Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-04-05

had voted for Taylor ana WHO "A1 ' NN- "0
vacant by resignationf
,,.ho,,,e and Ioup- drawn-out articl" ON the "Publlc Printer
II. rrofcsses 10 rive fairly and fully "thc history OF lesisla-
no. ,c,onn on this subject, adding, sin what shall say |
shall nothing ex;enuatc nor sci down ausht in malice;
vet. twill it be belicvedD, this iair-spoKen historian unery
s,ppresses The truth in "hi.tory," that Thomas fitchie IN
,s,4 g = y.morcd from office BY an arrogant Wing majority,
..c;Jor,a,lv obtained under the influence Of the famous
ap,nic, In announcing that result, the National lnteiii-
penccr proclaimed it to be ! political act. II said:
"As the election turned on political grounds, We mention II
as II political occurrence, indicating lc suehs'h VI Pa'"sS
in The General Assembly
In the debate on the same occasion Vincent Witcher' then
rs now n wlicel-horsc of Virginia Whiggery, "contended that
the charge OF prescription did not apply to this election "'
printer. Ii only applied where 4 person was turned o"' Oh
Office by an opposite party. But mere the law "ou'u 'u'h
oui the present incumbent on the first ot January next
Every citizen had n right TO be a candidate, and surely every
member of the Assembly had a right to vote Tor "hom lie
pleased. without being obnoxious 10 the charge oil pFoscrip-
ton. Indeed, prescription was Impossible III the case it II
was an election to al Office expiring annually, anu NOT ~
one held at pleasure. II had often been a question WIN NM
whether il was wise for Virginia TO put oul vi her hahaS Tie
CORY little patronage which she now held by the Constitu-
lion" dc.
# that was good whis doctrine hen, why do We hear such
ClaluDrUNS Dul tWVUItH living ~ ~ ''6
the 'proscription'' Of Mcssrs. Heathand Lawson, WHO'LL "s
Lalr turned out on the lst JanuaryF
This glaring ard willul suppression OF an important truth
is suoieien, in itself 10 stamp the whole ctiusion Of sidney
viii, discrcdit. Ihonas Richie was turned out BY The
| Wbins in 1891. The next Spring, and the next, and the neat;
the Democrats reclaimed their minority; and he was reelected
printer in 1885, 1896, and 1887. The day after his last tle'-
ton. he announced that, having been fully "Set night" by the
representatives Of the people, he should not BE- Il candidate
again, and voluntarily resigned. So much ior a transaclioh
which Sidney has so strongly mutilated.
The immaculate Sidney next comes TO our humble selves,
complains OF the prescription of Mr.. Shepherds "%pariner,
the honest, hard working John Colin" aud adds:
al the Fauquier Springs, the duties of Public Printer were
distinctly defned-ihc salary fixed and augmented, ana, ny
an admirable manruvre, the printing Of the new revised Lode
was thrown into his hands.
Here are other grossly wanton Eisstatenlents. lhc com.
nensalion of the Public Printer was not augmented MI
that was done was 10 consolidate with the former salary The
printing previously paid Tor rs extra. The amount .. 'i'
extra work vas estimated by two printers, Zone OF them
.lioncs,, hard working John Colin whom we fully aa'nl'
Ia him 10 bcl--this estimate was accepted by the committee
and, together with the amount for hal:-binding the laws "
new itenJ went to make up the compensation oil the fu"hs
Printer. His compensation, therefore, was not augmented
a dolLlr-bu, remained exactly the same rs before, though
the payments were different. And this Sidney" knew, or
ought " UdNU hHoNH,D eloi hN AilS" -
against honorable mon, and actually %repudiated the act OF Mr.
Colin, for whom he prgtesses 50 much devotion.
