The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-09-20
AFFAIRS IN WASHING TON.
Our Washington Core spondence.

WASHINGTON, sept 10, 1850.
The Pubic Printing-The Logroliing of the Or
gdns.
The organ Of the administration, or Of the party
majority in either branch OF Congress, from time
immemorial, has reaped rich harvest from the
public printing. The fortunes made out of the gold
Placers Of California fabulous they seem to be,
Iuay lind parallel in the vast sums realized by the
printers to Congress- Six or seven years of the pub
lie printin at the offrom s25 900 to 600 pro-
III per annum, will run up handsome capital in
the aggre gate And yet, although not less, per-
haps, than million Of dollars in the aggregate,
have been paid from time to time to Messrs. Gales
a. Seaton for the public printing, they, of all the
public printers en- the old party system, have failed
TO get rich. Why Because of their hberality
with their money, and because the N1ftondi In
teii,Reacer with 2O,oGO subscribers, has not paid
expenses. They have, at this time, sum proba-
bly, exceeding 100000 of outstanding subscrip-
tions-a practical Illustration OF the superiority of
the penny system over The cash principle. So
pensive, indeed, is this old credit system for daily
Iewspaper in Washington, that even the govern
ment advertising and thepay by the Senate of 81 80
per column for their interIninaDe debates, do not
make the hteHigence, we venture to say, pay
expenses What is the RESULT Each party must
have a daily organ al Washington. Subscriptions
and government advertising won't pay, of course;
the organs must have the pabulum of the print
ing Of Congress, add that has been of pro-
tic equal to The richest gold diggings Of the Sacra
IneDto.
A few years ago Congress was seized with sud-
den Int OF economy Their printing was given out
by contract. Such was the competition that the
contractors took the work at less than cost, and
the result IS that IN every point of view, the work
Of the last Congress was The very worst that has
ever been executed tor the government; and yet
the contractors lost money
FAt the last session Mr.. Richie contrived to get
the principal portion OF the printing by contract,
but al less than the cost Of composition and press
work. But he has depended upon decentralization,
that having been the practice of Congress hereto
lore.
And now what is the scheme! A combination
among he three organs for the work. on the old
plan Of tlechng printer or printers, at the old
prices Of 80 per cent below the law of lS9-that is
10 say, OF about $50 per cent above the price at
which Mr. Richie has been doing the work by
contract.
AT this standard, we presume, if the Union gets
the House, the IattAigencG the Senate and the
RepWbiic The Departments, all hands will be salts
hed, and The three organs will get along swim.
mlDgy The work will no doubt be promptly and
well executed; but The expense 10 the government
will probably reach $500 900 year above what
would be actually reqeired under well regulated
national printing office, for the execution of all the
public work in Washington.
But by the proceedings Of the House oday, you
VIII dtiect combination al work 10 revive the old
system OF a bonus or bounty To the party organs
apayilent out Of the Treasury Tor the Manufacture
Of pubic opinion.
We propose an exhibit of facts and figures on
this subject in few days, going TO show the abso-
Lutte necessity Of thorough reform in the public
printing, 10y the establishment OF n national printing
Office, az separate government bureau, indrpen-
dent OF the party press, the party organs and the
accidental party majorifies of either house.
WASHINGTON, Sept II, 1850
Rebpke Of Ewing fer AEor,ng the Bdrron Pension
Ci0iU-Acti0n If The House on the Subjcct-Ho
r US Hung Together m eating Money out
Of The Goponment-Ssnatc's Wwk-Hou,e's
W@k-Lieads Of Bureaus TO be Discharged.
The House, yesterday, in a very emphatic man.
ner put the seal of its condemnation upon the act
OF the late Secretary of the Interior, Mr. Thomas
Ewing, in re-opening aud paying, upon new
principle, for second time. the Barron pension
claim. 1t also stamped its condemnation upon the
law arguments of whole lis, Of distinguished
+. F. VS., in favor Of the payment of the Barren
claim uIon the commutation principle of i've years
tuil pay and interest. The law which was passed
10y the House yesterday. on this subject, reads as
follows
iE 9ct "a Relation 10 hs Claim Of Jrgnia Offers for
BE IL enacted, &c, &e That the proper officers of
this government In aeiudicstnz claims for half pay
of the ocers of the State of Virginia under the thri
section Of the act entitled "A act to provide for igu
dating and paying certain claims Of the State Of tr-
ginia approved the 9Th OF July 1882 shall 10 no case
allow semmuiation or Communication aud interest in
lieu Of haif pay.
Mr. Bayly and Mr. Afillson, of virginia, and
come others worked very earnestly To defeat this
bl'l, but they could not do H. IL was passed by a
" "
also, II wall be a complete esopper TO the paymen,
oi any more Barron pension CLAIMS, upon the COM /
mutation principle When this claim for half pay /
was inst settled and paid, Il only amounted To \
some sl,5OO. Under the fostering care OF Mr.. /
living ard IT'S pet agents, the claim swelled 20 the
sum OF $4,000, ana was then paid.
IL is curious 10 observe how the Nirginians and
sane Others, no matter what their politics, are
ready and anxious to Justify the allowance of this
Bsuon pension claim. They are clanush, aud go
70, their kind. An incident will show how these
- n New
Eg,seAt, under the signature OF "A. Is. c." first
broke n,'wn upon the whole series Of allowances
Of the late Galphin cabinet the paragraph in his
communication relating 10 this famous Barron pen
sion clam was carefully exruuged by the editors
of the EygCss. and ~ the rest published. simply
because, the writer Afterwards learned, one OF
Barron family
Upon the same ground the yirainians are always
ready 20 defend the pay ment ot any sort of claims
paid BY The general government to Ntrginians! I
llertt The suay ct great e., "F. T. VS." in I
lnion's whitcwash,lr report from the minority Of .
ihr Richardson investigating Committee
Tbe Senate spent much time to-day on the Ore /
Yea Land bill, which Wa ordere 10 be engrOssed,
aud read third time. ID provides tor the appoint.
msHt ofa Surveyor Gsnena., for the surveying OF
The lands, sEd for the gfan',Hs Of bounty lands TO
seftl,rs
Next the amendmens Of the House 10 the Ark.
su.as swamp Land Bill VS. taken 40 Tor consider
elton cad discussion. lyon these amendments
StnatCrs we're ma KING ~, cches 40 O'Clock, i. NJ.
The House took ~ balls from the Senate. and
Tssscd savsfsl If them OF no great public import
sEce TIE bal surprising the slave traffic in the
District II Columbia from and after the 1T Of jan
uary lsal, was passed just a. d had come from the
senate. ~ a vote Cf ~ 90 a..
1hs goat illnois and Alabama Rsil Road BILL
NCm ne senate, was PVT upon 10 So ge. The
yeas end uJN- wtte ordered and taken, and they
stood. yeas lOl, rsysU Sothe ball passed Itis
grbEd scheme n grsuis lands To uHnois. Mis-
sissiWi and Aith4ms, aud the RAILROAD IS to rua
from Chicago to Mobile
Aiis. ,hi. The Hou.e adjourned. The miaoi,
n.smh, o. of both hou,ts are % hilh gls-.
Itis currently rumofei that tnss r. Heath, Of
biChurrf, Va o. To- sICcr,d Nr. Ssli-u ~ Urea.
tufsr Di he lrIt,d States. on The Let 81 October,
aud hat Nsth7n Sargent, now Recorder oi the
Gtrer' Lard tiTce istu succeed Major Edwards