The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-15

eostssetos h used the hess psPsr, weighln,
thirty hbds to the rsAm, only in priotlni
) the regular nnmhss of each documant; the sxas,
} numb9rs, cenett fing three~lpurthx Of all, which
/ we send homa IN nur constituents, being printed
On much c69jear and inferior Quality Of papsr
/ weighing nutsnaofs than thirty-two pounds e
the ream T'hs excuse offered ", that It ha,
been customary heretofore to do tho same
} thing. Well. sir, the Board on Printing seem.
} to have been awace Of that fact, and took thu
most special psins to prevent its rccurrences--
} Mr.. Huxley, their secretary, says on oath, that
the only sample Of paper and printing shown
1 was the CoM Report Of Prof Johnson made
# the hrst lsssion Of the Twenty eighth Con
Greas, The sample at the last lettings {for the
Thirtieth C0ngress) was the same, and it was
attached to tho contract. But the board thought
the best way, in consequence Of the deviation
| by the last contractor (Wendeli,) for the new
lettings, was to specify the weight of the paper
and its quality, and the bidders were notified
that clause to this effect would be In the cop-
tract, and it was 90 inserted" And, Mr.. Speak
or, you will find that the contract requires all
the printing to be done on paper weighing thir-
ty-eight pounds to the rcain. Will any one re-
riously act up a custom 40 an excuse for vio-
lating contract, when the contract itself so ex-
plicitly and pnrposey negatives and repudiates
that custom! BY this departure from his con
tract, Mr.. Richie has saved 81 As per ream on
every ream used for the extra numbers which
aggregated, will make near $4,000
Wendell lost some $4,000 by his contract !;
and as these contractors have taken the work ut
less price, their loss is consequently said to DO
greater He says that the prices of 1919, de-
Quoting fifty per cent,would make him whole !;
Ana me n;, ss2a W ri sa Essul I, g :.
The had to pGlS Ia everything new before
commencing. Mr. Richie had the presses and
much of the type idle in the Union office, and
| would not lose, therefore, as much az Wendell
at the same prices.
| 1t is conceded upon all sides, that the con-
tractors knew when they bid that the prices We're
low, perhaps too low-the testimony taken be-
fore the committee proves that; the declarations
OF Trenholm show that the contracts were taken
for Mr. Ritchie's benefits He acknowledges
his interest as early as the 22d March, about one
month after the contracts were declared and
Mr.. Farnham, the paper dealer, testi6es TINT he
sells Mr.. Richie all the paper he has used for
the newspaper, and for Congressional printing !;
that he keeps but one account, and that is against
Mr.. Richie alone; that he is paid by Mr.
Kitchies draft; that the accounts for the news
paper and Congressional paper are not separated
or distinguished There can be but little
doubt that he was from the beginning the real
party interested in the BIDS allowing Tren-
holm perhaps some commission in lieu of wages
The reasons assigned for taking the contracts so
low, are as nulrerous as they are curious Tren-
holm said to my friend, the chairman of the
Committee on Printing MIR. McWMLIE,] thro
whom he was importuning Congress to relieve
him, that l." the only reason of his taking the
contract so low was, that he felt some pride in
having the public printing well executed, it hav-
ing been badly done before" How wonderfully
patriotic! He said TO X. WoopwARD, she
would not take $4,000 for the contract-he
expected Congress would relieve them"
And it you pass this BILL he may congratulate
himself on his foresight and judgment, for
think it doubtful if he would take twice that
sum then. 1t may be, sir, that personal rancor
aud hostility to John C. Rives will furnish some
reason for taking the contract so low. Mr..
Richie said to Senator HAMLIS, that Rives
should not do any of the work he has already
contract under the government of (which he
| is making money, and piH do the present
printing at any loss rather than he should have
it." Another reason assigned was, that it
was expected the present Congress would be
rogated and Mr. Richie would get the benefit
All these reasons have been assigned by Mr.
Richie or his friends for taking the contracts 80
low; and doubtless they had their weight with
the contractors in framing their BIDS but still a
prudent mind could hardly credit that such
heavy pecuniary responsibility would be incurr d
on such contingencies. The rue explanation
AS ! conceive, for the low bids, is deducbe
from the testimony of two of the witnesses ex-
amined before the select committee.
After the advertisement inviting proposals
for the printing of this Congress had been pub
ished, Messrs. Washington g. Finn, of this
city, determined to submit bid ; if successful,
it was their intention to establish another Demo-
cratic paper, and a gentleman Of character and
talents was written to for the purpose Of OBJ
tanning him editor Finn was practical
printer. but Washington was wholly inexpe-
rienced. They determined to associate with
them an experienced pressman, neither Of them
having any knowledge of that branch Of the
business. They consulted one Gordorcthc fore
man in the press-room of the Union Office, and
offered him an interest in the contract il it
was obtained, communicating to him fully their
purpose of establishing new paper He as
scented to the arrangement, ms F inn understood,
and actually furnished them data upon which
they might predicate a safe and profitable bid
The bid was framed according to Gordons sug
gestion, and handed to the secretary of the print
ing board. Gordon, in his evidence, denies that
he consented to become one Of the partners in
the firm, but acknowledges that Finn said IF
he got the printing he would force Richie to
sell the Union, or he would set up new office
over his head that he had good hackers in the
Senate / communicated all these facts to
Messrs, Richie g. Trenholm. ale had not seen
either Belts or Trenholm's bid before, but he
knows these bids ,cere changed in consequence Of
this Information, and that 10 secure The contracts
hey pere placed lo'oer han The bidders originally
designed"
When the bids were opened, it was found that
Finn & Washington were the next lowest bid
ders to Belt on the second, third, and fourth
classes, and to Trenholm on the fl h class, and
that they would have obtained the three first
classes but for G0rdon's betrayed. This furn-
shes key which explains the whole transac-
| ton IL aDnparpd atranue that tWn brnt hara-in