The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-12-28
From the National lnelgencer.
The Reporting and Publication of Proceedings In
Congress.

Congress.
So much misappehenson appears to exist in the mind
OF certain portion OF the public press concerning the
cent attempts TO render perfect and prompt the
porting and publication OF proceedings and debates IN both
houses of Congress, that avail ourselves OF dsposa
bic space in columns 10 take brief review OF the
facts which constitute their history.
So inseparaby connected with popular government did
the trainers OF the constitution consider dlson among
people OF the ledge OF the proceedings Congress,
that the publication by each house of its own dolngs was
made fundamental provision OF the constitution. zach
house shall keep journal proceedings and from time
10 SAME" (Cona Art SEC. So Under
this provision journal has, from the beginning OF the
government been accordingly kept by each house but in
form necessarily so meager as 10 yield no information OF the
no'iue Of public acts OF which is OF great importance
in representative government that the people shond be
automatically informed But these journals OF the two
houses mea1er they have been any proper
sense oil the term published" They have been printed II
is true for the members and the sheets from time to time
laid on their tables but ariy and rregulary TO be
of little even TO them; and number OF copies are
annually bound in volumes, OF which copy Is taken
home by each member, and others are distributed or
sheved in the Capitol, where they may be preserved but
are very seldom resored TO public records, and are
entirely out of the general reach To the public, TO the
body of the people the journal" of each house and
ever must be, while thus published" sealed book.
| It is this Injunction OF the constitution, therefore,
which, after long disregard Of it, Congress has been
nsierng OF carrying into effect which the Senate has
already put operation, and which the House of Repre-
senIatives has under dellberation.
| Although hitherto, until very lately, no measure for
this purpose has been consunmated, the eXpedency OF
securing and ample reports OF Debates al the pub
lie charge, has at different times attracted attention
both houses OF Congress.
AS far back in the first Congress, upon a PROPOSE
ton Tor excluding reporters from the Hall OF Representa-
ves because OF the gross and misapprehenslons
in their reports and the alleged Partially shown to par
tcular speakers, the idea OF authorized publication Of
the debates IN that body was thrown out by Gen. sum
ter, OF South Carolina, OF revolutionary fame, who said
that, motion. made TO authorize the publication
OF the debates able and impartial manner, he would
give II his support.
At several times in succeeding years the subject was
agitated and occasionally isolated propositions which
came 10 nothing were made upon the subject But, in
the OF time, the idea OF publishing the debates
the expense of the legislative bodies to be
nous and Mechanically entertained In the year $40
Senator Bayard, of his motion, and certainly
upon suggestion oil ours tar we know, OF
any other journalist proposed TO engage corps of
porers report the debates OF the Senate and, com
mee being raised for the purpose, report was made IA
the practcablity feared the cost Of that plan IT was
though proposed at successive sessions put in
ecuion On one OF these occasions the following re-
marks made by Mr.. Secretary Walker, then senator
from his State, freshly remembered 1T was his
wish The sai the proceedings OF The Senate fairy
and imaaiy reported for the information OF the people
but he believed that would be done until Congress
employed reporters OF It's own for the purpose 1t was
every day that the various letter writer's, who pro-
!
of Congress, nsrepesenlei everything, so as to instead
the public mind"
Very full reports were made, however, by the National
lntegencer, from the year 1920 and upwards and some
ten years afterwards the like done by successive
other papers, the Telegraph, the Globe and the Union
at the expense OF their propretors an expense when
they could have met but for the actual or anc
pated possession OF the printing Tor Congress, which
each in their enjoyed and which, at the rates fixed
by law, had become sufficiently profitable tby the reduc
ton OF the cost OF paper, the introduction OF power
presses and the practice of printing large extra numbers
OF heavy documents) TO justify large expenditure on
this service This competition continued up TO the com
mencemen of the first session of the present Congress,
when, the preceding Congress having IN It's wisdom re-
turned to the plan of letting lis printing 10 the lowest
bldder-who will ever be one unaware OF what ne
is about TO undertake. and who will underbd the regular
trade to depth of sight of all competition the
printers of this city left empty handed with uneln-
Iployed establishments dead captal) on their hands
After this to continue spend from four five TO ten
thousand dollars year, for which they must necessarily
90 heavily debt IN reporting and publishing Inc deots
of the two houses, could n. be expected OF the publish
OF the daily papers this city, the profits OF whose
circulation however wide and diusve be, are Tor sew
era lar less than those OF papers OF less aggregate
circulation published III popuous cities 10 do SO was
in fact little less than impossible.
The Senate after the passage OF the act referred to-
oreseeing probably this consequence of what called
the separation of the press from Congress- accepted
the motion of democratic member, proposition to re-
port and publish the proceedings OF that body on the
terms comprised IN the following resolution
.'Rsotued Secretary the Senate be- and here
by s authorized and directed contract with Dr. Jas
Houston furnish full and reports OF The proceed
ngs and debates the the thirtieth Congress
provided The thereof shall exceed the sum OF
2oO0 for the long session, and $4,000 the short
and in the of extra OF said Congress,
in like proportion such session. be paid out OF
appropriation for the contingent OF the senate
provided also, that said contractor shall employ sulcieht
number and other reporters TO enable him
furnish iut and reports of each days proceed
ngs and debates in printed form the succeeding morn
ing and shall have the neatly made up at the close
week. in quatto form, for preservation, and shal
furnish of the copies OF the
daily and twelve copies OF the weekly publication; and
he shall also send daily, by mail, copy OF the daily
reports the principal newspapers OF the United States
This The contract; but the actually received by
the reporter increased, by votes oil adl-
tonal sums, total amount exceeding the sum allowed
for the long by something like thousand dollars
THIS determination was not, of course, prompted by
any for the interest OF the National Intelligence,
or of any other press the seat OF government Though
quite sensible of its injustice TO the newspaper press OF
this city, and this press particular which, from time
almost mmemora, had been, at the expense OF lis pro-
prietors, the only medium of COMMUNICATION between the
Senate and the pubcthe only press indeed which io
long series of years published anything ike regular
report OF the proceedings OF the Senaethe editors OF
the National ntegencer inlerposed no opposition, made
no objection, but willingly the experiment undefta-
ken 1t due candor TO add that, men OF business
practically well acquainted with the difficulties Il would
nave to encounter they knew that the experiment must
fail as it did fail the expectations OF the Sen
ate. i,
This plan went into effect al the commencement OF the
first session OF this Congress The propneors OF tins
paper could afford to compete with the o1ca report
er paid OF the funds OF the Senate and therefore
made no attempt that session To report systematically
the dictates of that body continuing, however 70 report
al more than usual funess the debates IN me House OF