New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-10-02


ATser number Of other speakers, i3Iy rose
,esin. Mr. Meade, mamie sting he De -pess norti-
6catou, went to him aud beaought hlm 70 deSlsE'
bnt the Chairman of the Ways and Means Tas
not 10 be suppressed He went on and his vary
6yst sentence was dro Ened in the unquenohable
laughter Of the House. Mr. Bayly aaid, Ny
friend desires me not TO be insemperate--, and
hero the honorable Chairman looked funnily over
bis specsacles and seemed TO say, Hog can heiP
lit But he attempted to prove, nevertheless mat
the House was intoxicated, and that he waa no''
Mr. Meade made skilful speech in advocscyoi
Ritobie,a claims. but showed that he had been
completely imposed upon by the tales OF enAs pef-
son'R agents about the House. ,.,.,p.;..
Mr. Orr of s. O. g member OF the Specla ftin'-
ing Committee, obtained the floor, and yen. my
Series OF matter of fact statements, Whiou eSl'
dentlv CANA from the laboratory ofthe COMMITTEE,
and which produced such an effect upon the House
that i, became instantly apparensthas s1e vel iald
achene ofplunder would eignonlnlously deieateo.
Mr. Orr said that the proof was complete tnas
Richie had deliberately procured the contract tof
the purpose of subyerting the system and compel
ling Congress to return TO the old and sbomlnebly
coT2nnt mode OF doing the business. He also ex:
posed that updacious sWIndle, me cnar5e ol
a372OO. and the obtaining Of $l2,50O Tor printing
under this contract the Sonata pamphieE. Ing
transaction had" usually been called the itle 6@i-
pbin. Mr. Orr also showed that o"lng 70 sucn
nnerstiops az this and 10 the immense qnenf'ty
ont that the contract wes not, az alleged, loE'
ing concern, but that it vas paying moderately
well.
Mr. Marsha OF K entucky, also OF TOE apeclsl
committee, took up the train Of exposure and arg0-
ment and proved by denomination THAI the con-
tract WAC not losing one, and that after the most
searching and careful inquiry, the commistee n9o
discovered no proof OF the alleged losses, he
showed all that had been said on that point. by
Ritchies organ and his deputies to be s9iyelllng
and whining cry, intended and calculated TO ex-
treot money from the sympethies Of Congress, Mr.
Marshall said that on the one document OF the
patent report-the first part-the contractor YOU'D
mako 81, 900, and much moro on the sec1 nd Dut
that. under the proposed allowance OF torsy,hve
per cent less than the prices Of 8l9 the profit on
the one document would be sixty eight thousand
| dollars
Nr. MarshaIl gave fome specimens Of the testi-
mopy from the report indicating tina Rtcate never
intended 10 have the CONTRACT executed bus tna ne
TOOK the assignment IN pursuance OF hs orlglna.
purpose, within twenty days of its being entered
into by bis foreman, ayowing 20 many persons ms
discrimination 70 make "CongregS slok OF the
contract business" Belt and Trenholm, the IN
ntruments of Ritcbie, and the sham bidders, were
noyy MS they were then and mad been ever since,
iournaymen or foremen Of his printing Office Mr..
Thompson Of Penn, desired TO Interrupt for AK
PLANTATION No. said Mf. aarshall, with az slo.
ouens outburst, "no cir, the minutes are heetlng
they are precious to the people, they shall not lose
one Of them To another peremptory and some,
what furious demaud, from another champion OF
the asaailantf of the treasury, Mr Marshall thun'
dered forth, mot ose instant will yield have
duty TO perform, and Will perform IT, though II
coat mt NY life
MIR. Thompson and Mr.. NcLane, of Baltimore,
addressed the House. in various degrees Of sobrie-
ty neither OF them, II [ may venture my private
opinion, quite the pink of that quality, essayed to
speak for the contractor but they said nothing wor-
efFo (1rr ANA. n
upon them again, and showed the ho!owneas Of
the preteat shat Ritche had repened of his origi-
| nal purpose and had executed his contract so far
az affairs had gone, well and faithfully, by asatlng
that it was In evidence before the Committee that
Richie had designedly delayed the performances of
the printing and the delivery OF documents until the
Investigating Committee had been raised, when he
began to acos lerate his proceedings
But even now, after the lapBo Of ten month";,
vety large proportion OF the most necessary docu-
ments had not yet been received, and II waa not
hi own when they would make their appearance
But further: this reputsdly faithful contractor had
deliberately laid upon the table of members, spec
men copies OF documents printed on paper OF the
weight and quality required by the contract, bat
had sent to The folding room the mass OF such docu
men.s printed on paper Of very inferior quality
In short, the contract required the use OF paper
weighing thirty eight pounds to the reRm, aud nine
tenthe Of that which had really been uasd, Weighed
but thirty two pounds. The price OF the contract
! paper was % 80 per reAtn 'Hdt WHICH Hau ooou
used coat SO 80 per resm Tho saving ELECTED by
this sordid expedient, in violation of tho contract
was $50, 900. There were many other things
prov cd by the testimony taken before the Commit
tee, which would amont equally aatonish the
House and the country but the6e specimens must
| suffice,
During all this time MIR. We utworth said nothing,
but superintended the artistic heying of the deln-
quent contractor and greedy bpecustor upon pub
lie bounty with quiet vigilance aud aeltposses
sion which was really admirable. he did not re-
frain from orstory because he was not capable of
using it. but because at the time ailence WE his
best weapon. He showed 8 consciousness that
bis victim was within the grasp Of Justice,
The triumph of honesty and decenoy was com.
plete At midnight the Ritchieites gave in, not
even venturing to call for the yeas aud nays The
Senate amendment for their chief was struck out
with hardly dissenting voice.
There was no reAistpg the tide OF fact and argu
ment which had rolled over them and their patron,
and they submitted with q grace. The love OF
money ia strong, but it may truly be said that, not
for the chance OF millions would an honorable man
have subjected himself to the oboquy of last nights
debate. c D.
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