The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-12-28

| the following resolution is herewith reported
"Rssoip,d That in order full impartial aud
s senate s" % S e 81 f
into this day with the propr
Of ,a Of % daily n oS the BY
The Senate for the asy public in each Of all the debates
0a o of u s S" % s.@ qGs sss 9 70
rel to make weekly ymsn the rate dollars and 6y
for sSg%a n type ps THAT ae @
per- aud one copy Of the d, edition each paper shall be fur
This report having been made in each house, the
luton which proposed Tor adoption failed to receive the
of the House of Representatives; but in the Sen
in the matter it adopted by very decisive majority,
and successful (and il is believed satisfactory
operation, substitute for that rpon which, in nnci
patton, such hearty compliment were bestowed vby our
contemporaries
This plan. thus matureIy considered and deliberately
adopted by the vote OF four-hiths OF the senators, the
"Post represents plan "to plumber the public eas-
ny OF from forty to fifty thousand dollars year " and its
Washington correspondent, drawing longer bow than
his employer estimates It's proposed application 10 the
House OF Representatives, las II is applied TO the
Senale) at seUenty:fre thousand dollars! Let few
figures al convict and silence the beer and first
lei test his by comparison of the cost Of
the plan in operation under the resolution OF the
Senate with the cost OF the plan first tried by that body,
warmly applauded and prouscly compnnenled by the
very pressgang whose reckless assault upon us
now repeng.
The whole number of pages comprising the reports Of
the debates OF the Senate al s last session, for the
ton of which the contractor received, first and last the
of eighteen thousand dollars was, including blanks
1916 pages. Deductng the blanks, the quantity of mat
ter would remain at say 900 pages This quantity would
be equal TO ,0i6 columns Of the National Inellgencer,
which, at 7 50 per column the present contract price of
reporting and publishing the proceedings Of the Senate
half of the price paid by the Senate for the like service
under the contract approved by the New York press gen
orally including, certainly, OF present assaans
if not the Evening Post So much for the comparative
| cost
Now for the positive profit to the publishers Of the
plan which the Post has undertaken to represent at from
/ III L.
now been session for three weeks during which the
plan has been in full operation The amount of The bill
rendered to the Senate for the work executed under the
contract during those three weeks, is AS follows:
For reporting and publishing AZ columns and I56 lines
| proceedings and debates 1855 80
The cost actually paid by the publishers for this work
| is exactly as follows:
Do for composition, at 81 per column 50 81
| Total cos, $50 II
We leave il to the Post and It's compeers in the work
Of deacon to cipher out this sum, VIZ: II three
weeks produce Toss OF Just one hundred dollars what
profit will thirteen weeks (he duration OF the SESSION.
produce' Admitting however, as we do, that the three
first weeks cannot be considered fair average for the
rest of the on, enough - proved by the figures to
show that the cost to the public will be absolutely ns
nicant in comparison with the value OF the object at
tanned that the profit the publishers if any thing, will
be nominal merely; and that the forty or fifty thousand
dollars OF the Post counterfeit altogether not
! light in weight merely, but OF the basest metal
| Bat i seems Mr. Ashmun, the distinguished member
of the joint committee of last year which made the fore
going report, DESTROYS to extend the obvious advan
tage of the Senates plan to the body OF which he is
member and made motion to that effect, falls under the
visitation Of the posts dispeasure-wh trust he
may be able 10 survives having been seduced by the
press OF this city to introduce this proposition. As Mr.
Ashmun not likely himself TO notice this statement,
take leave to say for him that there is not word of
truth in it. He acted upon his own responsibility, with
audabe zeal for the interest Of the public in the mat
with the same object in view, proposes to the House
different plan
The ''Post," moreover, drawing upon its fancy for
facts, that the propetors of the National Intel
lgencer ashamed of it Mr. Ashmuns proposltion
and asked the mover TO withdraw it. Let the following
letter, addressed by the propreors OF this journal to Mr.
Ash ln on that OCCASION for itself, and put to
"shahe" the calumnialor himself:
OFFICE THE NArlosAL IsrerLIeEvoEa,
December 8, 1913.
DEAR Observing that proposition made by
you on Thursday last provide for the publication by
thorty Of the House of Representatives OF its proceedings
for motive, Ia part least, desire relieve the pub
fishers OF the daily papers OF this city from the oneous
larand learning the proposition has been opposed
being intended as means OF emoncnt to the conduc
OF those papers, we for our own part as propreto oil the
oldest OF journals deprecatng snch
silence mig under the circumstances give color and
unless on the well understood ground Of
commodaton the House of Representatives and the pub
you will withdraw the proposition, being for
selves that the relation between the undersigned and the
House OF Representatives shall it is, untl
The House shall have its power without reference TO
them their interests wishes, upon full deliberations
adopt plan Tor authentic publication, from day
! day, OF It's proceedings.
With the highes, respect, are SIR faithfully, &c
GALES SEATON.
j Hon GEORGE AsHMus.
! Mr. Ashmun, with consderate kindness, complied
with request And so the matter stands The whole
subject Is now before enlightened committee OF the
House; and take this say that shall be
entirely content with the adoption Of any plan whatever
which shall have for its object TO place before The pub
c any form, authorized reports OF the debate. that
body OF which reports, when published shall avail
ourselves for the information OF readers far
the convenience OF columns will allow continuing
from day to day, OF the business done in the House the
day preceding
But, says the post" in the only approach to argu
ment IN objection to the plan in operation under the
authority OF the Senate "There occasion for the
TO be at the expense OF reporting the proceed
ings OF Congress. All that worth printing, and great
deal more, is LAID before the public through the
teTprise of independent journals" Let test this argu
ment The Evening Post" claims, presume to be an
enterprise" What portion OF the debates OF Congress
does the POST habtuay report for the benefit OF s
readers9 Nay what portion OF them does publish when
gratuItously placed lts hands in the columns OF the
Washington papers? What would ats readers know OF
the debates and proceedings Congress If they had
other source OF information than this "Independent
Journal, dependent upon lis "enterprise alone
tor a knowledge OF what going IN the govern
ment! And, whilst In the way OF lnterrogang,
demand OF the Post" If the character of the legis
laon OF the be of little importance be known
made, and public money expended TO publish at large ali
Is a