The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-02-05

lion 10 guard against this evil What il that proposition
p PEI have been unable 70 ascertain what il Is to be-
dizng ths public press for have no dea that my friend
would be sciuated BY such motives But il is said
that NE public printers cannot execute e sonse and
sdizn9 he pres q AZ ely, sbsrI Wig q tie dem,
octatc press either III one Of the other But have this
70 saS that these bidders cannot execute the contract
force he penalty which they have voluntarily incurred
but shall that the work be given into the hands Of
the next lowest bidder and 80 60 on. ascending in the
until g TO Somebody wnG y willing Inn T.
this late day. to the political press OF city, Il Is prop
psion which shall resist 10 The u',ermost and at all
Now. my friend here has proposition which is to
turn round upon pivot In the first place. looks 10
the employment Of these very printers whom the honora
bic senator says canno. possibly execute this
public prLter BY the Senate; and that NATTER we all
know, will be settled by the dominant party, and thus
all the printing under this bill will be transferred to the
Union Office, which will hand over a large sum Of the
public money To- the proprietors OF that concern do
not say that my friend desgns any such thing, but know
that such will be the elect Of it, provided his views
SYSTEM ann for having the 2lst section stand as ID.
and for altering the goth section. as already indicated
But have another consideration still TO submit, Mr..
Of their engagements, cannot execute this work say
that they cannot possibly execute the preparatory printing
in time When will this bill be carried through the other
msdatey for the enumeration Is 70 lake place on The Ii
Of June, about that time The preparatory printing
70 be done, and the blanks to be distributed before
stions on the Pacific for aught know; for suppose
we 10 have census taken in California and New
Mexico. whether they admitted as States or not;
and therefore the honorable chairman OF the committee on
Tho hneA lin
mediate consideration II will take some time to carry the
bill through the two houses Of Congress, and should be
possible sent to the House Of Representatives
Having been for ten years member OF the House, have
pretty good for believing that the bill
carried through in all the month Of March April it viii
be expedited good deal more than business ordinarily is
IN that body. In the mean time, we are to Cypress
the .public printer. We have got sharp contract
hard stipulation, and therefore to put upon him the
immense labor Of all sorts Of printing and instead Of
typographical corps of this city, j is really now
proposed to charge somebody with this duty-no-
body knows who apparently the present printer. with
anticipating the election Of printer. or recurrence to
the old system. Thus we are to throw the printing into
Of the political establishments OF this city, Though
have no idea that my excellent friend contemplated any
QUITO give Il 10 the lowest bidder. and 50 on. rising
unit! we find some one willing to do the workhe GEN.
would just should go to the Union office to
any other They good and respectable citizens But
am utterly opposed 70 the proposed manner OF sending
i there.
lam opposed also to the existing system Of print
ing. II must be amended; and | trust that before
he present Congress is over, we may have some
plan Of doing the printing which will
he other elements which are indispensable to the
transaction Of business by Congress-. intend. sir, to
ess and Ct al times hereafter the o. the
upon the side upon the other therefore insist that
he 2st section is exactly right; and with respect to the
preceding section, all that is required is simply the add
ion of four five words such have already suggest
I'd 10 the Senate In this manner economy will be OBJ
served and the public interests in all respects be pre-
Mr.. FooTE. Mr. President, do not rise at this late
Mr.. DAVIS. Of Massachusetts. will the senator al
low me to have one paragraph read from the law sup
by law and wish the Secretary to read the law which
regulates the printing OF documents.
The Secretary read the law, providing nearly as fol-
lows: s
That the Job printing stationery and binding Of each Of
tho executive departments SHALL until otherwise directed BY
be furnished by contract proposals for which shall be
,crpton Of the printing 70 be specified In each advertise
nen as far as that can be DONE, and be made con-
he advertisement that the work shall be done In the city
p Washington and the oonIsc, in such cases % far as
nade shall be given the lowest bidder whose proposal
hal Be accompanied with proper testimonials Of the ability
Mr. FOOTE II is not my intention, at this late period
of the day, to deiain the Senate with an extended har
angue. Il is unnecessary that should do 20. The
introduced by the honorable senator from Ar
kansas Mr. BoRLAND] has been already sufficiently de-
Iended BY Others but as shall sustain il in part upon
ground not yet very precisely stated will detan the
Senate long enough only to allow Of its presentation II
part Of my purpose sir to enter into the field Of dis
russon already completely occupied by the honorable
senator from Connecticut, IMr. SMITH.l This is sub
Jet which, all IFS various bearings, do not doubt the
honorable senator from Connecticut has thoroughly
mastered than any member OF this body. Upon mere
question OF official emolumsnt-a question OF the compar
tive profits Of another scheme Of driving pecunia
" bargains with those whose employment may be de-
handed by the public sxgenciesT cannot doubt that the
whole Senate would willingly defer to the superior judy
nent and OF the honorable senator from Connecticut
beg leave suggest though that the honorable senator
ipen this occasion has fallen into the use OF terms which
are not very highly calculated to add to the dignity Of
his body or TO elevate the seesteen OF his associates
lee He speaks OF avisg-taks about making sharp
contracts with persons whom employ 10 do the public
printing. &c. Now, sir though do not doubt that we
sometimes entered into contracts with gentlemen TO
execute printing for which turned 10 be Improbable
Ind deeply injurious to individual contractors. yet
10 not know any instance in which this body could be
Justly charged either OF sharing sharpness; nor
10 believe that will arise in which this
august legislative council will refuse to lberate those
who enter into contracts which result In serious pecu