The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-04-11

that was appropriated by the last Congress and placed n
the control Of the Census Board The other 81 600 have
not been touched so far, understand These are the
facts which suppose the honorable senator from Indiana
desired 10 have so far as the contract has been entered
into.
Mr. WALKER. would inquire Of the honorable sen.
alor from Kentucky. by whom this paper has been fur.
nis Me- , and By VIA s1@n authority o
derstand The act OF last Congress appropriated $40 900
and placed i at the disposal OF the Census Board, with
view q making this contract for paper, and furnishing
the paper IN printed forms OF suitable kind for the pur
pose OF going on with the work.
Mr.. WALKER | would inquire II this paper will moi
Mr.. UNDERWOOD. | understand that the honorable
4 TO the lowest bidder.
i MI, WALKER understand that this paper belongs
1 TO The government, and cannot be disposed Of
MIR. SMITH Not at all.
MIR WALKER. Il was paid for out of the government
Mr.! SMITH. Not At all
Mr. UNDERWOOD. would remark that l am in.
formed that this $4,000 was paid out Of the $4,000 ap
Mr. SMITH. The fact Of the matter, Mr. President.
is this the Census Board have, under the &C. Of the
last session OF Congress- made contract with Gideon
Co. TO do this work that to say TO procure the paper
and other MATERIAL and do the printing and deliver the
work finished TO the government The paper all belongs
TO Gideon Co. The contract that is made by the gov
eminent is for the work to be finished and be delivered
70 the government The material, paper ink, machinery
&C., - the mean time, belong to Gideon Co; aud, in
case this amendment j. adopted i they should happen
make the lowest bid they could then 90 and this
paper ,n Itisn not oysrnmsnt paper,
Mr. WHlrCoMB Mr. President. should like to
see the law under which this done.
Mr. SMITH have sent for it; will have il here in
moment.
with the Legislation Of the last session upon this subject
must be aware that authority existed upon the part OF
this Board to make any contract binding upon the govern
ment, for the furnishing OF paper or blanks. have
very distinct recollection Of the impression made upon nv
mind and think that the law is in conformity with what
was then understood by the Senate
Mr. BRIGHT here read the act OF 1S49, creating the
Census Board, as folows]
BE q enacted ty The Senate aud H,ua Of Rpresenta
tires Of ne Uaited States Of america Cones
the Postmaster General, shall constitute and be board 10
be styled The Census Board that il shall be duty Of the
ana schedules s may be necessary for the full enumeration
Of the inhabitants OF the United States and also proper
forms and schedules for collecting In statistical tables
der proper heads such information mines agrcutne
@ @ xe he q I'M other Spc as
resources OF the county tbeing provided
exceed one hundred, and that expense pre-
pairing ana printing said forms and schedules shall NOT
SEC had BE- IL further eaacfed That the said board
sa have power to appont secre airy. whose rsmrnen
OF the duties assigned TO the board
Now sir, it will be seen by reading this act that the an
preparation OF ten thousand dollars is nothing like suf
Gent 10 meet the expenses incurred in the printing neces
sary to take the of the United States in 1850
Ten thousand dollars is small moiety. The object OF
this law, and the appropriation Of $4,000 under Il was
quies to the different parts OF the Union the different in
eests and ascertain what will be the better plan upon pre-
pairing their tables and they should prepare the forms
not the forms in whole but such forms they deemed
proper and that those forms should be reported to Con-
gess at this session, and should be adopted or not as
Congress might deem proper appehend that i was
adopt forms that should be compelled 10 adopt and
that they should go 10 work under this law and
upon contracts for the entire printing necessary be DONE
Such state OF things was not contemplated, but merely
that they should prepare the forms and present them TO u.s.
and then we should do we have done, and alter the
amount as on yesterdays and after the of Congress
was sscertaned with reference 10 what inquiries should
be adopted, upon proper conditions, the general law
should be passed, authorizing the taking OF the
and embracing the contract for the printing with IT, This
undertake 10 say the law, and the only nteprea-
ton that The law will bear.
Mr.. PEARCE. differ from the senator altogether. /
reeolect the whole course OF legislation beg leave to
state to the Senate, that early in the last session bill
was reported by the committee appointed that purpose
by the senator from Massachusetts, lMr DAvIsi but be
never succeeded in having that taken up substitute
for that bill was proposed by the from Kentucky
Mr. UsDERwoeD which, Of course, he did not succeed
Representatives and that bill the House OF Representatives
could not be induced TO take up In this state Of things
on the last night OF the session. member OF the House
oil Representatives from Massachusetts MT Palfrey) in
troduced this bill nearly in the form in which il
passed He made short speech upon the OCCASION and
no other remarks were made at ALL In that speech he
declared that the arrangement of all the details
matter oil executive duty that could better be done BY
the board he proposed than il could be done by Congress;
anu correctness OF opinion and the
subject oil discussion here II Is also, believe stated
fact and. II not stated By him. certainly the fact,
that Congress prior occasion had thought OF
carrying out these details by legislation here Those
details had always been referred BY law, in general
TERMS to the Secretary oil State, who hal made all those
arrangements, and had carried them out without report
ing them 10 Congress Now, sir, there is not word in
thus law about reporting these tables TO Congress- and
for reasons assigned in the House OF Representatives
passing upon the bill, il seems that they op.
posed TO executing such supposition. admit that
IN THIS chamber there was some little diversity OF
opinion. The bill was opposed by some gentlemen
those details to the Executive for their adjustment
official adjustment The senator from Massachusetts,
Mr. DAvIsl thought otherwise apprehend it bad just
come from the House OF Representatives SO that he had
not examined il very critically he would scarcely have
expressed the opinion he formed at that time lie did
think the forms would be reported to the Senate lie
did express that opinion, | think but that was
mistake on his part because. VI we examine il, 6nl
that Is made the duty o the board TO prepare AMI
TO be printed the forms and schedules-not to be sub
mted for the appreciation OF the Congress oil the United
Satesbut forms and schedules necessary TO the full
enumeration OF the inhabitants of the United States
and that was all they bad TO do. II for the
ton OF the inhabitants OF the United States There
no necessity al all but there would have been great abb
surdiiy in printing forms and schedules which need not
have been prine, for the purpose OF ascertaning the
enumeration OF the inhabitants OF the United States
In addition to that the appropriation of $4,000, which
was certainly inefficient for the printing OF all those
forms, certainly much than sufficient Tor the
preparation OF forms presented Congress The truth
IS, that IN the House Of Representatives appropriation
OF 100000 inserted in this bill for this purpose
That, ! apprehend, would have been sufficient to
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