The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-07-29
The Public Printing.

We have numerous inquiries from all quar-
tiers for public documents, and We must take
this mode Of replying to our correspondents.
We can obtain no public documents for our own
reference, nor can we inform our friends where
they are to be obtained.
The reason is simply that they are not
printed. Probably they will not be printed
during the present session of Congress.
When Congress met, provision was made
at once for publishing the speeches of the
members of both Houses. The speeches are
reported promptly and fully, and given to the
world in good type and on good paper, without
regard to expense. Congress will have no
lowest bid business in the matter of reporting
and printing their own speeches. They very
naturally wish this work we'll done, and make
their arrangements accordingly. This is all
right. The Congressional Globe is not uni
formly an absolute repertory of standard elo-
quence and craftsmanship; but it is better that
the people should have this than nothing.
With regard to the Executive documents,
and those State papers which really throw
light upon what is taking place in this great
country Of ours, it had been determined some
years ago to let the printing out to the lowest
bidder. This was done last year for the pre-.
sent Congress. The contractor, under the low
est bid, has failed to execute his work, or has
executed it in such manner that it no wise
corresponds with his contract. The Joint Com
mittee on Printing of the two Houses, on the
failure of the original contractor, in pursu-
ance of the authority vested in them by law, pro-
ceeded to make contracts for this work; for the
Senate printing, with GIDEON g. Co., and for the
House printing with DoNELsoN s. ARMsTRoN No.
No man can read the speech of the Hon. Mr..
PARKER, of Indiana, on this subject, and doubt
that the committee had full power to make
these contracts.
The new contractors were not acceptable to
the Secession and Abolition parties in the
House, which Immediately went to work to
break up the contracts, or to render them
valueless. MIR. VENABLE, in his usual bland
and amiable manner, denounced the committee
and contractors for being engaged in scheme
of plumber. Mr.. GIpDINGs protested that he
should have been better pleased with the ar
rangement if it had been made exclusively
with the Union but he and "those who acted
with him" could not abide the Republic. The
WHIGs were divided at the time, and some of
them unwilling to endorse the course of the
Republic, and the result was that on vote, in
which the Compromise men and anti Compro-
mise men pretty uniformly acted together, the
House withheld from the committee their ap-
prevail of its new contracts.
The committee were unwilling on their own
responsibility to pursue the authority of the
law; and though the new contractors had pur-
chased paper and made their arrangements al
considerable expense to do the work, for the
faithful execution of which they had given
heavy bonds, they have received no work To
do. Meanwhile one or two documents that
would disgrace a tribe of Cherokee Indians
botted, blurred, mis- bound, marginless, have
been forced upon the Printing Committee, and
the balance of the public work remains unexe-
cuted.
| After the Baltimore Convention, 1t was sup
posed that the Democratic party would be able
to arrange this business in their own way. l,
was taken up in caucus, but their mode Of
managing it was not acceptable to the South
crn Press, and that journal put Its veto on it.
Every thing was thereby thrown into confusion
again.
1t seems to us that there is very easy mode
of getting out of the difficulty into which Con
gress has fallen in this regard. The contrac,
of the lowest bidder is admitted to have been
forfeited Let the contracts Of the Joint Print.
ing Committee, by law. by courtesy, by good
faith, binding on Congress. be carried ont
There are moderate and reasonable men enough
in the two Houses. we apprehend, ready and
willing to consent TO their execution. Let then