The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-03-09
CRY OF WAsHINGToN SATURDAY. MORNING. MARCH g. 1850

The information called for by this House and B,
the other The very moment the answer communi
Gated an order Tor the printing was made And what die
the Committee on Printing dot Acting in good faith, L
carry out the views In which the call made by the
two houses. and in which the order was made for the
printing, they communicated 10 the public printers and
what directions did they give him To print il forth
cih not TO let il lie and take its course in the usual
der OF first ordered to be first printed, il must havs
done without special order, Other documents were
land aside order 10 get the information called Tor before
The two houses, and TO enable the administration TO be
heard that il might be known what it had done The
order OF the printing was changed and the precedence
gwen to this very document Was that "shaneully anc
shabbily" withholding information from the public, when
had been called Tor Was not in good faith doing
all thar could be done to accomplish the very purpose,
OF the call, and to give the administration full and
fair opportunity to be heard; and not only 10 be
and information was asked, but upon everything
connected with lis conduct-everything connected with
the whole subject OF California-embraced in doc
umen larger than the Presidents annual message, with
OF the Committee Printing in the House said yester-
day, il the editors Of the Republic newspaper-and will
add il those who control the editors OF that paper-had
sought the truth earnestly they sought opportu-
nifty TO denounce the democratic party, and attribute
improper motives to those who wish to hold the admins
traton to Just accountability before the counry they
had sought truth much they sought an opportunity
TO find fault to complain, aud to do Injustice they would
have found that the two houses OF Congress and the
Committee on Printing have done their duty, have done
faithfully and have done it in way to rebuke the an
swer given TO the call; answer which. far from
attempting TO throw light upon the subject, attempts to
throw in upon such OF matter shall cover it
up, and prevent everybody from reading it when it shall
be printed an answer which not only defeats the object
OF the call in preventing the publication Of the docu
ment 10 time, but is so voumnous to prevent its being
read Where is the man who has the time 10 spare to
wade through thousand pages OF printed matter in order
to learn what could have been communicated in dosen
so that every could have read it and understood
After the occasion for which was desired shall have
passed away, this answer will come to great
Of dead and useless IS matter and heIeoy the
for what done Yet, sir the administration, through
It's recognised ogan has come before the public, and
charged the two houses of Congress- charged everybody
connected with the transaction Of the public business,
in connexion with this matter with corrupt motives,
with shameful and shabby" conduct They should have
it, that they themselves had clean consciences
and clean hands, before venurng before daring to charge
such Improperly upon Us. For one, | think fairly
represent the feelings and the purposes of the majorties
them to which belong, when say that they
to any conceament OF facts connected with the doings
Of the administration So far as know, every DISPOSE
on has been manifested on the part OF those maortes
to give the administration fair trial There is pur
pose Of factous opposon wish to throw obstacles in
The way Of their being fully heard For myself may
say that have been desrous tina. the facts in this par
ticular should go before the public at once, and
that precedence, in point of time, should be given
to them over other matters have voted for every
session II the desire OF the Committee on Print
lng-and appeal to the senator from Connecticut, tMr
SMITH who belongs also 70 that committee, to say
committeeit was their desire (and everything done
in good faith that could be done) to allow the admins
ea. delay or to be seen for what they are
and TO be judged by what they have done.
For the public printers. as to any delay which has oc
Cured in their office in the printing of this document,
do not know that am called upon to make any particu
lar defence They capable Of defending themselves
But must sayand am sure that every member OF the
committee, whether he belongs to the administration
party or to the opposition party as Is called will say
that under the present circumstances they have been
unable. and that the inevitable operation OF the system
which has been adopted BY Congress for the public PRINT
more expedition than has been attained. The docu.
ments already ordered to be printed very large, and
some work and il would be impossible at The rates which
Congress now pays for the performance OF this work. TO
perform it more speedily than has been done. But
printers @ as they are al able 10 defend themselves @ e
There is another point to which desire TO call the at
teniion OF the Senate Great complaint has been made
about the delay OF public printing not only in this partc
charged with neglect OF duty, understand. and the
public printers have been charged with it, II from
the executive quarter. Now, Mr.. President in view OF
causes OF delay have in my hand portion OF public
document now in the hands of the public printers and
partly executed. Il exhibits very strkingy one Of those
causes OF delay The fault lies, sir, not in either house
Of Congress, not with the Committee Printing, not
with the public printers, but with the executive depart
meni Of the government hold in ny hand some me
Secretary OF The Treasury the Fnances hnd IL,
sir, errors which require tme-days, perhaps weeksfor
their correction not errors committed by the public
printers but by the executive officers who prepared this
important document find that, in these dozen pages,
there many gross that committed IN the
department which prepared this document, before was
ever seen by the public printers. When these proofs
were struck oh and sent 10 the department. 1t seems to
have been found necessary on account OF these errors
and to make the thing ntelgibe, to make material al
teratons deductions and additions not account OF the
printers work, but account OF executive bunders
Delays occasioned time is consumed days-perhaps
weeks-occuped by executive officers in the correction OF
their errors, in the reracng their blundeng
steps, In this financial document, iraDspostion OF the
found necessary the OF long lines OF figures
the shortening in instances and the elongaton in
others, OF important statistical abes-was pactsed In
other instances whole pages have been altered, after
the printer had done his work according to the copy fur
nshed him, that the process known by printers over
running many sixty eighty pages was necessary
All this after the printer faithful TO his contract had
CURED the labor trouble expense OF making up his
bes, adjusting his columns, setting mp his types and
striking of his proof in exact conformity with the copy
he had received all this, because the executive officers
had bundefed mtheir work. and spoiled il by their
errors And yet sir, for the delay occasioned in part
at least BY of this kind and from this source
hear complaints from the friends OF the administration
not from the administration itself, that the public printing
is delayed II the term husger.mugger' rs applica-
bleto anything in this connexion think il is to such
departments | fofbear the use OF terms which would
justly characterize such conduct the part OF the admin
istration especially will refrain from using what
might be fair terms OF retaliation for the charge OF corrupt
motves which such administration has thought proper
TO make against the majores OF the two houses OF Con-