The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-02-19
to elect Sumner to-day. On Thursday III,
vacancy in this city is to be filed.
Correspondence osslle Courier,
WAsHIRGTnN- Fer 10

SOAA Oh HklG O0EafkCFi
WAsHIycTos, Feb. IL.
Among The matters which furnish a ton.
ic OF remark hero is the CONTRACT for the
printing of tho text Congress. The pro
posals were opened on Saturday. The
lowest bidder was Dir Boyd Hamilton, OF
Philadelphia. His bid for paper and press
work was forty per cent below the price OF
tho paper required; and his hid for compo.
sition was halfthe' usual rates paid to Jour
neymcn. The other bids allow a margin
for profit, Of about ten pr. cent.
Tho bid was defective in form, and il re.
mains to be seer whether it will be compli.
ed with. Congress is called upon now Ia
indemnify Mr.. Richie for his losses on his
contract, and he asks for a profit OF ten per
cent. or for a rate of prices fifty per cent
less than those fixed in 1910. For some
years past Congress has allowed remuner.
alton TO their printers, over and above their
contract. They ,nay, for MANY reasons.
allow it to Mr.. Richie, but will hardly con.
sent to make il a permanent rule. Many
member are In favor Of n government
printing office; but the Gourmet system is
likely TO be continued. The census print
ing has always been n great job. Blair g.
Rlyes made two hundred thousand dollars
Out o. the Census printing. But it is not 10
be given out at present, for the work viii
not 10 ready till next fall.
iherc was a great and final struggle in
the House. yesterday. upon the Senate bill
for The establishment of a Board of Accounts.
Ihs bill underwent many fluctuations, bu,
was finally rejected, even after it had pass
ed to third reading, and some members
were indifferent to its passage and occa-
sionnlly changed or withheld their votes: n
labor OF eighteen sessions is therefore to be
gone through with again. There arc some
nine thousand private clnims against the
government, which Congress will no, ut.
tend TO, and which the department will no.
consider. In NIL other countries, the citi.
zens have some means OF prosecuting de.
mands upon the government.
Miss Dix, who has for a long time, so
much interested herself in benevolent OBJ.
jecis, has finally carried in the Senate, her
project inr the benefit Of the INDECENT In
sane. The bill provides Tor the grant of
ten millions OF acres Of public land 10 the
several States, old and new, in the propor-
ton OF their territory and population COM
bined, TO be applied 10 tho benefit Of indi-
gent insane. The bill would not have pass.
ed, but for the reason thar the members
from tho old States, have lately begun %
claim On interest in the public domain.
No appropriations bill but that for the
supply OF deficiencies. has yet been passed.
There is an increasing disposition 10 cur
tnii expenditures, but sill the appropriations
will not probably fall short offihy millions.
The project ofA line Of steamers to Afri.
en-, Is tn be soon brought up. The majori.
~ OF the l.. stature, and nfthe Constitu-
tiona Convention Of Virginia., have recon-
included il, but Mr.. Mason. in presenting the
memorial. stated that he did not concur in
the same. Tho pun asked from the gov.
ernmepl is lG0,U0O dollars a year, for each
ship Of four thousand tons.
a proposition for steam communication
between California and Cf,inn, has been of.
fered by Robert T. Walker, and Mr.. Tiionp.
sonfof Philadelphia The iraaioritys OF The
Cdshmiitee Of Naval affairs in ,iie House. IL
in favor of it. Another project by Mr.
Moore, Of Cincinnati, is before tho Senate,
The las. nfier is for twelve ships OF 4OON
tons each, making weekly trips-the u. s,
government to pay Tor the same the amount
of mail postage actually accrueing, or 100.
ND dollars ayear, for each ship. Furil,e,
The government is to give Mr. Moore the
privilege of harhoriag sixty sections of pub.
lie land, which he may select on the Ore.
gon coast. No advances are required in
money.
The two Houses have disagreed rs to the
plan for tho enlargement of the Capitol, and
the President is TO decide the matter.