The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-02-13
House OF Representative.


BY BAIN's ELECTRO CHEMICAL LEE.
WAaHINsror, Feb. =, 1851.
THE rrBLIc PRINTING RELIEF Mr.. RIrcHrE.
Mr.. McWiLLIE, (dem) Of Mississippi rose to make
report from the Committee Printing for the relief
Of Thomas Ritchie In relation to tho public printing
Mr.. Burr, (dem) Of South Carolina raised point
Of order that under the rules of the House. the gem
tlemsn could NOT make the report as Q privileged
question.
The SPEAKER overrulsd the point, on the ground
that the twenty first rule explicitly provides that It
shall be In order Tor the committee to report ct any
time.
whether 1t was question Of privilege!
The SPEAKER repeated that It was tho Of the
committee to report any subject which was legiti
mately before it.
MT Burt appealed from the decision of the Speaker
The resolution Of Mr.. Melville was read 1t was en-.
titled For the Relief Of Thomas Ritohe but In the
body Of IL, was releasing William NJ Belt from the
for the printing already done ut onehaf the prices
allowed By the resolution Of 1919 confcing on the
clerks OF the two houses the power Of directing the
ing against negligence or dalay on the part Of the pre-
BE- the memorai refsrr.d to b. shs cOmmittss TS
was for the relief Of Mr. Richie; this resolution rs.
fsrs to . man named Bels Nsughter).
srEAKER-This Is the memorial
Mr.. McLASE (dem.), OF Maryland, asked whether
just such report was not made at tho last session Of
The srEAKrR replied-Yss, but there was no point
Of order raised or decision of the question
Mr. BURT am happy to hear the CHAIR on point
In order. ask whether If debate is not allowed the
vorcr-He il making It a privilege question.
The srEAKKR replied to Mr. Burt, that the Chair
duty, to explain the grounds ofit
Mr. McL.sg moved to lay Mr.. Burts appeal on tho
table which was decided In the affirm xtvs BY yeas
los. Isys "a 30 the Speaker was sustained.
The resolution WAS then read twice.
MT. Melville said that the report was from the
mittee una nmously, and It was recommended to the
House, because they believed that the resolution is
founded on the principles OF ju.ti,e and equity.
Mr.. 0RR, (dem) of 3. q. thought that the claim OF
Mr. Richie had particle OF Justice in it, Instead
OF deslpg hsrshly on the investigating committee
or. wh S M ,.s much
the ooustry But ss the investigation progressed he
saw that there was not splinter or spar left for Mr.
required him to disclose the pton which existed
Was there man In the House, who would justify Mr..
dollars, or fifty thousand dollars Mr. Ritohie
charged twelve thousand dollars for printing ten
thousand copies Of a pamphlet Of one hundred and
eighty pages charging double for composition when
the same documents were ordered to be printed the
same time BY both Houses. and no deduction wa.
made for inferior paper; whereby he saved twenty
thousand dollars, and he realized ak thousand
dollars on the binding lie (Mr. oRR), gave his
opinion that Mr.. Ritchie's LOSSES we're nothing,
Rtudsnee. BY departing from the contract, Mr..
Etchis made forty thousand dollars The opening Of
the bids last Saturday, disoloees the fact that
spectabe man proposes to d, the public pratins at
less prices than Mr. Richie gets. 1t the House are
own private resources and not on the public treasury
Mr. Bncbie wants to line his pockets with eoyera-
ment gold and relies In the bsrslity OF Congress to
DO 20. lie said that about the time bids put
for the printing Messrs Flynn and Washington Of.
tered proposals. Intending II they got ths priang to
feat this, determined to have the contract at any
price and accordingly, one Of Mr. Ritchss ployess
put in lover bids.
Mr. BarLy, tdeml OF Virgins, remarked that the
gentleman bas said that the bid of Saturday wa, be-
Low that OF Mr. Ritchis at the previous bidding
Mr.. BsYLr-rhe gentleman Is In the House. and has
h,ahsr s and me to state th., his bids
Mr. oEn-hr. Riyes was the gentleman who got the
Mr. B.Tly-Mr. Hamilton, who Ia. 20. the rre..
mas OF printing says that on one description OF
printing he is fifteen cents per page higher than Mr.
htchie on spotner one dollar aud ten cents higher;
but he " not able to say precisely.
Mr.. McLsNE asked the gsptemsR nom South Caro-.
llns whether the clsss OF printing obtained by Mr..
Rive. yesterday, is the class which Mr. Richie pre-
Mr. oNr 4 understand that Mr. Riv,s has the class
Mr. McLASr-Thst ia the class Covers has, and not
Ritchie.
Mr. MorsHr.p, (whig, Of KY. CAV. tn. reasons why
with bin In politics but II he not relieved II would
result In utter and entire ruin TO him. In pecuniary
conclusion that simple naked sheer justcs required
the relief.
Mr. Burr gave. az his opinion, that, n Mr. Rithis
could show that he has actually lost there would be
relef afforded but this has not been made TO appear
There we're conflicting opinions With q view that
Information may be obtsined, he moved that the
port made this morning be reoommittsd with instruc-
tons that the Committee on Prin ting ascertain and
report TO the House whether Mr. Richie has executed
the public printing having regard TO the quality Of
the work snd time greeably to contract and what he
has lest by the contract.
Mr.. MtL.Ns dem, Of Maryland, advocated the re-
solution ,hoving that half Of the prices nxed by
the joint resolution CT 1919 necessary to Mr.
Rtchie from loss. In reply to 9 remark OF Mr.. Or,
he ssid that Mr. Rives bill last saturday instead Of
being lover vas fifty per osnt higher than the prices
nov paid to Mr. Richie, except on the fifth class of
only s22oa
Mr.. CRowrlL free soiD, of Ohio, moved an amend
mentt Mr. Burt's instructions providing indemnity
ts hsssrs Wendsll Van B.nthuysen, the former
contractors.
Mr.. MARsHsLL {~hig), OF Kentucky strenuously op.
pesed the resolution, regarding 10 designed to mo
fy existing laws and TO enable Mr. Ritchs to put his
bar De into the public treasury
The House, without disposins Of the subi.et, ad.
joUrned.