The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-04-25
The Public Printing.

The Public Printing.
A few weeks since, we published a
paragraph on this subject, complaining Of
the delay in the issue of the public docu-
ments, and stating that they were received
at times and under circumstances in which
they could not be used for any beneficial
purposes of legislation. This was as true
when we said it as at the present mo-
ment. We complained of this system as
a most unfair one to the Administration,
inasmuch as it withheld from the people
the means of judging of their policy. OF
what use, for instance, is the report Of
the Secretary of the Treasury in furnish
ing facts for the judgment of the people
on the tariff question, when the people do
not receive it, perhaps, till the question is
decided' We were arraigned at the time,
by one of the Opposition Senators, and
our remarks were sent to the table of the
Secretary of the Senate to be read. Let
us now see how near right we were, on
the showing of one of the honorable Sena-
tors own friends. We quote from the
official report Of the Senate debate of
Tuesday:
"Mr. CAss said that he rose to make sugges-
ton to the Senate: 1t was quite time to attend to
the public printing. We have been in session for
five months, and hare received almost none Of The
public documents ordered to be printed. The euloges
upon Mr.. Calhoun, which ought to have been upon
tables within two three days after the order
that they might be distributed while the public
mind was still occupied with the loss of that emf
nent citizen-and for which have had many in
quiries-are yet withheld from understand
that 1t is doubtful ,ohen shall get the patent report
perhaps not for months. of the Presidents mes
sage and documents, necessary to our action and
to the public satisfaction, think we have received
some twenty or thirty copies. When the next
may come, one can tell. No,o, sir, This is a
crying euiI tDhich ought TO be remsdied. WE ARE
LEGIsLATING IN THE DARK, AND WE ARE ExPEND-
ING LARGE SUMS PUBLIC MONEY WITHOUT
PRODUCING ANY PRACTICAL BENEFIT. All this
should be put right by immediate action
We said this was disgraceful. Now,
if it is not disgraceful to legislate in the
dark, we were wrong. Or, if it is not
disgraceful to expend large sums of pub
lie money, without producing any practi-
cal benefit, we were wrong. Otherwise,
we submit it, on the strength of General
CAss's statement, we were right.
On another occasion we were assailed
ON this subject in the House, because we
complained of the delay in the publication
&c he Dr. Sc oEf
and documents. We blamed the opposi-
ton majority for this delay-because the
legislation is of course in their hands. Our
Democratic friend, who attacked us then,
made the following statement:
e'By direction of the Joint Committee on Print
ing, all other printing is kept back, and the public
printers expressly ordered to have that docu-
ment ready for delivery soon as possible, and
Z in a few days it will be ready. II will make a
volume of ten, twelve, or fifteen hundred pages"
We will not reproduce the comments of
the gentleman who made this statement,
but we beg him to recollect that it was
made on the 7th of March. 1t is at the
time of the present writing the oath of
April; and if the California message, with
the accompanying documents, has yet
made its appearance, we have not been
so fortunate as to receive copy of it. 1t
is quite time that it was published, for the
country will be pleased with an opportu-
nifty to refresh their memory with the doc
trines and policy which it embodies.
If all the other printing has been kept
back to get out this document, it ought to
be ready by this time; and we would be
much indebted to any friend who will for
ward us copy.