The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-04-11
for the census FORMS but the printing OF these forms a
ter The Information should be collected

the census OruS the printing these
ter The information should be collected
MI SMITH. II am 50 unfortunate as not TO be un-
dersood by the honorable senator upon that point after
what have said. il would be useless for 10 make fur
lher effort Out OF difference 10 the honorable SENATOR
will be more explicit With regard 10 the printing OF what
Is ordinarily denominaed the census, there is no autho
~ conferred by law this board 10 make any contract
with any one. They have no more power over the SUD
lect than my friend. any other member OF this body
not IN the slightest degree II was originally pfoposed
but has been stricken out as have already explained
The substitute does provide for the preparatory print
ing, provision made by law at the last session. a.
the senator from Georgia supposed must say, when
find written down here that shall De The daty OF .hls
board TO prepare certain tables, and to cause them 70 DC
printed, there can be doubt as TO their power 10
make contract will pursue the subject any fur
favor any printing establishment in this city. have
sole regard 10 what believe TO be the public interest
feel certain if This business s now thrown into the hands
of bidders il will fall through as have before remarked
You may as well abandon the whole subject and any and
every ATTEMPT to get census. 4
Mr. DAVIS, OF Massachusetts. wish to make one
remark AS am misunderstood. The senator from Con-
neccut MIR. SMIrHl has misunderstood me, said that
there two kinds OF printing provided for in the bill
the is the tables, and the other is the preparatory
printing know the Senate had made no provision for
the printing OF the compendiums and the returns. All
this is left 10 future legislation The only question now
before the Senate is the disposition OF the tables and OF
lion. and do not know Of anything else. What mean
to say 10 my friend from Indiana furthes from me Mr.
BRIcHTl is that the printing OF the tables is left to the
Census Board and the preparatory printing is to be let
out to the lowest bidder
Mr., KING. must confess, sir that did not entirely
understand the argument oil the honorable senator from
Connecticut [Mr. SMITH He read the law 10 show that
the Census Board were authorized to prepare tables and
abstracts and give them to be printed Well, sir, for
what purpose Certainly to present them 70 Congress
to bring them before for action We have already
acted upon portion OF them, and have changed them
Now, sir, ii il were intended that they should have, by
contract Gf any other mode printed 70 tue iu extent
not be mourning too enormous an expense, without any
result benefcaly to the country They authorized
according the law to bring these abstracts before U.S. for
action, that we might see, judge, and determine
whether they were such as ought to be adopted Beyond
that they had no power When they did So they yioat
ed their obligations under the law and they attempted 10
do what they had right to do, and what ought not to
be sanctioned in this body.
You say the contract was made How was the con.
tract made Who were the bddersl Was there any
bidding Not SO far as understand it. Did they make
a contract9 Who is the person TO be Judge Of what
amount was to be paid VAST asmall amount Of print
an exravagant charge is shown by the honorable
aor from New Hampshire, Mr.. HALE and which was
no doubt very correctly shown The charges have been
most extravaganza as we know. They are not matter
OF so much importance for small pamphlet; but when
you extend it TO the whole printing OF the census, il be-
comes matter OF grave Importance Let them exercise
the power TO give It to whom they please and there is
no necessity for our action. We may give the egsla
lion to the Census Board When passed the law as
understood IL they were confined to the discharge OF
that duty, which essential to be discharged before
the action OF Congress upon the subject and having dis
charged that ought not to go legally and properly one
inch further Now, sir ask again, what s to be paid
What amount is this printing to come to- Suppose they
arogae 10 themselves the power they have attempted to
exercise and it is sanctioned and acquesced in by the
Congress Of the United States As to printing the plans
the original bill provides, it is true, for the printing
when the census is returned. That is all well enough
1t provides il shall be given out to the lowest bidder
The Secretary Of Tue Interior shall have the power Of
abstracts and instructions TO go out to the different States
It was the power Of the Census Board to further
furnish the as lyh n ,Ss 70
very improper that we should sanction the contract made
and which we know nothing about We have no infor-
nation whether the contract is TO be at fair price or
MOTTO what extent tits to go--what amount oil money
is to be involved in the expenditure.
Mr. PEARCE. | will answer the inquiry OF the SEN
ator from Alabama, Mr. KING The Census Board
have stated already that they have contracted for
realms OF paper for the purpose OF printing these forms
and schedules rather the printer with whom they
per. He has purchased 1000 feams al SO per ream
That is stated in executive document No 49, upon the
files of the Senate The printing is TO be performed at
the rate of 81 per ream; that makes altogether $40
ream, when il from the printer for the cost Have
they oyercharged by that contract' do not know Il
rather suppose not do not think it. know, at all
events. that il is not so fine operation the printing
of the last census when they charged $40 81 rean for
the work. believe not the same amount OF print
ing upon sheets as at present have scarcely read
the act but the senator says that il required the Census
Board submit these prints to Congress for the purpose
OF investigation Where is the clause that requires the
Census Board TO submit them 10 us q Where rs the
clause sentence word letter, which looks 10 il Do
we not know the argument upon which they procured
the passage of this act the House OF Representatives
that il would do away with the necessity for discussion
in Congress that these details matters properly for
Executive duty, and we could not pass the bill in time
III did not submit them 10 board who were prepared
to act upon them during the not Tor submission
to us--for no such thing is found in the law-but to
prepare Them and send them out for the purpose OF taking
a full enumeration: that is in the law II does not APP
ply TO the submission OF them to Congress.
tL.tt h,xr
given Of the subject fortified By the practice that has
prevailed in the other acts Where have required sta
tsiica information in any OF these acts the forms have
not been submitted 10 Congress- The whole arrange.
men was submitted TO the Secretary OF State by
der whose authority they prepared. His final ar
gument would not have any appeal at all to the practice
OF Congress.
The senator from Indiana MR. BRIoHrl says that an
argument against this may be derived from the fact that
former remarks that the appropriation in the House
$4,000, but was amended here 10 $4,000 Sir 1t ~
very true that $40 900 would only pay onehd OF the
whole expense incurred in the preparatory printing, by
which mean the forms and schedules, being the only
contracted for by this board II will only pay
third OF the expense OF that printing which Congress has
provided for But, sir, is this the first bill in which Con-
has not provided for the expense On former occasion
thought we should make 40 appropriation TO pay for
the expenses of bill, and the Chair said II
not at all necessary. Ii wes by uncommon
thing The sad) 10 contract for certain thing TO be DONE
by law and leave future legislation to provide for the
payment OF IT, That is precisely what Is done here
We cannot argue from the amount OF the appropriations
that these officers were not authorized TO make that con-
tract which the language OF the law, IN express terms
mt onlv AUTH hut ahaolufelv reauired them