The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-12-14
Congressional RePorting-WOrldw wide Pub.
liCity Of the Debates.

Ii has often been made the subject OF enquiry by
the people of this country, and by all who arrive
here from European countries where the proceed.
ines of the legislatures are reported at length In
the principal papers-wby 1t that in this great
public which so far excels the other nations of
the world In its immense extent, boundless
sources and superior intelligence, and where the
legislative proceedings consequently OF such
paramount importance and interest, not only to
the inhabitants of the world, but to the slaves
Of the rotten and clumblipg dynastles of the old,
there is as yet no adequate, reliable and efficient
medium of communication between our Congress
and our people! Several attempts have been made
TO explain and account for thus incredible anomaly
IN this intelligent and free country; but it must be
Confessed that no proper explanation can be given
why this great omission should ever have existed,
or why it should be permitted to exist one session
longer 1t is quite work of supererogation to
prove that the two papers Washington which have
hitherto ATTEMPTED to supply his desderatum, have
utterly failed in doing With combined circu-
lion of 800 or ,0OO at the most we presume it's
scarcely necessary to say that this immense CONT
nent, containing twenty millions of people-not to
speak OF the rest of the worlds but very scanty
supplied with this all-important information. In
making this remark, we do not wish to dlsparage
the labors of either the Washington Un,on or In
tel,gemce. They are doubtless as efficient as they
can be. But from their local circulation, which
is, for the most part, confined to the houses OF
Congress, with their personal friends, and to the
small village of Washington, it is physically i'm.
possible for them to be the mirror of Congress to
the United States and the world. Whoever saw
cory of either one other of these papers, unless
Al. ohona aY,,,blt mr. hofa
much less in the hands of the merchant the ma
nufacturer, the tradesman, the common laborer, or
any class of our citizensl You might well ex.
pect to see copy of her most gracious Majesty
Queen Pomare's Gazette, the organ of Otaheite
and the South Sea Islands. But, as we have
already said, it is physically impossible for the
propretors OF those journals to fulfil the duty ex-
pected of them. They have no means or facilities
TO do 80 but this is more their misfortune than
their fault
To supply this want, which has been long felt
and deplored by every intelligent man throughout
the country, we made proposition, on Monday
last, to the House Of Representatives, that we
should publish, daily, on double sheet, If neces
sary, full reports of the debates and proceedings
of the present session, for the sum- of $1,000
This sum falls far short OF the expenditure tina
WOulO DC ucCcs5diys uHotI TIE ldtc arrangements
of Congress, as will be seen by the following esti
mate, which has been made up as accurately as
circumstances would permit -
oo,1 or REPORTING, PRINTING, AND ruBLnHINo The
prnarEr ~ THE HOUSE or REPREsrrrtTIvEs, ron
THE SESSION.
Cost OF reportinQ lat lowe,t eumJ. $3.50
Paper months for $4,000 sheets per day IL 5l
Total cost. ''''' eio'<ot
Now, we propose to print and publish The de-
bates for 5000 less, or one.thlrd and, for the
further advantages Of making this paper the medi-
um of communication with the public, they are 80
obvious, as TO require explanation. We deem
it unnecessary TO say any thing of the wide dIfiu-
sion Of our paper, not only over this continent but
in every city Of note IN Europe-wherever, in
short, civilization has extended II any one doubts
what is admitted by every American citizen that
has visited Europe, let him call at our Office, and
we shall give him the most satisfactory and unm
peachable evidence that there is scarcely place
where the Amencsn flag has ever waved, or spot
throughout the globe where American affairs are
ever thought Of (and where are they notD that the
Ne,p Fork Herald does not circulate extensively.
We are obliged TO Mr. Ashmun for the compliment
he paid us in the House OF Re- representatives. on Mon
day last, and coming from such source--from a
gentleman who had only the other day submitted
resolution proposing TO pay the Crion and Intel
,ieswcsv seven dollars and hall per column for re.
..sez<;scsrf cahl,sbine ~ Of !he House