Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1848-01-07
Correspondence of the Tribune.
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
MANSON, Dec. 81, 1e47.
DEBATE ON PRINTING.

read, the following resolution Offered yes
terday by Mr.. Fenton came up in the reg
ular order of morning business:
Resolved, That the printers of the
convention he directed to print 500 cop
les of the daily slips. in journal form, with
sketch of the debates daily, and to pre-
pare an index therefor, and to have the
journal of the Convention printed, stitch
ed and bound, and ready, so that each
member can have complete copy fur
nIshed him at the time of the ad journ-
ment, or as soon thereafter as circum-
stances will permit"
Mr.. Judd moved that the consideration
Of the resolution be postponed until the
twenty first day of January next
On this motion the ayes and noes were
ordered, and it was rejected.-Ayes II,
noes A.
Mr.. Beall submitted a proposition to the
effect that the resolution be referred to
committee of three who should be author
lied to receive proposals to perform the
proposed work.
Mr.. Wilton addressed the Convention
in favor of the proposition. He hoped that
it would be adopted for consistency's sake,
and that the principle would be carried
out which had been adopted at the COM
mencement of the session, of letting out
the printing to the lowest bidder. As
member of the political minority of the
Convention, he considered the contract
system as entirely fair and correct. The
contract made by the present printers to
! the Convention was entirely satisfactory
to that body, and ismust be presumed that
it was equally so the gentlemen who had
made it. Now, when The system is in full
operation and is working we'll and accom-
/ pIishing every thing that could be hoped
from ii, gentlemen come up with this res
oiutior, whose object is to defeat the en-
tire principle Of the contract SYSTEM
Why is this But one reason has been as
signed for this course, which is, that the
! type being set up from day to day TO print
the daily slips, the work can be accom-
plshed at less expense to the printers. If
| this be so, the gentlemen who are now
! printing for the Convention, under a con-
| tract, can afford to underbid other CON-
! pettors for the proposed work, and still
make fair profit on their labor. As re-
CARDS the incidental printing, the gentle
men who had contracted to execute it had
put in such bid as they deemed fit, and
the contract was fair one. He was OPP
posed to taking any course which would
in effect rePudiate that contract and give
a compensation to the contractors for the
/ Incidental printing, which had not been
agreed upon in the contract - in a word,
to make up TO these contractors anySloss
which they may sustain by reason of put
ting in too low bid for the incidental
printing, by giving them an extra sum for
printing the Journal.
| Mr.. kilbourn said that as regarded the
motives of the gentleman who offered the
resolution he was unable TO answer. His
own motives for supporting it were found
ed in justice. If the gentlemen who had
contracted to perform the incidental print
ing had lost by their contract, it was but
fair to make them some compensation
The contract, when it was entered into,
had reference, doubtless, merely to nee
cssary printing The daily slips of the
Journal were not necessary though ex-
tremely convenient still, under the con-
tract, no compensation can be made to the
printers for furnishing them, except by
express resolution. The resolution con
tempated no charity or gratuity, but
merely the giving of fair compensation
/ for labor performed. He should vote a.
gainst any proposition for gratuitous ap-
preparation, but should vote for the reso-
luton now before the Convention ON the
principles Of simple justice.
Mr.. Wilton did not think the argument
of NJ. X. sound one. If the contract
ors had made their contract in the usual
manner-so much per 1000 ems, so much
for press work and so much for paper,
they would have suffered no loss. They
had contracted to perform no specified,
limited quantity Of printing, but all that
Shoull ha rcout-ai bx- tho Cooyo,,;o,