The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-10-01

the Pebble Prsnting.
During the last weeks Of the session Of CoD,,..
which has just terminated. The public printing hs !
cited so much attention and ELECTED 50 much ieeiv A.
we feel it to be due to ourselves and to the pubI
present few words upon il. A1
Il 10 already known to the public that we are 0.,
esed in the great bulk Of the public printing; bu, In,
are other facts connected with il which are :,
known 10 the public, if we are to Judge BY the
norance which members Of Congress have displaysa
the last few days. when they were pretending to eu
the subject to the House Of Representatives
Il will be remembered that the House Of Represeo,
tves did not succeed in electng Speaker until the s
week OF December, and Of course no legislative bus
ness could be transacted before the organization Of H.
House. This circumstance embarrassed us al The ou,.
for it not only compelled 10 keep our hands who.
employment for three weeks, but required thai ii '
the most important and voluminous documents ,houp
be pressed upon us at the same time Ye, :,
were willing to abide by our contract, and W.,
determined to execute il faithfully under the A.
conviction that, if Congress adhered 10 its oblgadm
we would be enabled not only to clear expenses, but
realize handsome profit In making this calculation
we confidently expected that were entitled 10 Llo
the public printing except the bills, which might Or
dered by the present Congress- We were saved loo Il,
expense Of buying extensive Office We had also Il,
advantage of having three of the best and most exu
rienced superntendents. ong acquainted with the public
printing! And il is clear that aciA these materials and
managers, il anything could be made out Of hara
contract, we might do so. Under this expectation,
willing TO risk some loss the printing which
is usually ordered by Congress. knowing that the printing
of the returns would. under our contract mon
than reimburse for that loss But Congress has nearly
doubled the amount OF ordinary printing, which cons
under losing feature OF the contract, while il ha
taken away from the printing Of the census reurs
which would have fallen under profitable clause s
contract But to be more specific
On the 4th Of January-a few days after the organir.
ton Of the House oil Representatves-Mr Borland. n
chairman Of the joint committee Of the houseson The
subject Of printing addressed letter to the contraction
stating that the terms OF their contracts were too low
and inviting them to give up their contracts SO that som.
new arrangement could be entered into by which The
congressional printing could be executed with neatnes
and despatch The contractors, in whose contracts
have obtained interest. declined to give specific
swer at that time They had precisely asceraned hs
operation Of the contract They had calculated eces
ing the printing Of the census returns, and they still
expected to do so, although the "annual estimates
Of appropriations contained an estimate which embraced
that work as work to be done under the supsrh
iendence Of the Secretary Of the Interior. In The
latter part of January, Mr.. Davis, of Massachu
sets, reported, from the Census Committee Of DE
Senate, bill which placed the whole control d
the census printing with the Secretary Of the late
rior. This movement indicated that the Census Com
mittee would sustain the claim set forth by Mr.. Ewing
in his Estimates of appropriations" and tended to co..
firm the approximations OF the contractors Accordingly
as soon as they were made aware OF this fact, they
addressed a communication to MIR. Borland accef.
ting his proposition Of the 4h OF January, and pa
cling their contracts at the disposal OF Congres
But Congress would take no definite action on The
subject Although its recognised officers had, unsO.
licited, invited a relinqushment, and that invitation
had been accepted Congress failed to take any steps
towards new arrangement. The consequence was thai
the contractors forced to continue their wok, while
the offer which Congress had made NOT complied win
in any particular. Under these circumstances The con
tractors being determined to execute the contract wrote
to the two most celebrated press manufacturers oil ih'
United States, in order to obtain additional press.pows
to enable them TO execute the enormous amount oil pu
lie printing which had been ordered but they were W
formed by one that press could mol be furnished unde
four months, and by the other under six months was
deemed useless then TO order presses nasmuch as ms
could not be furnished before the anticipated Adjournment
OF Congress and the contractors forced 10 DO a
they best could.
Thus things stood until the middle OF April when Dr.
Wentworth, instgaied by his malignant hostility %
the editor of this paper, moved an invesilganOa
into The manner in which the public printing had
been executed the causes OF delay. the persons ~
,erested, SC, &C. That committee appointed
and, according 10 rule, Mr.. Wentworth was aoInle'
chairman man in whom no one. places confidence
the same man whose illegal freedom with the stationery
Of Congress compelled the other two bundled and oaS
members OF the House Of Representatives 10 pass u'
placing unnecessary and vexatous restraints upon hem
selves in order TO prevent him from making way WIN
the property OF the government This committee wa
appointed but of necessity the conduct Of the nvesr
lion was in the hands Of Mr.. Wentworth. He, Of couS
summoned Witnesses and he took the lead IN ihel' e
animation OF course he took no trouble TO op'ai. :
quorum OF the committee. A single man under ms pn'
ence, whose name would give shadow OF respecT
by 10 his proceedings, enough for him. Wesu
pected his sinister designs from the first and accods
we appeared before the committee as we ne''
OF ia organization We informed the chairman tba' v,
were principally interested in the public printing a'4
told him that he knew that the investigation Ss
.,ooJ NJ IA We than demanded 10 be permtleu