The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-14

Neiahg 10 the alleged inaotiity oil tho contractors
70 obtain pay for the work done, MIR. Nj. read
testimony 70 show that there was a manifest in
dspositon the part Of the contractor to present
their accounts for settlement To measure the
extent Of indemnity, the amount Of loss must DO
6rst ascertained. They were told that paper cal
culations would not dol and whyi Because this
was barsfacsd attempt TO pension the Union
newspaper upon the Treasury. They were told
that tho newspaper accounts and the accounts for
public printing could not be separated. He de-
sired that Wing members who should vote for the
resolution should tell their constituents that they
were patticeps in this transaction. He was told
that the Wing party had been dlsbs ndAd. Ii so.
let gentlemen 60 before their Union party and tell
them that the Union 10 to be pensioned the
Treasury. MIR. NJ. stated that he had made a
calculation us to the costs OF printing, and had
found that the contractor would get 433, 900 more
upon the Patent Office report, by the resolution
before the House, than by the contracts. On the
Presidents message Sll 900 more. Before getting
through the millions Of pages spoken Of by his
colleague, there would be no telling what amount
would have to be given Mr. Richie by a change
10 the basis Of prices. Mr. Nj. closed with some
remarks, expressing the opinion that there was a
combination among the metropolitan presses to
effect repeal Of the contract system, with view
to re-estabish the prices Of 1919.
Mr.. HOLIDAY said, that he should not have
addressed the House had he not been member Of
the committee ofinyestigation. He should there
fore briefly state the governing his course.
He did not regard the testimony as appearing by
the reports OF that committee safe basis of ac-
ton, because II was taken rarie. This was a
question which should be decided upon principles
Of Justice, and not with reference TO the alleged
covert purposes Of the contractors. Facts showed
that the delays in furnishing claimants arose not
from disposition 10 prejudice the contract sys-
TEN, but from the action Of Congress. The House
was not organized for six weeks, and the amour,
Of printing ordered was unprecedented Certain
public documents were ordered to be bound which
had never before been. The delay in the print
ing had been grievously felt, but il was in test
mony that never before had SO much been ordered.
While Congress had ordered large amounts of
printing which, under the contract was at low
rates, it had taken away that which would have
been profitable. portion of the work done,
had been paid for at less rate than was claimed
by the printers In the opinion Of the most emf
nent lawyers in hsDistrict, they were entitled to
what they claimed. The Secretary ofthe Interior,
under resolution OF Congress al the last session,
had given the printing Of the census returns upon
which a large profit would be made. TO Gideon &
Co. That species Of printing had been before in
vnriably done by the public printer. If Congsess
seeks rigorous enforcement of the contract, ii
should comply with it's terms. The case OF Mr.
Richie appealed to us with ms much force had
the cases of J. C. Rives and Gales Il Seaton, to
whom relief had been granted to save them from
the injurious operations of contracts made by
them. Party spirit had been invoked in opposi-
ton to the resolution, but it should be frowned
down, when question Of justice was under con-
MIR. w. r. w. COBB, interrupting, desired to
know whether the testimony before the commit
tee Of investigation. was er pane.
Mr.. HOLIDAY resuming, said that Mr.. Ritz
chic applied to the committee for leave to appear
before it and examine witnesses. The privilege
van denied him mill the aya mi had prO.
crossed for several months. Al the heel of the
service, when some of the witnesses had left the
city, leave was granted. He would not look to
the supposed motives of the contractors in bidd-
ing at low rates. The fact that the work had been
executed. refuies the assumption of bad motives.
