The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-01-29

at the urgent request OF the acting Secretary the Treas
ury he gave notice that he would call up the loan bill
for consideration on "Wednesday next He made these
statements by the direction of the Committee of Ways
and Means.
Mr. v would beg leave TO state further that the APP
preparation blls other than those already before the
House. were in course OF PREPARATION and would be pre-
sened as soon as they could be prepared 1t would De
recoected that IT not until some TINE during me
present month, that the Presidents annual message WIN
the accompanying documents, were laid on our tables
On this account this business also necessarily delay
ed He felt to be his duty, before reporting these blls,
10 have the opportunity OF examining all these felos
and estimates detail and from the day they hrst came
into the House 10 the present. the committee hau dooeu
assduousy in comparing the detailed statements WIN
the estimates There standing rule Oh 'he iouse'
which required the Committee OF Ways ana Means 70
report these bills within thirty DAYS after the APP
sentiment of that committee Formerly the hscal year
commenced at the time WIN Inc calendar year
ON the lsi OF Jannaryi ana, IN eoh S oi ms
ward early; and to avoid the difficulties and sacrifices
incident upon the delay OF these bills, about ten years
ago the House adopted tins maj hey should be re-
ported by the committee within thirty days after It's APP
nointment But the rule was found TO be wholly in
sufficient remedy for this evils and accordingly remedy
was provided BY changing the time OF the
of the fiscal year from the list of January TO the Isl OF
july Since that time this rule had become of little
among the rules of the House Nevertheless Mr. V
would endeavor TO TO It, that the appropriation oil
should come up in time TO prevent any detrimen 10 the
service.
Mr. ASHMUN The chairman of the Committee OF
Ways and Means has notified the House OF his intention
to call up very important bll-he referred to the loan
bill-the consideration OF which had been urged By
communication from the Treasury Department.; and in
consequence of this request about to have the
subject called advance OF the report from the Secretary
of the Treasury the of the finances He wished to
call the attention of the House 10 this remarkable stale OF
things Here were, in the very last days of January
and have not yet been furnished with this report 10
The SPEAKER said the remarks of the gentle man
from Massachusetts, were not strictly pertinent to the
question before the House. The question was on The
reference of the bill TO the Committee of the Whole on
the state of the Union,
Mr. ASHAlUN desired merely to call attention TO the
causes of delay the business of the House, and to IN
Quire of the chairman OF the Committee on Printing, If
he was informed the subject, TO state when might
expect have the report of the Secretary OF the reasu
ry and what the cause OF the delay. he thought
some explanation of the kind due TO the public.
VOICE: understand the report will be laid on our
tables this morning.
Mr. CONGER0as a member of the Committee on
Printing, and in answer the gentleman from Massa
chuses-woud state, that few days since he had an
interview with the public printer, who informed the
mi,tee that the main body of the report OF the Secretary
had many three times been taken back 10 the
Treasury Department for alteration and he gave that as
why the document had not before been sent in
the House. 1t this account that he had been
able TO send it in at earlier day. and ii should not
again be taken out of the office for correction the printer
would be able to furnish the document in two three
days. large portion OF 1t already In type and the
rest would speedily be put in type unless further aera
ton of the report should be deemed necessary That
| all the explanation he able to give
| Mr.. MCKAY inquired whether any alterations had
| been made in the tabular statemen,si
Mr. MCKAY said he was prepared to state on the
authority OF the Register OF the Treasury whose busi-
it to prepare these tables, and who was known to
be honest, faithful, and excellent public officer, that
there not the slightest foundation for the
which had been circulated in the House, to the puport
that the tables had been withdrawn by the department
for the purpose of making changes therein. Not figure
in the tables had been altered since the document
first presented the House With regard to the delays
printing generally he begged leave to remind gentlemen
that the system OF printing had been changed Formerly
the public printer appointed by the House; the
printing was executed by contract. He (Mr. McK) vo
sa s this Sa hs from Mas
Mr.. ASHMUN [nterruptingl said he did not so vote
He thought the new system penny. wise and pound
| foolish"
MIR MCKAY had no desire to cast any imputatior
against the printers. He hoped they would be able Il
ments tins year were very volumlnous The Presidents
message with the accompanying documents were nearly
twice as large as last year and that circumstance alone
! Mr.. ASliMUN said he was just informed by the pub
lie printer that the Secretary Of the Treasury had
at the department portion of his report on the state Of
| Mr. MCKAY replied He had given his authority the
Register OF the Treasury for the statement that the la
bles had undergone change whatever they
| first sent TO the House.
| Mr.. CONGER was not only informed OF the fact JUS
communicated by the gentleman from Massachusetts,,
the hands OF the Secretary of the Treasury revision
He felt called upon further 10 state in behalf OF the print
that the OF the delay in furnishing the Presidents
message and documents the want OF the photographic
maps. The message and documents were furnished as
fast as the printers were supplied with the maps.
Mr.. MCKAY said that the proof sheets ought OF
to to the department. but TO show that the gentleman
was mistaken, he held up the document he Report OF
the Secretary of the Treasury the nances) ITSELF and
said that there in the document room for every
single member that would take the trouble to go for H.
II Mr.. ASfIMUN. Then they must have been put there
this morning
| Mr.. MCKAY, after further allnsion 10 the rumor in
relation to alterations and additions the Secretar,
report, said he would make remark regard TO the
statement of the chairman OF the Committee of Ways
and Means TO the time when the general appro-
prlation bill should be reported. The rule said that
appropriation bills should be reported within thirty DAYS
after the appointment of the committee That time was
| ing to the want of documents for examination Now,
he (Mr. McK) admitted that, in regard one OF the
bills, that was good justification. The navy bill could
not be reported because was based estimates to be
found only in the report OF the Secretary of the Navy.
But, regard to the other three bills There were only
four required TO be eported the committee had all the
necessary information before them He had famil-
| iary with the business of the Committee of Ways and
Means and he knew that gentleman could find nfor-
the slightest bearing upon the civil and diplomatic appro.
pation bill; and il was in regard to the Indian appro
pration bill Ii the House would take action upon APP
preparation bills after they into the House, il
would be great advantage But such was not the case
They generally acted upon until the close
of the session; and them the hurry and confusion ap-
preparations passed which might not be passed f
was, that when the chairman of the Committee of WAYS
and Means ShOuld make his to tai nm tIese