But Sidney" follows up his game of perversion still ano-
Their step. He says that, in further prosecution Of the De-
mocratic Job 10 enrich Il political iavori,e and partizan,
Mr. Ferguson last session proposed a resolution tint AL
printing whatsoever paid for irom the treasury should be
done by the public printer. This %impudent proposition
would doubtless have been carried but for Mr. Eliysons
circullr which scattered il 10 the winds. The cool eii'ohtery
with which the treasury has been ~icspoilcd. even by the
peoples representatives, present. a melancholy page IN our
history
This infamous charge makes 4 short explanation on our
parr necessary. ], has been usual for the Public Printer 10
pint Llanks for the Commissioners Of the Reycnue-but, Il
short time before The meeting OF the Legislature, We ascer-
,oineJ thai. contrary 10 practice, the First Auditor had given the
forms 10 another printer, the same Wing partner tor Mr..
Heath informed us that wc could get them OF Mr.. Coln) Sat
isied thai this was public work anl that the present Printer
was entitled 10 it, as all previous Printers had been entitled
10 and received il, We determined 10 defend our rights when
had been assaulted I'VE shall not say, from party considesa'
lions. leaving the reader 10 make his own coinments.) 4
friend called on the Attorney General, with a copy OF the re-
solution authorizing the Auditor to supply the Commissioners
with blanks, and asked his construction oft. His reply was
verbal but substantially rs follows: "Thnt those blanks and
MI printing publ for out Of the Treasury was public work,
and should be done BY the Public Printer, who was elected
for that purpose ana had gireH bond and security for The
faithful performance Of his duties, no matter whether all or
any portion Of the money, SO paid, was ever refunded u the
Treasury las in case Of printed records Of Court OF Appeals or
not Afterwards, Mr.. Baxter, We learned, gaycto Mr.. Heath
y written opinion OH the subject of the blanks but, though
repeated applications Were made for il, we could not obtain
a copy Of it. Certain il is, however, Mr.. Heath gave up the
point that the "blanks were not public work"-and We went
on to have them printed and distributed among the commits
sioners.
Had the infringement of our rights not been attempted,
We should have made no movement in the matter but, see
ing the obstacles thrown in our path, and fortified by the
opinion of the Attorney General, We determined 10 submit
the whole matter 10 the Legislature. and ask them 10 say
what the law was. We desired TO act up 10 ana under the
law. Hence the mucllabusci resolution Of Mr. Ferguson.
"Sidney' is utterly wrong in saying that II was MI. ELY
sons circular which defeated the movement. II was lalaon
the table, with our own consent, 10 be taken up for amend
nrnt. We did not desire il called up again, until We could
have The teriuea opinion of the Attorney General on the sub
lect. Several notes were addressed TO him for such opinion
but i, was delayed until after Mr. Ferguson and many
other members had lef, the city. Being just on the eve OF
the adjournment, We did not feel justified in pressing the
natter on a LEGISLATURE, overwhelmed with public business.
We have not, however, abandoned the subject, and whether
the next Legislature be Wing or Democratic, We trust that
Il rU settle the dr, and not leave 10 the discretion ot 9th
cials the privilege Of constituting the law as they think pro-
per. II is proper IL state, that Mr.. Bakers written opinion
reyers,s his verbal opinion but it is apparent from the face
nl i, that h. could not have examined the law fully. lie
bases his opinion Oh The law of 1919 exclusively forgetting
the fact that that law said nothing about the Commissioners
blanks, which were not provided for until lei4-nor can 1t
refer the printing Of the Courtof Appeals Records, or Graf
tnn's Reports, which were ordered 10 be printed only in
l5i2.
So much for Mr.. Ferguson's resolution. We submit il, 10
a candid public, whether, will the iacti in view that the Pub
lie Printer had regularly printed Grattan's Reports, and that
Tic nw officer OF the Commonwealth had declared that all
priniin. paid for out Of the Treasury should be done by the
Public Printer, who gives bond and security whether, wer II
peat, we were not fully justified in appealing 10 the Legislature
10 say what the law was and whether Sidney has not dis
graced his nom de plume by putting forth so monstrous n
Misrepresentation. In this whole matter Of the public print
ing, our conscience tells US, we have acted according 10 lew
and with fairness and liberulity. We have sought 10 injure
no man-we turned out no man, but were elected to fill d
vacancy made BY resignation. II is not our fault, that 'the
partner of Mr.. Shepherd does not now occupy the same po-
sition as under the late Public Printer. He cannot complain
of us. We have certainly been as well disposed towards him,
as those loudly protesting friends, who lug him into the pa