Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-10-01
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CLOSING PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS.

CLOSING PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS.
The two Houses seem to have worked with a
will Saturday and Saturday night protracting
their sessions until four o'clock in the morning.
1t is curious to see how comparatively wanting in
general Importance was the subject which mainly
occupied their deliberations. This was the ques-
ton, whether Mr.. Richie, of the Union, should
be remunerated for the losses he has suffered by
his contract to do the public printing. The fol-
lowing remarks of Mr.. Dickinson in the Senate.
after several Committees of Conference, will ex-
plain the difficulty which involved the two Hou-
SEES:
The original amendment of the Senate in regard to
the public printing that the should be
ndeauied Tor his losses, be proved before the Sec
rotary OF the Treasury, and should receive ten per
cent profit. The last Committee OF Conference but
one-and we made no report from it here because the
House did not agree to i-modihed this proposition so
that the public printer should be Undermined for his ac-
tua expenses and should receive pay for his personal
superintendent. The committee hoped the House
would agree to this proposition; but they refused to
agree to il. The committee also pro posed that the
manuscripts in the hands OF the printers should be de-
vered TO the secretary OF the Senate and Clerk othe
House who should have them printed upon the terms
spectled 10 the resolution. The House also disagreed
to that. This throws US back original propo-
slton. 1t leaves us to insist upon recede from
original amendment, offered by the Senator from
louisiana Mt S2ule which gave the contractors for
the pnble printing indemnity against actual loss and
profit OF ten per cent. 1t Is Tor the Senate to decide
whether they will insist or recede from the amendment
For one, shall vote against receding
The substance of the report of the last COM
mittee we find thus given in the Intelligencer's
sketch:
The committee made report, in effect recommend
ing that the House concur in the amendments of the
Senate relating TO mileage of members and delegates
mat the House also concur IN the amendments OF the
Senate 10 relation to the appropriation for the Chief of
the Medical Bureau aud also in the amend
ment OF the Senate in reference to the printing with
amendment, viz: strike out all thereof, and insert
clause that upon full proof being exhibited to the Sc
cretary OF the Treasury of all and expenses actual
ly incurred, including the labor and and tear of
materials the said Secretary shall remunerate the
tractors.
This report was rejected by the House by the
decided vote oc IS to 90; and, finally, the Senate
receded from its original amendment yeas 81. NAYS
Is; thus striking out the allowance to Mr.. Rit-
chic, and passing, Cor leaving to be engrossed,)
the Civil and Diplomatic bill.
The opposition of the House to this argess
was uncompromsing, The ultra Democrats of
the North and South seemed to take delight in
Furnishing the venerable editor for his course on
the slavery question, whilst the body of the Wings
thought he had just claim to the clemency oil
Congress. 1t was ascertained, we understand
by evidence taken before the House Committee
that Mr. Richie made no secret of his having ia
ken the contract atrunous rates IN order to break
qtp the contract system. As the House had delibe-
rately adopted that system, it was too much for
him to expectit to relieve him from pecuniary loss
incurred by thwarting its purposes. Yet, we con-
fess, should have been strongly inclined to jor
issue with the coalition of ultras, who united tc
punish the advocate of the great measures which
they had opposed with so much harmony
The Intelligencer refers to the most important
proceedings ofSaturday as follows:
The night of Saturday being the last on which any
bill could pass Congress, to be in state to be
presented to the President OF the United States for his
appreciation, both Houses sat late, trial of physical
strength on contest between them on disagreeng
votes upon one two amendments to the Civil and
Diplomatic Appropriation bill; contest which did not
terminate until four O'Clock in the morning OF the Sab
bath, when absolute exhaustion, rather than conviction
obliged each House to recede STEP and so to suffer
the bill to pass The passage OF that bill was IL
effect the GROWING act OF the session; containing as
does besides the ordinary appropriations for carrying
the Government important legislative enactments,
such the rules prevented from coming up within the
session in the form OF distinct bills We cannot pre-
tend to particularze them, except for the
satisfaction OF Washington readers, to state that the
clause for extending the Capitol buildngsone of the
questions on which the two HOSES at first disagreed
forms part OF the bill as it has passed, the amount
appropriation only being reduced from two hundred
thousand dollars TO one hundred thousand.
Late the evening the bill, which had previ-
ousy passed the Senate, granting land bountes SOL
ders of former wars, received the sanction ofhe House
OF Representatives, and may be considered as law
This bill, of which copy will be found in another
part othis paper, may be regarded, from the amount
the public lands which disposes Of of the
most important acts of the session.
Of those measures which appeared to US imperative
ly TO demand legislative inteposition, but which have
failed to receive it, the great subject of the depress-
ed condition OF the Manufactures of the country-hat
OF iron especiaIy-requiring modification OF the Ia
riff; and the River and Harbor bill, the passage OF
which due to the great interests and wants of the
West, hitherto sufficiently regarded and respected
by the General Government This last bill, have
no doubt would have commanded majorities in both
Houses OF Congress- could it have been reached in time
TO pass upon 1t.
Besides the bills here mentioned, we are
pleased to find that the other Appropriation bills,
beside the Civil and Diplomatic, were got through
the two Houses. Nothing whatever, it seems,
was done for private claims.