The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-12-11


knew to exist against interests by permitting the use
of type and MATERIAL and by becoming security ior
contractors who would not use the profits Of the public
printing obfeak down our interests, rs s4a w lsga
When the bids We're declared, II was announced that
Mr. Towers the lowest bidder for the frst class.
second" ssfourtb. and fifth classes Mr., Ryes now
nsnuates and enIeavors to create the belief thai had
ii not been for The bids OF his Mr. FliDn
Mr. Belt the latter wond have failed to give security
and the bids OF the former would have been accepted
Mr. Rves endeavos to create the further Impression
that prvy to that arrangement. We appeal TO
the facts Looking to the bids contained in Senate
Doc (Miscel) No CO, both Cong ed sess "a. we find
all the bids From those bids il appears that for the
| second class " ss.1
JOHN John Il T. T hs'ns S1a I BID wa. Sos y
III 5'' rs = .... 7" Il ss sa NJ ss.sas q
The next lowest bid was 49, 723 90 So there was no
bid between that Of Belt and that of Trenholm Yet Mr.
Belt did not throw up hs bid in favor of Mr. Trenhoms
as he could have done, and yet taken the fourth and fifth
classes, each class contracted for sepaaey but he
entered into contract TO execute that class OF printing
Yet with this fact before him, Mr. John c. Ryes has
the candor TO nsnuste before the country that had there
been bids between the contractors who are employed
in the Union Office the lowest intended to throw up bis
contract He chooses further TO consider the whole
amount Of public printing in the aggregate in order to
induce the further impression that his brothern-aw was
w,ooy deprived Of the printing S nost who DID not
Finn s. washngons bid for the five classes S9sloe SO
Belts i,46s rs
sls,64s %
This sum would not have justified or enabled Messrs
Finn Washington to establish Office capable Of ex-
ecuting the printing for single Congress and MT Belts
bid although less in amount was, in fact better bid
for the contractor than Messrs Finn Washngton's
Now, we do not mean to cast any reflection whntever
upon those gentlemen. They had perfect right to bid
for the public printing but we must say y looks singu-
lar to Mr. Ryes, who was prvy to their bids. de-
nouncng better bids fraudulent because they too
low Ia this connexion may be as well to remark that
the person who conducted the examination before the
Wentworth committee was particularly cautious not 10
permit The fact that Messs Finn Washington had bid
at all to 90 upon the record Mr. Gallaher, then OF
Virginia. now First Auditor OF the Treasury, and Mr..
Mckinley. OF Pennsylvania, were summoned and exam
med TO their bids and evidence taken TO prove
their personal ability TO execute their contracts BY these
means the effort was made 10 create the impression that
one or both q those gentlemen wsrs deprived Of The pub
fact was, thai neither oil them would have obtained II
Mr. Belt and Nj. Trenholm had not bid at all Finn &
Washington would have obainted il. the document
which We have already quoted will show This looks
suspicious, 10 say the least. But to proceed.
Soon after The contracts were entered into, we became
interested in Mr. Belts contracts In facf obtained
almost the entire interest OF Mr. Belt in them. We had
large Office filled with material, idle and wasting on
hands had the advantage OF the previous contractor
employment three OF the most experienced men in the city
one in each department, oil the public printing Besides,
we anticipated much benefit from the privilege Of look
cation These circumstances, and other advantages at
tending the printing, and the belief that should be
able 10 make something contract, induced
become interested in the printing This arrangement was
private secret arrangement. Tor II was made known
by before type was set under the contracts As
early the 22d OF March, 1919, stated interests
in the contracts in letter addressed by and Mr. Belt
to the Hon. Asbury Dckins, Secretary OF the Senate.
Yet Mr. Belt was, and still, the principal in the COZ
tract and is legally bound such Tor its execution A
contractor with the government may sell and convey his
interest in his contract yet he cannot avoid that respon
siolity 10 the government which bis original undertaking
nicaiions addressed to Congress or the Committee on
Printing have been in the name Of the original contractor,
and Others 70 the JON, Names ?, .Ss and
have purchased, our legal position is that Of surely, and
not principal s..eastf.f yfta - E. III
elapsed before the House Of Representatives could be
ganzed for business This unforeseen contingency in
ured us at the ouset for we were Obliged TO keep full
complement OF workmen from the ID 10 the 2tth OF De-
cember. with nothing for them 10 do, as we could not
tell what hour The House might succeed in eecting
organization. In few days after the House ready
70 proceed 10 business, Me- Borland chairman OF the
Committee on Printing addressed letter each OF the
contractors in which he alluded 10 the bad in
which the work for the Both Congress. had been done.
and he indicated belief that they would not be able to
execute their work under the contract
at the time the determination Of the committee not
70 receive inferior work, and inpifing renguisn<nt
Of the eontra so that asp arrangement could Be made
Il has been intmaed in Congress, and asserted else
where. that this letter was part OF concerted plan TO
break up the contract system for the benefit Of the Union
that had knowledge OF Mr.. Borands intention OF
writing such letter. The letter shows upon it's face
thai written under The direction OF the Committee
on Pnnnng and calumnialors, n order 70 assa US,
have assaied the commiltee-consisng of Messrs Bor
land, Hamn, and Smith, OF the Senate and Messfs Nc
Willie, Fuller, and Thompson Of Kentucky, OF the House
OF Repfeseniatives-by avenng that they were con
spinng with evade law of Congress, that we
might obtain exorbitant rates for printing The idea is
absurd, 10 say the least OF it,
Mr. Borlsnds letter. on behalf OF the Committee on
Printing, bore date January 4, 1850 Mr. Belt and Mr.
Trenholm replied to il by joint letter. dated January
6h which they mentioned which induced Them
to ask for time consider OF the proposition OF the CON-
mtee inviting them to renqush their contracts, 50 that
new arrangement could be made Even before the
ceip Of Mr. Borlsnd's letter, Of the heavy annual
documents had been pu, in the hands OF the printer The
request for tine for consideration not therefore,
reasonable; while the fact that time for considera
ton was asked proves concusvey that there was no
conspiracy between us and the Printing Committee to
break up the contract system. Had there been such an
understanding. the contractors surely would not have
failed 10 accept the invitation at But, have
said, they tailed to do So and they did not give hnal
answer to Mr. Borands letter until The 9th OF February
proposition had been brought forward, few days
vous by Mr. Davis, OF Massachusetts from the Census
Conmiicc which proposed 10 place the control Of the
census printing 10 the hands Of The Secretary Of the nie
nor The mere enuncation oil such proposition BY
any member OF either branch Of Congress was calculated