The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-06-26

l
examining that which was prepared by The President,
certain wheihsIi il was partially or fairly N sde out
The honorable major seems % argue the prepar
alton OF this comps ndlum would lead to a conetaiment
OF the acts OF the aemlnstraonas If we should be de-
| pived OF the means OF understanding what had been
| g,ing on, what contracts had been made and what
frauds. II any, had been pepeated That will rot be
the case We are also 10 have these documents
teaso IL is not proposed 10 have anything TO lake the
place OF them but merely 10 have something take the
place OF the extra copies which now publish--some-
hing 10 embrace those matters 10 which have need
70 make frequent reference, and 10 have them in such
| form thai we can get at them readily
was certainly very far from intending to say anything
unkind TO the senator in the remark made. know
that he apprehends subject very readily and can very
readily ener into discussion OF j.. supposed however,
that he did recollect understand the fact that
intended to publish all the documents large.
whsandiDg this compendium; while, al the time,
II avoided the publication OF the extra numbers Of the
documents in iu think that uponrefecon there can
BE- On cgSon upon this subject, ana .ba.s that his
| MIR. BOWCAND. have thought great deal of the
evils and Inconvenience which the senator from Maine
Mr. BRADBuRYl has suggested in Offering this measure,
and think he right in the desire be manfests 10
rect those evils think that ought TO be done. But,
with great respect for his opinion upon the subject and
the attention which know he has given to il, think he
has not presented just such measure which is
ry and proper correct these evils. Although not now
upon the Committee Printing yet served long enough
upon that committee TO know something Of the difficult
ties which he suggests. | have found, by service OF
three years chairman OF that committee, that is very
nearly impossible, il not absolutely have the pub
lie printing, especially the printing OF the public docu-
ments which come from the Executive executed within
time when they are of any use to either house of Con-
gress, under the present system There is not member
upon this hoor, that am aware Of who has yet received
the Presidents message or any Of the accompanying doc
umens, and yet this session OF Congress is drawing 10
close We have had nothing from the departments
upon which to base our LEGISLATION. Nearly seven
nonths OF this have gone and yet any has
received any Of those documents, he has been for
tunae than myself.
Now this which ought to be corrected-ihat u.s.
il il be desirable 10 have these documents basis for
lppI III nntU knn tyhu has
been done, what has been the action Of the government;
cannot have the facts which have been developed in
the annual administration Of the government placed be-
fore us in such way that may legislae understand
ingy upon all the measures before Who now
tell what j. the condition of the government what
legislation is necessary to carry the government We
do not know what amount OF moneyhas been collected
revenue. or the from which has been collected.
or the proportion in which the different sources have
contributed TO furnish this revenue neither do know
how much il has the aim nisation OF the govern
ment have sought earnestly, and with great deal OF
have been furnished 10 manuscript. and in
the hands oil the printers The thirds
or three foue gone, and yet II is impossible 10 obtain
anything like actual Knowledge of them.
This course 10 remedy evil OF this sort has been
adopted in some OF the Staestha is By resolutions of
the respective gislatures, 10 extent like the
proposed by the senator from Maine, [Mr BaAD.
BURY 10 have the executive required have the docu-
men,s published and laid upon the tables at the begn
ming OF the session DO not any other way which
the evil of which have complained, can be renedied.
II will not do TO wait un, the beginnng OF the session,
I
manuscript and then sent to the printers and then wait
until the session is already quite over before they
brought before us IN printed form 80 that all
them. Ii desire these documents at all nforma-
Iion we must have them before in tangible shape
at the beginning OF the session. which only be done
by the Executive having them printed and sent to us then
in a printed form The honorable senator from Maine
Mr. BRADBURY proposes, AS understand his PROPOSE
tion that the President instead OF sending the whole OF
the documents here shall make abstract OF them
and send IL here in the form OF a compendium.
Mr. BRADBURY. II The honorable senator will per
nit me TO interrupt him, will say that the compendium
IS not intended to take the place OF the whole. The
proposition IS to have the President send in the whole OF
the documents aud also abstract desire, although
did not make j part Of my resolution, that those doc
umens shall be printed ia eIenso and laid upon our
tables.
Mr.. BoRLAND. Ibid no, understand the senator TO
mean that the President should send in all the docu.
ments. understand his proposition to be that he shall
make out this abstract and have printed and TO us
IN that iorm while the documents shall be
10 us in manuscript they are, and wait
until they can be printed BY the public printer before
can have them before Now, we simply TO take
this abstract which The President and the departments
shall send to for the basis Of our legislation there can
then be necessity whatever for having anything more
But the mere abstract the figures, will not be sufh-
cent they require explanation, and that explanation
IS always given, and only be given in the reports
from the heads oil the departments, and any explanation
which the President himself in his message may choose
10 make III the Information which comes from the
departments is 10 the basis of our egisIa-
ton at all, must be placed before erfenso with
all the explanations which the Executive and the de.
10 Congress fair understanding OF the subject III al
ierwards 10 avoid the expense OF printing the five large
volumes OF which the senator has spoken, we deem il
proper and expeaent 10 reduce the OF the work
one small volume, the proper manner do ii will be
refer each particular subject TO IFS appropriate committee
and let that committee present 10 what proper and
vasabe for preservation distribution among the peo-
pie in printed form. Bat undersandlDgly upon
the matters presented 10 us, must have the whole OF
them-the figures and the explanation OF those figures
the views oil the administration and the reasons that
controlled the administration IN pursuing certain
which 10 consider sufficient or otherwise and
which govern aud enable TO arrive at a
proper understanding OF the subject and which are TO
control our action in regard TO IT,
do not propose 10 offer any amendment 10 this prop
osition. But would suggest to the honorable gentle
TO let 60 over LEI IL be referred some commit
tee, lei steps be taken by which may be mod-
fed, or by which senators may have opportunity TO
oer their in modification of IT, 10 the evil of
which he complains, and which am desirous as he to
remedy
Mr. BRADBURY. | am willing to have il referred TO
the Committee on Printing
MIR. B0RLAND. | know oil no better committee than
that, and therefore tha, be referred the Com
mttee Printing
MIR. MANGUM. hope this resolution will not pass
in any shape IL will be innoyao which has
taken place. nor anything approaching IT, in the history
oil this government, in established practice refer
ence TO this matter. You might well call upon the
President TO give conpcnd OF the executive message
to give acompendous account OF all the accompany
ing documents Whether for the truth OF history or the
enlightenment OF the members who legislate il is
indispensable to have the whole matter before us II