The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-02-13
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

comb-20.
And then the Senate adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THE PUBLIC PRINrING-RELIEF MR.. RITcHIE
MIR. BAYLY asked the unanimous consent of the
House to enable him TO report back from the Conn
mittec of Ways and Means the Deficiency bill,
(Which had been returned from the Senate with
amendments in order that it might be referred to
| the Committee Of the Whole on the State of the
Union.
Mr.. WENTWORTH called for the orders of the
The SPEAKER said that the regular order was
the calling the committees for reports.
| Mr.. MCWILLlE said that he had been instructed
by the Committee on Printing to make report on
| the memorial of Thomas Richie, asking for relief
ON account of the public printing.
! Mr.. BURT submitted point Of order, that the
| report on the memorial was not matter OF privi-
| lege, and that the Committee on Printing had not
right to submit their report before other commit
| tees of the House were called in order.
| The SPEAKER Overrulod the point, saying that
the rules of the House permitted the Committee on
Printing to report at any tune.
Mr.. BURT appealed from the decision Of the
| Chair.
! Mr. B. desired the Speaker to state to the House
whether he (Mr. b. was correct in his sup.
position that, although the Committee on Printing
were authorized to report privileged matter at
any time, it was not for the House to determine
| whether the question was of privilege character.
The SPEAKER replied that he placed his deci-
sion on the ground that the committee may report
at any time, and the right was limited to report
| ing on any subject which had been legitmatciy
before the committee.
| Mr. McLANE, of Maryland, moved to lay the
appeal of Mr.. BURT on the table.
| Mr.. BURT demanded the yeas and nays. Pro-
vious to taking the question: the report OF the Com
mittce Printing was lead as follows;
The Committee on Printing, to whom was refer
red the memorial of Thomas Richie, party to the
contract of William NJ Belt, to execute certain
i cla of prnfinor IF aakinO that
some arrangement may be made by which he may
| be suitably compensated, report the following
| joint resolution:
for executing the second, fourth, and fifth classes
of the printing for the thirty first Congress- be, and
he is hereby, relieved from the terms of his con-
tract, and that, in lieu Of said terms, he shall re-
ceive, compensation for the work he has already
executed under said contract, payment at the rate
of ne-half the prices paid for the public printing
| under the joint resolution Of 1919; and that he
shall faithfully execute the remainder Of the work
contemplated by said contract, and be paid for it
at the same rate: Prorided, The said William M.
Belt shall notify the Secretary of the Senate and the
Clerk of the House Of Representatives, within five
days from the passage of this resolution, of his
| ceptance Of and agreement to it's terms
| Resolued, That the executive powers and the du-
ties of the Committee Printing as defined in the
second section of the joint resolution, directing the
manner Of procuring the printing for the two
Houses of Congress, approved August 3, 1916, be,
| and the same arc hereby, conferred upon the Sec
rotary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of
Representatives; and, in case any inconvcnient
delay should be, at any time, experienced by either
House in the delivery of its work, said Secretary
and Clerk respectively, shall be authorized to en-
10y another printer to execute any portion of the
| work of the Senate or the House, and charge the
in the account of said printer for executing
said work. above the price at which either of the pre-
sent printers have agreed to execute it, to the prin
ter guilty Of such negligence or delay.
| Mr.. STEVENS, OF Pennsylvania. This cannot
be the memorial referred to the committee. That
for the relief of Mr.. Richie; this refers to
| man by the name of Belt.
| The SPEAKER This is the memorial.
Mr.. McLANE, of Maryland, inquired whether q
| precisely similar report was not received during
the last session of Congress.
The SPEAKER replied in the affirmative; but
there was point OF order, and, consequently, no
| decision by the Chair.
| Mr.. BURT was happy to hear the Chair a
point Of order. He should reply to the Chair. if
debate were allowed and he asked, if debate was
| not in order, whether the Chair could debate.
The SPEAKER. When the Chair makes de-
cision, he can explain the ground of it. This was
not only his privilege, but his duty.
| The question then taken, and the appeal
from the decision of the Chair was laid upon the ia
| ble-yeas los, nays IA.
The resolution was read first and second time,
when
Mr.. McWILLIE remarked that he would not de-
tain the House at this late period of the session with
an argument upon the justice of this resolution.
The Committee on Printing, during the last session,
led to considerable discussion. There was also
report made by the select committee Of the House,
which had brought very fully before Congress the
| facts connected with the public printing. There
was likewise under consideration, during the last
session. proposition somewhat similar to the
| reported this morning, and he presumed that the
House was about as well informed now upon this
subject as II could be after two three days de-
bate. The Committee on Printing had unanimous
ly recommended this resolution TO the House, be-
cause they believed it was formed upon principles
| of Justice and equity.
| MIR. ORR thought that tho claims of Mr. Richie
had not in it particle of justice. lie put himself
| right in relation to speech which he delivered
during the last session, and which had occasionsd,
the part of the editor of the Union, ga reckless
pcrvcrsion Of facts and scandalous imputaton' of
the motives of the gentlemen from kentucky and
Maryland, (Mcssrs. MARSHALL and EvASs,) and
himself. lie on the investigating committee.
Ills sympathics and feelings were enlisted for Mr..
Richie, whom the investigation commenced but as
| the investigation progressed he saw that every
plank, one after another, was removed from under
Mr.. Richie, by credible testimony, and that there
was not splinter spar for him to stand upon.
Fidelity to his (Mr. O.'s) trust demanded that he
should disclose the corruption which existed. In
stead Of dealing harshly with Mr.. Richie, he would
demonstrate the fact then stated, that his feelings
were tempered much more with mercy to him than
justice to the country Mr.. Richie had published
pamphlet of seventy-six pages on the subject OF
the printing, "a copy of which he presumed every
member had received,) but he had not found time
furnish statement of the of the printing and
what his losses were Was there man in the House
who would justify himself in fixing the amount at
one thousand dollars or fifty thousand doIlars1
If he charged $4,000 for printing the opinions
of the Supreme Court, ten thousand copies. of one
hundred and eighty pages each; charging double
composition the same documents ordered ut the
same time by the Senate and the House, and
making no deduction for inferior paper, (whereby
he saves 820,000,) and he realizes $4,000 on the
binding, be (Mr. ORR) gave as his opinion that
Mr.. Richie will lose nothing, If his business has
boon conducted with ordinary prudence The re-
prices of 1919. But how many members know any
thing about those prices. Last Saturday disclosed
the TACT that respectable man offered to do the
work. by contract at less prices than those paid TO
Mr.. Richie. Were tho House determined to be
liberal to the contractor and forgctful Of their own
constituents II gentlemen desire TO become dis
tingui'hed for libsrality et them draw osthsr own