The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-10-17

But, sir, the loss in this case is greatly n,agni
fed MIR. Richie understands the philosophy o.
taking care Of himself as well as most men, and
whilst should regret the serious loss his friends
anticipate, ! shall show that he has made some
profit on some branches Of the contract, which viii
I go great way to supply what has been lost on
other branches. For printing ten thousand copies
OF the opinions of the Judges of the Supreme
Court in the case Of the City Council Of Boston
Norris, making pamphlet or volume of l8l
pages, he has actually received SO, 500. But this
payment has been made, AS ! believe, under a
most extraordinary and illegal construction OF the
contract The actual value of the work is, per-
haps, not more than 81 900, and a proper con-
structon of the contract, in my Judgment would
not have given him more than that sum.
! In addition to this, Mr.. Richie realizes some
five or six thousand dollars clear profit on binding
congressional documents. Soon after the begin
ming OF the present session a resolution passed
ordering all heavy documents to be bound The
Joint Committee on Printing gave the contract to
Trenholm, Mr.. Ritchie's foreman, and doubtless
for Mr.. r. Is benefit, at twelve and half cents
per volume. The contract has been relet by him
at net profit of 10 per cent, which is 1850 for
every 100000 documents. The number ordered
will probably amount to 100000 volumes this
gives to Mr.. R., without trouble, and with very
little responsibility, profit of $4,000.
The gentleman from Illinois, [Mr. McCLER-
NAND, with some emphasis, boasts that II has not
been pretended that the present contractors have
its terms. Well, sir, l take issue with him upon
that point, and charge that the contractors have
signally failed to execute the work according to
their stipulations do not mean to- be understood
as including Mr.. Towers he has executed faith
fully his contract, and has not sent in petition to
be relieved from its terms, or to be allowed a
greater compensation than he stipulated to do the
| cork in his class for.
When the Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of
the House of Representative advertised for pro-
= = -. Al
Congress, they exhibited to the bidders sample
of paper which they announced as the standard for
paper for all the work. BY comparing the sample
with the paper used by the present contractors, for
the greater part Of the documents, it will befound
| that the latter is greatly inferior to the sample.
The regular number are printed on good paper,
which are about twenty-six hundred copies of
each document, including those placed on the tables
Of members, but all "erira' numbers which en-
brace the documents we send home TO consiit,l-
ents constituting the great bulk Of the contract,
are printed on paper of an inferior qualify. If the
contractors 60 on and execute all the work now
ordered and to be ordered by this Congress, and
continue to print all the extra copies they have
heretofore done, on paper of inferior quality they
Will save some twenty thousand dollars, which
would not be saved if the contract was executed
according to its 'stipulations. 1t is urged as an
excuse for this departure from the contract, that it
has been the custom heretofore to print all extra
numbers on inferior paper. 1t Is of but little con-
sequence what custom prevailed previous to the
| establishment of the contract system in 1896 The
reply conclusive against the plea of custom is this
| The written contract requires that all the paper to
be used shall weigh hirty-eigh pounds per ream !;
and the paper used for all the ertra copies weighs
but thirty-two pounds the former is worth $4,75
per ream and the latter 50 80 per ream. The con-
tractors pocket by their noncompliance with the
written stipulatons 81 AS per ream on every ream
thus improperly used, which, when aggregated will
fall but little if any short Of twenty thousand dol
lars. Is this faithful compliance with the terms
Of the contract iii is not, thenI have sustained
myselfn the issue made with my friend from Hi
nois, Mr.. MCCLERNAND.
There is another feature, which shall not pass
by in silence. The public printing has not been
urged forward with sufficient industry and energy.
The first part of the Patent Office report for l649,
is still in the printers hands. We have not been
as to the second part of the report, for 1S49,
it is doubtful whether it has been commenced. |
will not charge the contractors now with delaying
the work for the purpose Of forcing Congress to
pay better prices, but it is apparent to all that the
printing is far behind what it should be. If the
contractors had increased the number Of their
workmen, and run their presses night and day, as
other printers have heretofore done when the ext
gency required it., we should have had much less
reason to complain Of the harrassing delays with
which we have been so seriously afflicted at the
present session.
To conclude, then, the contractors have no legal
or equitable claim to be relieved from a con: ract
: which they have voluntarily made, with full
knowledge of all the facts at the time of entering
into it. IF the House determines to relieve them
by annulIing the contract their liberality should
stop there. If it is determined to pay them actual
cost for all their work and materials, it will be
making free use of the money Of our constit-
uents; but if it should be determined to refund all
losses and then pay ten per cent. net profit on the
whole investment, it will be culpable and mex
cusable proAigacy