The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-04-26

contract; bat it goes and pays them this sam and ior
.ali work mol Vel delivered aud paid for they are 20
receive the same compensation shall be awarded 70
lie contractors who shall i Tor the remainder o.
the session Why they have been paid ior none o.
ye They would make not less than $4,000 Dy he ope,
aion OF this single amendment and what are we called
upon give tito them Tor Because they have kep us 9ul
oil information necessary Tor correct and proper isgs,a-
ton lam in favor oil the amendment OF the senator
evidence 81 proof oi misconduct We have got 1t all
around as The Senate is fulloiil and u 10 increasing
M, F00IF II seems 10 me that / have been more
or less misunderstood by my friend from Alabama, MIR.
CLrnEss,l with whom am always so much pleased TO
agree He appears to suppose that have male some
adnission which should induce 10 vote against .he
amendment OF the senator from Arkansas, Mr. Bon
LAsD,] nasmuch as ! have declared my Difference for
the Judgment OF the committee OF which the senator from
Arkansas Is charman and As that committee have re-.
ported amendment very different as be contends from
the amendment now urged upon our consideration by
their chairman. Well, SIR tbs true that treated The
amendment OF the honorable chairman the amend
ment OF the committee; and my friend from Alabama
will find, upon proper examination, that was subsan-
TALLY accurate IN this respect, since those two amend
ens are, all material respects, similar, and only di-
fer as understand, in regard TO a. single unlmpoanl
point, which relates TO the mode Of carrying the
amendment into effect, II it shall be adopted All
under discussion applies with equal force TO that re-
ported from the committee; and am almost entirely IN
different whether one the other Of them shall be adopt
tl.
were designed chiefly and almost exclusively IN opposilon
10 the amendment oil the senator from Wisconsin; and
must say that these remarks remain yet wholly unan.
swered Let say here, have before said, that
do not pretend 10 understand all the facts OF this case
have been endeavoring TO ascertain them but have
so far been rather unsuccessful What desire 10 an
opportunity Of carefully looking into this rather complex
affair in all its various bearings and finally to act with
discretion with equity to all concerned and IN such man
ner as to secure the great public interests involved am
not vet prepared TO act defnityey but hope TO be so
h.fa he intel PROGRESS
shall have drawn TO close. II may be that shall
finally agree with the honorable senator from Alahama
or II may be that shall differ from him. One thing is
certain have no such knowledge Of facts at present as
will enable TO vote for the amendment OF the honor
able senator from Wisconsin, which, as understand IT.
proposes to adudicate without due scrutiny ana consld
Grafton delicate and important question, involving nm,
poant pecunay interests and more or less OF individual
character. not prepared 10 condemn the contractors
alluded TO- without first ascerainng Their ACTUAL den
auences any such shall turn out TO be justly chargeabie
10 them Let us be certain that have some crime 10
punish. before we enter upon the task OF punishment
Mr.. BORLAND. rise, sir, TO make a lew remarks 10
explanation OF the report of the committee and my own
amendment There to have been mlsrelnesent
alton the real case presented 10 The Senate by the
repor, OF the committee stated in the beginning, SIR
that the committee had in view, III making their report
the same thing which had in view, In offering my
amendment. They were mainly governed by this single
act that under the present the public print
ing could be executed ia the Time IN which we wanted
IL and in which would alone be useful. The Committee
on Printing, order TO satisfy themselves perfectly and
so that there would be no doubt IN regard 70 the FACT
appointed subcommittee who asceTalned, from actual
inquiry and examination. that under the present arrange
ment ii impossible that the printing could be execu
led desired to be executed, and for this reason
that the amount ordered By Congress much larger
than il had ever been before. much larger than any
one had anticipated, than any preparation had been
made for BY any Office whatever, that 1t was impossible
for any printing establishment in the city to do the work
Thai was the main cause Of the difficulty The commit
did not ascertain and can for the COMMITTEES that
they did believe that al that time the contract had been
violated that is in the proper sense OF the word VIOLA
ted" They had failed comply with IL but under circum-
which made failure inevitable They ascertaned
the fact that, under the present arrangement the work
could not be dove The next step they had to take was
TO ascertain how il could be done, and what sort OF
arrangement could be made to enable 1t TO be done
Upon inquiry, asceraiDed that in Office in this
city could il be dose Il would require the two most ex
offices in the city, at least, TO do the work That
fact we asceI mined. II is the testimony OF the
most experienced publishers in this cyhe Oldest, the
most experienced and the most reiablehat il could not
be done by any establishment. Ii would require two
establishments and then only could be done by them
IN concert II would be necessary Thar they should be
connected and act as Office, 10 do the whole amount
OF work IN the given lime and the proper These
facts being asceraned The course of the committee
10 propose the resolution which has been read eav
ing j TO the Secretary Of the Senate and the Clerk Of
printers to do the work at fixed rate that is, at price
which could be ascertaned by deduc,ing 20 per cent
from the rsies given by the act OF 1919.
differed from The committee in detail that is, differ
81 with them TO The proper OF employing the
PRIMERS They proposed to have il done by the officers
OF the Senate and the House. My proposition differs
iron that OF The committee in this Il provides that Con-
pess shall appoint these individuals al the same rate oil
compensation that the committee fixed II differs 10
the manner OF employing the printers The committee
proposed that the Secretary Of the Senate and the Clerk
Of the House Of Representatives shoad appoint them
while proposed that Congress should appoint them. My
opposition differs, Also IRON that OF the committee in
another respect, though II hardly be said to differ
from so much as to 80 further than the resolution OF
The committee: provides that the contracts ex-
rnqushment OF all claims for damages and all penalties
Tor violating the bond The committee did not object TO
tai but did not deem II necessary TO include the
resolution supposng that IL would follow matter OF
course, or would be subject for subsequent action.
They did not deem II necessary 10 mbody II in the
ao2osliion at this time. deemed II best TO settle the
whole question at and therefore added II 10 my
poposllion and II makes mine little oomprehen-
ave, but not different in that respect.
Any proposition, sir, thai looks TO the continuance oil
The contract system OF printing. think 10 be radically
wong have considered this matter very carefully and
very thoroughly and with experience IN the bus
ness Of prnng-wmch experience has been confirmed By
my observation OF the working OF the contract system
during The present session OF Congress and during the last
Iongfess-l bad come 10 the conclusion. that, unde
me contract system You will always have dtficulnes
similar TO these will not trouble the Senate with going
INTO The reasons Tor this conclusion II would be ted
oas process bring forward all the facts which have had
bearing upon H. do not deem Il necessary 10 trouble
NE Senate with them. and therefore ! shall not do IL
NY epnion is-and il may 20 for what IL is wortb-lhs
order TO have the public printing done in proper man.
net ana al proper time, is necessary that competent
menmen who have the at their command and the
Ieqalaie professional skshall be employed BY Con
tess 2 DO the work at fixed rate. That idea il i'm
ued "a The resolution OF the committee and in my own
VIZ aSceffained bv 1nirv rfIcof rnos