The southern press., 1851-12-31
The csasss printing.
In SESArE-Monday, Dec. 2.
SPECIAL ORDER or THE DAY.

ton OF the special order Of the day--belng th
. resolution submitted by Mr. BRIGHT in rela
ton TO printing the returns OF the seventh censu,
: Mr. SMITH. This is subject OF very con
siderable importance, which will involve an aI
preparation of several hundred thousand dollar,
and should be very sorry to have it brougb
under consideration and receive disposition a
our hands, when the Senate is as thin as it is a
the present time. ! have no disposition Il
throw any obstacle in the way of the consider
alton of this question but desire to take III
opinion of the Senate--of the entire body-upoI
this subject. There is very little more than
quorum now present; and il seems To me tina
the Senator from Indiana Mr. BRIGHTl will
upon reflection, agree with me that its consider
Grafton had better be postponed until after th,
holidays At an early day next week will b,
prepared to submit 10 the Senate such sugges
tons as conceive to be material to the subject
! move, therefore, that it be postponed to Mon
day next and ! will say to my honorabl,
friend from Indiana, that will then be pre-
pared to take it up and dispose OF il ut al
early day.
Mr. RIGHT 1t will be recolleeted that
thisj joint resolution has been the standing order
OF this body for the last ten days. ! refused to
call it up at the proper time, the honorable Sen
ator from Connecticut having alleged that he
would be ready upon the following day with his
amendment. There ia really necessity that il
should be promptly acted upon A part of the
returns provided for by this resolution are now
ready for delivery, and ought to be put into the
hands of the printer without delay | dislike to
press it if the Senator objects but see no
good reason for delaying the matter The pub.
lie contract for the printing Of this body does not
cover this class of printing. Wa have to dis
pose of it to other and different PERSONS. The
Joint resolution provides that the Committee on
Printing shall contract with the gentlemen
named in the resolution for this printing; and
those gentlemen are prepared to go right on with
The work at fair prices. can myself see no ob.
lection to the resoluion and hope il NAV be
the pleasure of the Senate to take it up and act
upon it.
Mr.. SMITH. have already said to the Sen.
ale that we have very little more than quorum
here-only some "a or 35 senators; and it is
exceedingly doubtful! whether there will be
quorum in the hall if we undertake TO 90 into
the discussion of this resolution have some
suggestions to make to the Senate, in opposition
to this proposition; and | hope to be able to
satisfy my honorable friend from Indiana, that
there very serious objections to the adoption
of this resolution. But am unwilling to ad-
dress myself to only about one-half of the Sen
ate. believe it is very unusual, Mr. President,
to take up questions OF this importance, nvolv
ing the expenditure of some three or four hun
dfed thousand dollars, if not half million, and
call upon little over one-half the Senate to
make disposition of it--a final disposition, 80
far as we are concerned wish to say nothing at
present, in regard to the character of the resolu
ton; but it is proposition to reverse what has
been the policy of the two HOUSES of Congress,
for the last five six years. Some three or four
years ago, we determined that the public printing
should be divorced from the political press in |
this city; and it is now proposed to re-establish
the connexion that formerly existed between
the public printing and the political press in this |
city. Ii it shall be the desire and purpose of
the Senate to re-establi,h this connexion in the
manner that is proposed-f that be the real
Judgment ard opinion of this lody-I, for one,
shall not complain, because have no objection
whatever, to the respectable and worthy gentle
men who are named in this resolution. But
wish the, opinion of the entire Senate upon this
subject; and am unwilling to be called upon
to address the Senate upon a subject of so much
importance, when there is barely quorum pres
ent there fore deem it to be my duty to per.
sist in tits motion, and | hope my honorable
friend will acquiesce | certainly do not desire
any delay upon this subject. | have come here
three or four mornings in succession prepared
to address the Senate upon this qnestion-with
not great deal of ammunition, however, and
| trust the gentlemen who constitute the major
lty, will be willing to postpone action upon this
question until the Senate shall consist Of some.
thing more than bare quorum.
Mr.. BRIGHT ! understand the honorable
Senator to have remarked that some four or five
years since this body proposed to divorce. or sen.
arate, the printing from the public press of this
city. The proposition was made and acted upon
and ask him and every other senator what has
been the result! The sequel has proved that
we have either not had the public printing done
at all, or il has been done in manner unfit to
put in cur archives. The object of this resou
ton Is to take this printing from under the con
tract system, and to have the work proposed to
be done-which is of IN important character
consisting of statistics, and which is to be refer
red TO IN all time TO come--under a different
system Done in the manner our printing is
pow done, and printed upon the same character
Of paper, it would be value'ats. This resolu.
ton is brought forward v ith reference TO giving
the work to responsible persons-to persons
who are now ready to commence with il. and
ready to execute it in such manner as the Com
mittee on Public Printing may require them 60
execute it. 1t is no appropriation for money.
The honorable gentleman says truly that il will
involve the expenditure Of thousands of dollars: ,
out it is to be expended under the direction of
,ur committee. one of whom is a gentleman :
perfectly acquainted with the subject II has
% be expended soon; and hence find an apol-
'gy for pressing the resolution now | did not
'ress t when the gentleman objected week q
'go. am very wiling for one, to hear him. J
md presume that the body would be willing :
o hear him proceed with his remarks at this , !,
ime.
Mr.. PRATT In my Judgment Mr.. Pres =
lent, we have not the information which we :
hould have to enable us to act upon this reso !.
ution. ! notice, sir, in the report of the Secre-
ary of the Interior, speaking upon this subject J
hat he says
With the view of enabling Congress to form d
just estimate Of the importance and varied char =
cter of the information derived from the late CEN
us, and of the admirable arrangement of the Ia q
'les, the supp &Dtendent has, with my sanction. n
aused the returns of Maryland to be printed for Il
he use ofthe members of the two houses That a
State selected, because, from its central no. ii
tion, and the character of its population, soil.
and industrial pursuits, its census !,