The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-18

striking, and The difference to the public Urea
sury- VIII also be remarkable.
Mr.. Speaker, will not weary the House by
dwelling longer upon this question, since ana
not at liberty TO enter upon the subject gener-
ally The time will come shortly when can
speak II il more at large, and shall then avail
myself Of the opportunity To ADDRESS such re-
marks 10 the ear of the House as shall seem
proper to the conclusions which may form on
the facts elected by the committees. ! have
heard great deal during this session about the
improper appropriation OF the public money, and
hope the Representatives OF the people will
not follow bad examples, or set bad precedents
for Others TO pursue hereafter have no desire
to do injustice to any party concerned in these
printing contracts have no desire to Cypress
any one, and il shall be my care to do justice in
any conclusions to which may arrive. But let
lis not be precipitate, and let US not, through
sympathy for alleged distress, abandon one sys-
tenn and adopt another, without that deliberate
consideration of the subject which Is demanded
by its real importance. Let us see what tins
contractor Will lose, in fact, by completing his
contract and let Us see under what circumstances
he became contractor whether he designed to
perform the work when he incurred the oblga-
tons Of his bond whether, il he gives up The
contract, another and a competent printer will
not undertake it for a slightly enhanced price ;
or whether it is but to divide it among the party
presses of this city, so as to sustain the proprle
tors at the expense of the great body OF the
American people. | renew my motion to refer
Al. -. MT
ing.
During the remarks of Mr.. MARSHALL,
Mr.. ASIIMUN rose and asked him to yield
the floor for moment, for the purpose OF ex-
PLANTATION
Mr.. MARSHALL yielded the floor.
Mr. ASHMUN desired to suggest, in relation
to the inquiry made by the gentleman from Vir-
GINA, Mr.. PARKER, that in the early proceed
ings of the committee, Mr.. Richie appeared and
claimed to be present by himself or his attorney,
at all the hearings Of the committee, and to
cross-exanine all the witnesses upon all the
subjects before them. The committee, mas
much as nine-tenths of the subjects before them
were generally matters not affecting Mr.. Richie,
decided that his request should not be granted,
but that whenever any matters affecting him per-
sonaly should come np, then he would be en-
titled to be present; and that upon request,
there would be no objection. When the testi-
mony was completed, the fact was cOmmunicat-
ed to Mr.. Richie, and every opportunity was
given to him to examine it and be present by
himself or any other person. and partner OF
his was present and availed himself of the OPP
portunty to cross-examne and to produce testi-
mony.
Mr.. PARKER. Does the gentleman from
Massachusetts Mr.. AsHMUN assert that when
the testimony was to be taken in chief, it was
communicated to Mr.. Richie that he might come
in, hear the testimony, and cross-examine the
witnesses!
Mr.. ASHMUN repeated the substance of his
previous statement
Mr. PARKER said that here was an exami-
nation which had been proceeding for three or
four months, and the party interested, although
not technically the contractor, yet known to
every member Of the committee to be party
interested, was not permitted, or understood
from the committee that he was excluded from
the investigation. He (Mr. P.) had been told
of witness living at Albany, who was examined
in chief; what his testimony was, was only
made known within ten days, and a request was
sent by Mr.. Richie that the witness might again
be summoned If such an answer had been
given as the gentleman from Massachusetts Mr..
AsnMuN] stated, it ought to have been satstae-
tory to Mr. Richie. All he desired was to pro-
tect himself from any indirect assault which
might be made upon him in relation to this con-
tract. He (Mr. P.) had no personal complaint
TO make All he had to say was, that consider
able time would most probably elapse in re-
butting the testimony in chief which had been
taken in this manner.
Mr. ORR said, he thought there was an evil
dent propriety in referring this report and reso-
lutions to the select committee on printing, for
if the House were to act upon it now, they must
act without that information which was neees
sary to do justice to the subject. He believed
that the select committee were in possession of
many facts that would serve to enlighten the
House. 1t was proper, therefore, that those
facts should be laid before the House, before it
proceeded to form Judgment on this important
subject. There was one fact which he would
mention, and which would show to the House
the necessity for the reference, which was, that
the contractors for the public printing during
the last Congress took their contract at sixty-siy
per cent. below the prices paid in 1919. The
Committee on Printing proposed to give to the
present contractors a rate of remuneration forty
five per cent less than the prices OF 1919. 1t is
true, continued Mr. o., that Messrs Werdall
g. Van Benthuysen lost some $4,000. But
had they received fifty four or forty-siy per cent
less than the prices of 1919, they would have
Incurred no loss whatever. And if the public
printing can be executed at that price, can see
no proprety whatever in the House paying the
amount now proposed by the Committee on
Printing, viz forty-ive per cent less than the
prices of 1919
Another thing: the Secretary of the Senate
and the Clerk OF the House of Representatives,
under the law regulating the printing, advertised
for proposals The proposal of Mr.. Belt was
only about $4,000 lower than the next lowest
bidder. 1t was taken at seventy, or perhaps
seventy-fve per cent. below the prices of 1919
The bids of the unsuccessful applicants were
about sixty five per cent below the price of 1919
Well, now, if you propose to relieve these con-
tractors, will you go below that amount, and
give them greater sum than the difference be-
tween the lowest bid and the next one to it
Another fact which ! propose to submit, is
that the first part of the Patent Office re-
port has already been stereotyped, and they are
now working off the copies rs fist as the press
can despatch them. 1t is a large volume of six
or seven hundred pages. If the contractors are
,llou,ad tho pricas of 1919 deductino fortv-liya