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

Mr. BAYLY asked the unanimous consent OF the
House to enable him 10 report back from the Com
mittee of Ways and Means the Deficiency BILL
(Which had been returned from the Senate with
amendments in order that il might be referred to
the Committee of the Whole on the State of the
Union.
Mr.. WENTWORTH called for the orders of the
day.
The SPEAKER said that the regular order was
the calling the committees for reports
Mr. MELVILLE said that he had been instructed
by the Committee on Printing to make report on
the memorial Of Thomas Richie, asking Tor rcliei
on account of the public printing
Mr. BURT submitted point OF order, that the
report on the memorial was not matter OF prlvl'
ege, and that the Committee on Printing had not
a 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 (Nlr b.. was correct III his sup
position that, although the Committee on Printing
were authorized to report privileged matter at
any time, il not for the House to determine
whether the question was ola 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 legitimattly
before the committee.
Mr.. McLANE, of Maryland, moved TO lay the
appeal of Mr.. BURT on the table.
MIR. BURT demanded the yeas and nays. Pre-
vious taking the question, the report OF the Com
mittec on Printing was cad as follows;
The Committee on Printing, to whom was refer
rcd the memorial of Thomas Richie, party to the
contract of William Nj. Belt, to execute certain
classes of the printing of Congress, asking that
some arrangement may be made by which he may
be suitably compensated, report the following
Resolved, That William NJ. Belt, the contractor
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
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 half the prices paid for the public printing
under the joint resolution Of 1919; aud that he
shall faithfully execute the remainder of the work
contemplated by said contract, and be paid Tor II
at the same rate Prouided, The said William M.
Belt shall notify the Secretary OF the Senate and the
Clerk OF the House Of Representatives, within hive
days from the passage Of this resolution, OF his
ceptance of and agreement to its terms
Resolved That the executive powers and the du-
ties Of the Committee on 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 8, 1916, be,
and the same are 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-
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 Pennsy lvana. This cannot
be the memorial referred to the committee. That
was 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 a
precisely similar report not received during
the last session of Congress.
The SPEAKER replied in the affirmative; but
there point OF order and consequently, no
decision by the Chair.
Mr.. BURT happy TO hear the Chair
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 was then taken, and the appeal
from the decision Of the Chair laid upon the ia
ble-yeas los, nays "a.
The resolution was read first and second time,
when
Mr. Nc WILLIE 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,
made report upon this subject, which at that time
led to considerable discussion There also a
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 one
reported this morning, and he presumed that the
House about as well informed now upon this
subject as it could be after two or 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.
Mr. ORR thought that the claims of Mf. Richie
had not in it particle of justice lie put himself
right in relation to speech which hc delivered
during the last session, and which had occasoned,
the part of the editor OF the Union, "a reckless
pcrvcrsion OF facts and scandalous imputation' of
the motives OF the gentlemen from Kentucky and
Maryland, (Mcssrs. MARSHALL and EvANs,) and
himself. lie 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 nor 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 MIR. Richie had published
a pamphlet of seventy six pages the subject Of
the printing, "a copy of which he presumed every
member had receiyed,) but he had not found time
TO furnish statement OF the coet OF the printing and
what his losses Was there man in the House
who would justify himself in fixing the amount at
one thousand dollars fifty thousand dollars?
If he charged s 800 for printing the opinions
of the Supreme Court, ten thousand copies. of one
hundred and eighty pages each; charging double
composition on the same documents ordered at the
same time by the Senate and the House. and
making no deduction for inferior paper, (whereby
he saves $2O,0O0,) and he realizes $4,000 on the
binding, he (Mr. oRR) gave az his opinion that
Mr.. Richie will lose nothing. if his business has
been conducted with ordinary prudence. The re-
solution proposes TO give MIR. Richie one-half the
prices Of 1910 But how many members know an y
thing about those prices. Last Saturday disclosed
the TACT that a respectable man offered to do the
work. by contract lees prices than those paid TO
Mr.. Richie. Were the House determined TO be
liberal to the contractor and orgetful Of their own
constituents, II gentlemen desire to become dis.
inguished for iberality let them draw ostheir own