Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-08-12
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
REPORTING DEBATES IN CONGRESS.


Honses Of Congress, of which the principle was
established by the Senate at the last session, for an
authorized publication Of the Debates and Proceed
;ngs in Congress, will at least have been the means
Of informing the Public upon point in which the
Public itself has considerable interest.
The Report from the Joint Committee which
has been already published, presents statement
SO true faithful, and comprehensive, Of the case
between the Newspaper Press of this city and the
two Houses of Congress, that nothing can be added
to make il more forcibe, unless it be statement OF
what the two Houses have already, at this very
session. done upon the principle OF deiraying the
expense of reporting and publishing their proceei-
ings Such a statement will be found below, and
will show that both Houses have already sanction
ed expenses for that object far exceeding those
which the Joint Committee propose, no part of
the report thus paid for having contributed in the
smallest degree 10 communicate TO the Public daily
for even periodicaD information of what is going
on in Congress.
Some OF our readers may suppose that the ex-
penses OF reporting and publishing the Proceedings
of Congress in this paper are betrayed by the two
Houses; some others may think that the expense
of reportlng and publishing Speeches in the news
papers is habitually betrayed by Members out of
their own pockets Let all such as believe the one
thing or the other be undeceved, as it is fiji they
should be, by the subjoned papers, from which
they will learn that up to this time, those expenses, as
well Of reporting as of publishing have been wholly
and fully paid for by the Propretors, at the cost,
at particular sessions, Of six seven thousand lat
one session, of the length of the present nearly
nine thousand) dollars, for reporting alone, ex-
elusive OF all the cost Of publication.
Very absurd misrepresentation of the effect of
the measure proposed BY the Joint Committee hav-
ing been privately conveyed to Members of Con-
gress, repeated on the floor of the House of Rep
resentatives, and ndustriously propagated through
the convenient fundamentally of letterwriters from
this city, the Proprietors of the National Intelli-
gencer consider it due to themselves with this brief
introduction, to disabusethe public mind by submit
ing to it the following series of papers bearing upon
this subject
Copy ofa printed paper transmitted first 10 a. te,c
Members # the House of Representatives. and afterwards
to each Member Of both Houses Of Congress.
The following MEsonAsDUM, in substance, prepared
months ago. by the undersigned consequence of
inquiry by Member of Congress- whether practicable,
and So what the Popieors of the National In
tegence could undertake furnish through the columns of
that paper u impartial and prompt reports of every thing
said and done Congress copy off is respectfully
transmitted Member of the House of Representatives
in consequence Of information Of the probability of the
ton of the House being called this within few days.
MEMORANDUM
The relation between the Newspaper Press Washington
one unjust towards press and unfavoabe themselves
Sensible Of this the close of its last session the
made effort set the matter right by appropriating spe
ci6c defay the expense of reporting and printing its
debates disposition has been eynced several quarters
of the House of Representatives extend that body the
principle Of defayng from lis contingent fund the expense of
publishing is Proceedings and Debates in
likely to give circulation to them.
The National Intelgencer has hitherto continued report,
at its charge the Debates Of that body nearly perhaps
quite as fully they have before been reported but
he
obstacle of the of reporting and printing the Debates
large being greater than any newspaper establishment here
can bear
The P5opeo-s Of the National ntegencer saw for them
selves they of pocket BY what they have paid
within the last twenty thirty years, for reporting and print
ing the Proceedings and Debates in Congress, much
than Hundred Thousand Dollars, and actually kept poor
by this drain upon their resources which they
have submitted from habit. They the customers
Of the paper true TO keep them well advised of what
going in Congress, and that duty the Propeors have
endeayored always perform But it from the profits
Of the Printing Congress alone that they have been able
heretofore deay the heavy expense Of these reports De-
bates &c which, until lately, almost exclusively pub
lished in that paper. That no longer exists
The Prop of the National Tneigencer willing to
undertake have reported and have published in the daily
paper, each following morning. the fullest report that
practicable to make each days doDgs the House Of Rep
esenatves il supplements double sheets should be
required TO contain the whole. They willing besides,
publish revised speeches or wrttenou speeches to
r under such direction the House may give through its
Speaker Clerk, In regard to the matter. But such publ
cation will involve very considerable expenditure both for
reporting and printing and FOR the quantity Of paper which
such extent Of printing this would require The
expense however, large il would be- would be absoutely
magnificent in comparison with the object The whole er
pense Of such plan would not probably, in session Of six
months, exceed onehd Of the printing single docu
en Of which the House has lately ordered large number
(e0000) TO be printed comparison may be made Of the
cost Of the operations bu, who calculate the differ
ence p1Iue between such diffusion of knowledge OF pub
lie affairs through the circulation Of the newspapers with that
Of single document which WILL moreover have lost all Of
its interest before the printing and delivery Of completed
The Propneors Of the National Inegencer will undertake
make the fullest possible reports above stated and pub
sh them in the daily paper and far members themselves
will permit the morning following each days sitng on
terms something Ike the following:
The reporting and printing be paid for at the rate Of
dollars and halt for the quantity Of Congress small pca
document page for every expense Of reporting printing, and
paper required by the quantity Of matter.
Upon the plan the Projectors would contract to pub
h every morning. large, for the information Of the pub
l well Of members Of Congress- any documents, bills,
other which the Clerk might be directed place in
the hands Of the printers for that purpose rate Of charge
Of Sl.50 per quantity of document page.
is presumed that the Proprietors Of the Union, the
only other daily paper published in the city, would willingly
enter into the arrangement and would not be for the
undersigned TO object TO their being included any action Of
the House on the subject. GALES & SEAT0N.
WAsHISGros, JULr 2s, lsis.