The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-12-28
CITY OF WASHINGTON THURSDAY MORNING. DECEMBER g. 1S4S

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session. eight thousand dollars for copies furnished
10 the House OF Representatives of its reports OF this ses
sion-not more than enough may be- ior the value OF
the work, but amount quite equal TO what would be
sufficient 10 to the House ample daily reports by
the two established daily papers OF this cy neither OF
which has euer received from the House directly single
cent towards deayng their expenditure for original re-
ports OF IFS proceedings.
All this is however but preliminary TO what we have
taken pen hand TO say TO our readesto the gentlemen
of the newspaper press, and TO the public generally on
the subject before us.
| The New York Evening Post" has distinguished itself
perhaps than any one among several journals by
Misrepresentation regarding the past and proposed
action OF The two houses OF Congress concerning the pub
caion of their proceedings From the assertions and
commentaries OF that paper we copy what follows
| the Evening Post OF December II.
"THE REPORTING CoSGREss.The character which
Mr. Ashmun has hitherto borne The floor OF Congress
had not prepared us to expect from hun the proposition
which he is reported 10 have submitted 10 the House OF
Representatives Thursday last in The terms OF the fol-
| lowing resolution;
Resolved That in order full impartial and
he GEEK be and 10 enter into contract to
es The Of The present @ ana TO eO ont
and debates of the House" sc.
Near the close OF the last session, and when public at
| tention wholly preoccupied with other matters a
scheme similar in principle TO this. Imposed the
other branch OF Congress- Several thousand dollars have
already been paid the penalty OF this oversight yet the
and It's contfivers have hitherto comparatively es-
ped public Presuming upon their success, the
parties now come forward and press the House of
bepp viii be enabled ader legislative sanction 10 punder
the public treasury OF from forty 10 fifty thousand dollars
wear . Together they 1.-THE InteIlgencer and the
Unonl plot into the treasury OF the govern
ment which it should be the highest duty of the public
press TO protect rather than to plumber.
the paper of Dec. Is.
Correspondence Of the Evening Post.
WAsHNGroN Dec. IL, 1913.
''Mr Ashmun this morning informed the House that he
withdrew the resolution consequence OF having received
from editors of The paper named informing him
that after debate OF Thursday they could
accept the printing those terms, tie doing so mg't
them TO the Remuneration, however undeserved OF
being the pensoned agents of Congress- Mr. A said he
on Printing The project believe, would have been de-
had it been pushed but it is well ended
Sepeni Gpe thousand dollars per saved by the
abandonment oil the scheme"
From paper Q Dec. L.
"TnE PRINTING JoB.-We thought the day that
had got rid OF the project create new JOB of public
printing, for the of putting in type all the windy
Wholesome shame appeared to have seize. those who
brought il forward and those who were To pot by It,
The of National Inteigencer ashamed
&c public journal, protesting TO com
impartiay public matters iorcits Its claim 10
confidence when it lies in ambus during the proposal of an
objectionable measure which promises to increase It's m
come and last, when it finds the unpopular
breaks silence deny its participation in proposn8
it, The press which is in such cases becomes Access
sorry the mischief The obvious IS It's interest IN
wrong proposed, the alacrty it should show in
branding it with the condemnation it deserves"
There of the same matter IN the articles OF the
Pos;" copy only what appears to us to be essen
tal.
Whatever malice may remain in the breast OF the
post towards the editor Oh lue ''CHOH, kiHCiuueu
with this paper in lis mpuations the consequence
of the chickering's between those two democratic organs
concerning their respective iavoriies In the lae pIes
dental canvass not OF any decent apology
that the POST make TO the public tor It's false and
caumnous charges against the propreors OF the Ma
tona ntegencer not one OF It's statements ana lner
ences which tend to npeach the character OF this press
or the conduct of members OF Congress touching the
measure which arragns, having any sort OF ionndaoh
being entitled to any serious consideration hey are
in truth, fit subjects only for rdcule and contempt Yet,
being extensively circulated, consider due-nore
however, the members of Congress than to ourselves
lest they may, unanswered, impose upon casual and
credulous readers to show their gang iasehood ana
their fragrant mallgnity.
10 the first place, then. the statements of the Post
are susceptible OF other construction than that the
proposition Congress 10 pay for reporting lis pro-
ceedngs originated NTH The newspaper press Of lts
cav and that the Senate entrapped by 1t INTO the
adoption of the plan at the close the last session,
when it was too much occupied with more import
ant business properly TO understand the nature OF the
contract Nothing can be more wide OF The truth
a member OF the NeU York press, who was at that
time engaged in reporting the debates in this city.
He proposed, as the reader will have learned IRON
the resolution of the Senate already gwen, Tor the
sum of twelve thousand dollars Increased IN The END TO
eighteen thousand to make full and accurate reports OF
the proceedings of House only Uhe Senate, and to
furnish its members with printed copies OF each day
proceedings the following morning, &C. Gas provided
the resolution afoesaId This proposal was accepted
by the Senate to 60 into operation at the beginning OF
the last of Congress and thus was
certainly by agency or participation OF the newspaper
press of Washington, the principle OF payment by Con-
gress for the reporting and publication OF its proceedings
and debates This determination the part OF The Sen
ate very generally commended by the New YORK
press and by many other presses different parts OF the
country and especially by those in the chief cities. Not
only this appropriation of public money approved
by them, butt after the plan had been some months in
OPERATION the Senate was mportuned by paragraphs IN
the New York presses to appropriate las II dd) more
money compensate the reporter for alleged loss sus-
tanned under his contract Where then slept the out
rageous virtue of the POST and It's coadutors IN the
work OF defamation, who now represent 1t as crime 10
give or to compensation for useful services
of the sort Not breath escaped their lips, nor
line their pens but of lavish and sometimes preposteros
commentator OF the plan and Its results.
| To continue history, however; Scarcely hal the
Senate entered actively upon business al the last session OF
Congress before its promised daily record OF proceedings
was week arrearsby the fault OF the system, proba-
BLY, rather than of the contractorand afterwards 1t fell
behind hand fortnIght at about which point 1t conlIn.
ued during the remainder and most interesting period OF
the session The effect was that the Senate sat IN dark
ness Most of the Senaes proceedings being lost TO the
country from beng of date before they were publish
ed, became apparent 10 all that this scheme must be
abandoned
In the mean time. and before the abandonment OF the
plan efforts made mot certainly by the publishers
OF the National lntegencer) to induce the House OF
Representatives to adopt plan similar to that tired by
the Senate This ag ation OF the subject suggested an
the party which this paper was opposed) with whom
we had not then the honor of personal acqualnt
ance, the practcabiy OF securing, at the expense
OF the House. extended and systematic and prompt
report and publication OF Its proceedings his inquiry
was respecuy answered, with the expression OF the
willingness of the propnetos OF this paper TO undertake
the work at the mere cost OF reporting aud composition