If it was sought to impnte fraud and indrectness
| to Mr.. Richie, long life of honor, with repu-
tation for yeracity and integrity, without spot or
! blemish was a sufficient defence.
| Mr.. ASIMUN stated that the matter had been
fully and fairly discussed, and he should therefore
move the previous question. The motion was
agreed to-
Mr. STEVENS then moved to lay the resolu.
lion on the table Negatved, ayes 80, noes 10,
as follows:
| YEAs-Messrs Alexander, Allen, Anderson,
Bennett, Bingham, Bokee, Booth, Bowie, Briggs,
| Albert G. Blown, Burrows, Burt, Butler, Calvin,
Campbell, Cartier, Casey, Clarke. Colcock, Cole,
conger, Corwin. Crowell, Dickey, Dixon, Doty,
Duncan, Durkee, Eliot, Alexander Evans, Nathan
Evans, Fowler, Freddy, Gentry, Gddings, Gil
bert, Gould, Holloway, Hampton, Hay. Henry
Houston, Howe, Hunter, William Il. Jackson,
Julian, Kerr, George G. King, james G.. King,
John A. King, Horace Mann, Marshall, Matte
son, Mcqueen, Mescham, Miller, Moore. Nor
ris Morrison, Nelson, Oge, Orr Ous. Peaslee,
Phelps, Pitman, Putnam, Reed, Reynolds, RIsley,
Rockwell, Root, Rose, Rumsey, ir, Sackett,
Schenck ,SchooIcraft, Sylvester, Spadng. Sprsgue,
Stevens, Stetson, Thurman, Toombs, Van Dyke,
Vinton, Wallace, Wentworth, White, Wimot-
| 80.
| NArs-Messrs. Albertson, Ashe, Ashmun,
| Averett, Bay, Bayly, Beale, Bell, Bococx Bow
lin. Boyd, Bue, Billiard, Cabe. Cable, G. A.
Caldwell, Joseph P. Caldwell, Clingman, Cobb,
Daniel, Dnnner, Deberry, Dimmick, Disney,
Durham, Durkee, Edmundson, Ewing, Feathers
ton. Fitch, Fuller, Gerry, Gilmore, German,
Green, Hall, Hamilton, Hammond, HARRISON,
| Harlan, Isham G. Harris, Sampson w. Harris,
Thomas L. Harris, Raymond Holiday Holmes,
| Howard, Inge, Joseph w Jackson, Andrew John
son, Robert w. johnson, Jones. LETTER. Levin.
Little6eId, Job Mann, Mason, McClernand, Nc
Donald, Mcdowell, r. NJ. McLane, McMullen,
Melville, Meade. John X. MiIler, Millson,
Morehead, Morton. Odds, Outlaw, Owen, Parker,
| Peck, Penn, Phoenix, Potter, Powell, Richardson.
Robbins jr., Robinson, Ross, Savage, Sawtelle,
Seldom, Shepperd S,any. Frederick p Stanton,
Richard II. Stanton, Stephens, Strong, Sweetser.
IaytOrs Ahonas, jacob thompson, J0hn IS.
Thompson, James Thompson, UnderhilI, Ven
able, Walden, Waldo, Watkins, WelIborn, Whit
tlexey, WiIdrick, Williams, Wright, Young-ll0
Mr.. NEVILLE exercising the privilege Of
closing the debate, said that he convinced that
the relief contemplated by the resolution, due
to Mr.. Richie Il had been shown to the satis-
faction of the select committee, that the contract
had been carried out with fidelity aud despatch
unprecedented. Ought they not to give Just
amount for the services rendered. Ought they to
insist upon the execution Of the contract to the
letter Both human and divine laws require jus
tice to be done. They were taught TO do Justice,
and in the same precept they ordered to have
mercy. We should do unto others as We would
that they should do unto us. Ii there was one
fact on earth more satisfactoryproved than anoth-
er, it t,,ot the present contractor had not re-
ceived for his work any thing like its value. Mr.
Rives, al, experienced contractor and printer had
testified that the contract could not be executed
for less than 1871 per cent. below the prices of
1919. 1t would take hty-6ye md two thirds per
cent. TO indemnify w. Wendell and he had not
done the work as well rs MIR Richie, into ten or
fifteen per cent. Rve'y psptcle Of testimony taken
by the committee prov that the compensation,