCd men OF the
large printing establishments in this city show that it
be done The National lnellgeAcer and the Union each
will undertake TO report, print, publish, and circulate
through their exchanges and subscribers the daily de-
bates of Congress Messs Blair & Rives will engage
to continue their revised and corrected publication of the
same debates, in the book form in which it is done
This is for the daily running debate and which is to
come out the morning OF each day after lis delivery
and to appear also in the country edition OF the paper
Speeches detained by members for correction and reysa
will appear in the daily papers, at the first moment there
IS for them, without throwing out the current de-
bate the Congressional Register they will appear in
appendix but the whole running debate may be revised
and corrected for prompt publication in the Register and
Tor that purpose the publisher of the daily reports will be
required to deliver to each member copy OF the morn
ng paper, that he may how he is reported IN each,
aud correct Immediately, if he chooses and send 1t TO
the Congressional Register to take its permanent place in
the book form.
The committee have resolved that there should be two
Tally papers, of each political party, to publish the
current Debates and this for obvious reasons. 1t is
IDLE to quarrel with human nature. Two parties exist
governments; and for the party in power to
endeavor to monopoze advantages, and wrong in itself
md often politically injurious to give sided norma
on to the public The plan proposed for The publication
Of the current daily debates puts each party upon
equality and, what is more, enables the readers and
copysts from each paper the whole debate both
sides and thus escape the evils of sided and partial
information The revised and debates the book
form having nothing of the party character of political
PAPER, and containing nothing but the debates and pro
ceedngs do not require two establishments print Them