The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-01-29

that he will prescribe such opinions, could only
expect to be prescribed in turn. hope that no
such necessity may occur.
Mr.. VENABI.E Will the gentleman allow
me to say, that proposed TO open this subject
to free bidding everywhere. ! said that they
had no Chains upon me individually. do not
prescribe them, but open the bidding c 'he
printers of the United States, so that we ~
have fair and free competition.
Mr.. GORMAN, Tbs resolution proposes
to leave this matter to the committee. IL ia
not a quest 10 be left to Doneson d.
| Armstrong. 1t is question which our friends
are called upon to leave TO The committee which
you have constituted in this House. We call
upon YOU TO leave the reasonableness and pro-
priety of that contract to the committee. Are
you willing to do il? Have you confidence in
their integrity and purpose OF character to dis
charge that duty
Mr.. EVANS. I will ask the gentleman be-
fore he is done, to tell this House why il is i'm
proper to let this printing by contract, and why
it is the contract system is now to be aban-
doned! The instance the gentleman gave was
in I84l, before the contract system was entered
into Now, want the gentleman to state how
much this printing will cost | am informed
that it will cost about million of dollars.
Mr.. GORNAN. } am authorized to say,
upon the authority of the very best printers,
that il will not cost half of 100000. These
divisions upon this occasion have led me off
from some of the facts in this case.
| Mr. EVANS Speak to the contract.
! Mr.. GORMAN. | was about to speak upon
the question of the contract system. 1t is
known to that gentleman, as he remarked yes.
terday upon the floor, that the contract system
had led to difficulty, and frauds upon the coun-
| tru in hoir .har,c far 'Hha nj ari
system let's in every individual to come in and
bid as low as possible, and their ruling motive
seems to have been, that after while they were
to go before Congress and ask that they might
| be released from an onerOus bargain. Such is
the experience such is the language Of my
friend from Maryland, Mr.. Evans He used
that language then, and presume he will use it
again | appreherd that this system Of letting
this work out by contract to the lowest bidder,
is the groundwo of the most stupendous sys.
tenn of fraud ever perpetrated upon the people
of this country.
Mr. EVANS. Not if you furnish them with
paper
Mr.. GORMAN. If you furnish them with
paper, type, and presses, it will not do. Every
Committee on Printing have found at the bot
tom of this contract system all sorts of pri-
vate understandings and bargains for the purpose
of fleeing the government. The Committee on
Printing have found this in their experience now
Shall this matter be reconsidered Why refer
it to the Committee of the Whole on the state
of the Union? What do you want to discuss I?
Do my friends who differ with me upon the
subject of this contract want to get up war be-
tween us upon the compromise measures, wheth-
er they are proper and right? | do pray you,
avert such an evil. am frank to say, that such
calamity to the Democratic PARTY should be
avoided and the man who undertakes to ar
raign any one here for the purpose of making
an additional sore, which is now in fair way Of
being healed, is stabbing the party that gives
him power can say to my friends who voted
against these measures, that feel proud of their
association. | feel that | went further upon
these great Southern questions than any man
north of Mason and Dixon's line. feel | can
say to gentlemen who are not with us upon the
compromise measures, Peace, be still ' Does
that voce-does that warning come f;om Dem
ocrat who has wavered! Does that voice come
from Democrat who has ever yet thrown n
FIRE brand into the midst of his Southern friends!
Does that warning come from one who has ever
turned to the right or left upon the great eternal
principles of non.interventon? Then | say to
them that the prolongation of this discussion
will run my friend from North Carolina, Mr..
VENABLE,] my friend from Virginia, Mr.. b.
COCK and my friend from Mississippi, Mr.. Ma
union, harmony, and organization of that great
party that brought them into power, that they
will heed the voice of warning.
Mr. BOCOCK. | ask, what do not often
ask upon this floor that the gentleman will yield
me the floor for one moment | ask this be-
cause of my very sincere respect and regard for
the gentleman from Indiana, Mr.. GoRMAN
do not often ask any gentleman who is speak
ing to allow me the privilege Of introducing one
word while he is speaking " lille the gentle
man from Indiana is proelaiming peace to the
Democratic party upon one subject, | ask him if
he does not know that there are other subjects
upon which the Democratic party are divided
ask if he does not feel in that loyal and honest
heart of his, that there is as much need Of har-
mony upon those other questions as in relation
to the compromise And | ask him, if he ex-
poets us here to say peace when his triends-I
do not say him--procaim peace only upon one
subject, and give US war to the knife upon other
vital subjects! | ask him if it will do to tell me
that the friends of the Washington Union will
give us peace upon the compromise, when they
are giving us war, and war to the knife, upon the
subject of State rights!
Mr.. GORMAN. appreh,nd that more evi-
ueGce mas heen gwen ny The honorable gentle
man from Virginia, Mr.. BococK, and that it is
the very thing to be avoided. Where is the
Democrat here who does not see a monster ex-
hibting itself here, hydra-headed monster,
which is singing the very heart of the Demo
cratic party Where is there an individual who
has Witnessed the assault Of my gallant friend
from Virginia, Mr.. BccocK, who will not agree
with me in saying, Peace, be still" Surprising
that one of our friends, who conducts a news
paper, does not agree with the honorable gentle
man from Virginia, Mr.. BococK -supposing
that upon the subject of State rights he does
not concur fully in some of the details, | say to
the gentlemen that we intend to put no poison
in their cups.
Mr.. NABERS. The remark intend to sub
init is not at all intended to interfere with the
progress of this discussion, nor is it intended to
indicate that feel injured by not being permit
ted to address the House this morning | wish
simply to know if there is any new que ston
before the House differing from the one upon
which had the floor this morning! Laughter.
The SPEAKER. Does the gentleman from