The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-12-28
CITY OF WASHINGTON.
THURSDAY MORNING, DEC. as, ls4s.
The Rspos ting Of Congress.


On the first page OF our daily paper we publish
the able exposition of this matter which appears in
the National ntellgencer OF Monday ast-omitting only
a brief passage which has reference to some bygone
political topics upon which our views are known to diff
fer widely from those of the Inellgencer, and discus
sion OF which at this time to us not necessary 10
full and clear understanding of the matter in hand
We have no desire TO add anything to the Intelligent
GERS mastery and complete vindication of the contract
under which the debates and proceedings of the Senate
are reported by that journal and by the Union
moments comparison Of the statements of the Evening
Post upon that subec quoted by the Inteligencer,
with the Integeneers exhibit of the practical working
OF the contract will show every candid reader that
the allegations of the Post betray, to say the least
grossness OF ignorance and unruh upon the subject
easily econcilable with the superstition of an honest pur
pose It's part 10 find out tie truth and to speak fairly
Confirming, 10 from similar experience
the entire accuracy of the Inegencers statement
the pecunary effect OF the present plan Of reporting for
the Senate, we have to say that careful and
animation OF the subject in the new light afforded us by
experience since the commencement of the present
session has fully convinced that the adoption of the
resolution in relation the reporting OF the House Of
Representatives recently presented in that body By Mr.
]
its provisions, far from giving US, the Post i'm
Plies that it would DO, exuayagant profit would in
fact nirotre ireskiy pecuaiayy loss that account
By contract framed IN pursuance Of that resolution
should be bound, al remuneration Of seven and hall
dollars per column, to publish in daily and tn weekly
editions the ul reports Of the House. by our contract
with the Senate publish those editions the full
reports Of that body To do this, and retain in those ed
lions any adequate space r editorial and miscellaneous
matter and advertisements should be obliged to change
our tigeekiy paper into daily or failing Of this TO
issue 10 all tri-weekly readers extra sup
Elemental Steets eUeJy ,eeek So TO issue these extra
sheets 10 present large ard increasing list of subscr-
beTs for tri-weekly edition. would subject US to an
expenditure for paper atone, which receipts from
the House at seven ana a half dollars per column
teductng the prime Of reporting and putting in
! type, would by means repay. Our contract with
| the Senate binds to send lis debates and pro-
ceedngs in full, 10 all daily and tr-weeklv sub
scribers Gncuding, of course, our large list of ex.
change papers , and this have thus far managed to
do without issuing extra sheets of those editions But in
EDITION TO what is required of BY that contract and
acting, believe, in the proper spirit of public
journal send 10 all the subscribers our weekly edi-
tion-beng much than hall OF our whole subscrip-
ton Iista Weekly Congressional Supplement- or extra
containing in full all reports OF congressional pro-
ceeiings, both in the Senate and in the House A
glance at the figures set down by the IntelIigencer
4 from IFS account books, will show 70 any man of
candor whether, in pecuniary point OF view,
we gain anything by this operation, and will
expose, forciby than any words OF ours can
do, the infamous. charge brought against us by The
Evening Post and some other journals that the publca-
ton OF these reports is the result of scheme on our
part 'to plumber the public treasury" We have already
stated what would be the effect of contract on our part
with the Heuse, predicatei upon Mr. Ashnun : resolu-
ton and requiring send the full reports Of that body
TO daily and tn Deekg subscribers Now if in add
ton TO this, pursue in regard to the House
reports the same course which we have adopted in
regard those OF the Senate Though not required to do
so by conacD and send them in full to our ,oeekl
subscribers aso-and this under Mr. Ashmuns proposed
contract with the House. we certainly intended TO do
then the effect would almost certainly be that we should
have send to all our lCeely subscribers more than one
Of our large EXTRA congressional sheets per week Any
who knows anything of the expenses and operations
of a newspaper office, with a subscription list like
ours OF very nearly twenty thousand Judge whether
this would be lucrative transaction for u.s. or whether
in merely peetnary point Of we should seek to
engage in il.
Yet let not be misunderstood in this matter We
have always held, and hold as strongly az ever
that full reports of the proceedings of legislative bodies
the appropriate function OF the political press in all
countries and that such reports of Congress the ap
proprae function OF the political press of this city We
hold, further that il is of high national Importance that
these full reports should be published in the Washington
journals Of both the great parties of the country In this
view, would undertake report the House as
fully report the Senate # could qforl 10 do
50 wtiout compensation But e thing rs impossible Our
experience in Washington has caused 10 knog that
such reports cannot be given for any long time by any
newspaper which has been be established in this
city, without remuneration from Congress in some FORM
either by the profits Of the public printing years
past or BY a general 10 take certain number of
copies Of the reports, is the with the Con-
gressiona Globe, by special prescribing the
form Of the work and remunerang it specified terms
as the with the journals Of both parties
porting the Senate. In this same view of the I'M
portance of sending out full and fair reports of both
houses Of Congress- through the political press Of both
parties the country offered towards the close Of the
second session of the last Congress to give fsure
such full reports Of that body for the of geiue thou
sand dollars for It's long session. and Of thousand dol
lars for the short session contemplating stated al
the time that If The arrangement were entered into with The