The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-20
as such impression Or pputationupon me In
tended IL IL false in fatJ----- NsN

.1T
| that he must not speak OF what has taken place
in the House Of Representatives.
Mr.. BORLAND. Mr. President, | am allud.
! ing to proceedings published in newspapers--to
articles published in newspapers rejecting injp-
riously upon NEEDING me gross injustice, and
i am giving them my contradiction. appre-
bend that is not out Of order
The PRESIDENT. The Senator will listen
to what is the rule, and then confine himself
within its lipts:
at is Il breach Of order, in debate, to notice
what has been said on the same subject, in the
other House, or the particular votes, or MAORI
ties on il there; because the opinion Of each
House should be left TO its own independently,
not be influenced by the proceedings Of the
other; and the quoting them might beget relec
lions leading TO u misunderstanding between
the,two Houses"
mr.. BORLAND. MI President know that
you Woudinot d me injustice, orput a wrong
construction On what | said. or intended to say.
Ithink however, il you wiltrecur TO the begin.
ming OF my rcmarks, and my reference to the
several artieles'l have read, you will recollect
thatI spoke Of themas newspaper publications,
rejecting upon me- did not treat them as the
proceedings ofths House Of Representatives.
The PRESIDENT. The Senator expressly
named the indiyidnals who made the speeches
from which he read.
Mr.. BORLAND. named the individuals as
the repute, authors Of the articles which AZ
peared in the public press. What Inean to
say, without referring to those articles as the
proceedings Of the House, or TO those gentle.
men as members Of the House, but as pnblica
tons in the Unionand the National Inteligencer
is that, SO far sthey represent me lis occupying
any such position asi have mentioned- that is,
| as either seeking or desiring the public printing,
or any potion Of il, Tor the Southern Press, the
National Era, or any other press, they are ia
| every sease, and in every way, false. So far
from representing any one upon that committee,
or desiring TO obtain patronage for any one, |
expressly declined to advocate the claims Of amy
one. This is well known to every member of
the committee. will say, further that when
| applied TO BY Mr. Fisher, the editor Of the
| Southern Press, tn agree to an arrangement by
which hessupposed portion OF the printing
could be given to him, told him at once, and
decidedly, that / would do no such thing ]
told Mr.. Fisher, | told the committee, and say
! it here no V, to place myself right once for all,
that in regard to patronage, either to the party
press or to partisans of any class, / hold this
position: will not create patronage for any
one-i will not increase prices or patronage for
any one; but when public work is to be dis.
peEscd, and have to choose, at fair prices, and
for proper public purposes, for the executionsof
| the work, between my political opponents,an
lmy political friends, will give to those who
| agree with me in political sentiment, and rejoice
| if they can make it useful either to themselves
personally, or to the party to which we belong.
| This is the position which ! have always ocs
cupied And the statement of it brings me to
my course upon the committee,
/ will repeat here, as | said the other day, |
believe that, under the law, the committee had
the power to take the printing from the con-
| tractor, and to give it to other persons. did
not agree to the particular direction in which
they gave that printing, because, as expressly
said TO them, and say now, neither of the parties
| to whom they gave it agree with me in senti-
ment, or pursue, as conductors of the public
press, policy which, in my opinion, fairly repre-
sents the views entertain, or which is calcu.
lated to promote the public interests, or the
special interests of the Democratic party.
The position in which have been placed be-
fore. the country by the articles have read
from the newspapers, and by the general course
of the majority of the committee in defending
! their own course is that of obstnately and con-
tumaciousy disregarding the public interests in
an exigency which required prompt action, be-
cause could not obtain patronage for certain
presses or individuals, for whom | sought and
desired it. | repeat, that 1 occupied no such
1 position; and there is no truth in any assertion
or implication which tends to place me in any
such position. | did not say ''wanted nothing"
! or was willing to do nothing. When applied to
by the chairman of the House committee, to
| produce some person as a recipient of this
patronage, said had no proposition 10 make.
| said sat there then, as chairman of the com.
mittee, presiding over its deliberations, ready TO
hear, and put to the vote, any proposition that
might be made ] had no proposition of my
own to make; but if one should be made which
met my views of propriety and policy, would
vote for it.
Now, Mr.. President, presume il will not be
out Of order, or, il it be, you will correct me, to
remark somewhat further upon the course of
the committee, while was a member oft. To
do so is necessary to full understanding Of my
position, alike on the committee and as men,
Der Of the Senate.
The PRESIDENT. The Chair will state to
the Senator, that, strictly speaking. il is NOT in
order 10 detail what takes place in committees
How ever, il has been done, over and over again,
in tie Senate without objection, and il no OBJ.
lection be now made, the Chair will interpose
no obstacle.
Me- BORLAND. The action Of the commit
tee to which particularly allude, is that which
has. in part been reported, in the form ofreso
lntions, both to the Senate and TO the House Of
Representatives II il were true thatI had
thus obstinately and contumaciously thrown
myself in The way of the execution Of the public
work, should be culp ,ble before the country
lit be true that the action Of the committee, in
disposing Of the public printing, was such a.
exigencies of thepublic service made necessary,
or was even the best that could have beeniaken,
under the circumstances, should still have been
culpsblc, to some extent at least, for resisting
or obstrucling that action. But, sir, deny that
this was so. deny that this action was either
necessary, or tbat Il was even the best thai
could have been taken. This Is my opinion.
think facts warrant me in entertaining il,
and sense Of duty induces me 10 express II.
say that, although the public printer had violated
his contract, and IL was proper that the work
should be taken, in part at least, from him and
given TO some one else, yet that IL has not been
given 10 the persons best prepared and best