The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-01-27
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
MONDAY, January as, 1852.

MONDAY, January 10 1907
The first business before the House after the
reading Of the journals, motion by Mr..
FULLER, oPMaine, to suspend the rules to enable
him to submit a resolution which was read on a
former day, calling upon the heads of Depart
ments for list of all claims pending since 1849,
specifying their character and the names of per-
sons who acted as agents, or to whom payments
had been made. The motion carried, the
yeas and nays be ng taken; bya vote of l24 to 26.
Mr.. FULLER having moved the previous ques-
ton,
Mr.. BAYLY requested him to suspend the
motion, to enable him to modify the resolutions.
He condemned the practice which is becoming
prevalent Of calling directly upon heads Of De-
nartments for information, as investing them with
a character that does not belong to them, under
the Constitution, and being disrespectful to the
Executive.
Mr.. FULLER refused to suspend his motion
for the previous question:; and the yeas and nays
being called for on the main question, it was car
ried--yeas 1876, nays 49,
Mr. HARRIS, of Tennessee, moved that the
two bills before the House relative to the assign
ment Of bounty land warrants-one of which was
sent down from the Senate--be referred to the
Committee on the state of the Union, and that it
be made the order of the day for Thursday to go
into their discussion, and that it be continued
from day to day, till disposed of; which was
agreed to.
Mr.. SMITH, of Alabama, moved that the rules
Of the House be suspended, to enable him to sub
nit resolution calling upon the President for
copies, if not incompatible with the public service,
of the correspondence which took place between
Captain Long and Kossuth, growing out Of a
Misunderstanding between those gentlemen, and
also the correspondence on the part of Commo-
dore Morris and Consul Moore, with reference to
Kossuth which was carried
Mr.. GORMQN, of Indiana, Chairman Of the
Committee on Printing, reported a Joint Resou-
|, he NIL Of
and Armstrong to print the 100000 copies of the
census report, which was ordered to be printed
ON a former day. The committee, he said, were
ur unanimously Of opinion, that the public printer
had failed to perform his contract. The Secretary
of the Interior, and also the superintendent of the
census report, had been good deal annoyed by
the manner in which the printing had been exc
cuted and he went on to establish that the print
ING of the census report did not necessarily APP
pertain to the public printer
Mr.. EVANS, of Maryland, commenced at
tack on the resolution by stating, that nothing had
been SO fruitful OF corruption the system of
public printing. And went into history of Con-
gressional proceedings, which resulted in the es-
Establishment of the contract system; when the
printing WAS taken by house, which avowedly
took the contract for the purpose ofdestroyng the
contract system and throwing the printing again
into the hands Of partizan editors. He disapprov-
ed of the indefinite manner in which the resolu-
ton was framed, and which fixed no limit to the
exnense that may be incurred. He contrasted
the course pursued towards Mr.. Hamilton with
reference to the paper used, with that adopted
towards MIR. Richie. He went into a history of
flat peptleman's dealings with Congress hitherto,
described the inferior manner in which the public
naners ofthe United States are printed when COM
pared with those of other countries; said he was
opnosed to the corrupt system that had been hth-
erto pursued-he cared not by what party; and
concluded by moving an amendment, to strike
out the names of Donaldson and Armstrong, and
insert instead the lowest bidder for cash
Mr.. VENABLE, of North Carolina, took the
same view Of the subject ms did the gentleman
from Maryland, and wished to know why Don
aIdson and Armstrong should have been selected
from all the other printers In the United States,
for the performance of the work and that without
determining the amount to be paid. He said he
would not give any man the means of becoming
wealthy out Of the public purse, and would be
bound by no party ties in the discharge Of public
duty; and he was under no obligations that would
compel him to depart from the strict line of duty;
and would give the public printing to whoever
would perform it cheapest and best.
From the consideration Of the public printing,
Mr. v. diyerged to one of a political nature. in
which he defined his position. He alluded to
Mr.. Winthrop, who, he said, three days after
the passage of the compromise measure, intro
duced bill into the Senate, to abolish slavery in
the District Of Columbia. He could not sustain
who WOulu not TleuSt HlIIlSeii W udiU-
tain State sovereignty, and to put down slave agi-
tation. He said he voted for the compromise
measure not because the Constitution required 1t;
he was for supporting the government by obe-
dience to the laws and would vote for any man
who would undertake to carry out the laws Of the
land When he differed with man about prn-
ciples ne could understand him, but he could not
understand that man who was continually chang
ing his views. He said he could not vote for meas
ure, the effect Of which evidently would be to put
money into the pockets Of the editors Of paper,
and enable them to give direction to public opin-
ion with reference to the next Presidential election.
His obiectin addressing the House at such length,
he said. was that he might be understood with
reference to the great questions that agitating
the nubllc mind and whoever might be selected
&C the candidate for the next Presidency, he would
snnnort that man who would declare that he holds
reppblican doctrines For his part, he desired to
90 back to the early days Of the republic.
Mr.. POLK here called the gentleman from
North Carolina to order. He said he did not per-
ce;ve what the subjects he had been discussing
had to do with the public printing.
Mr. VENABLE here took his seat, and the
Sneaker took the sense of the House, which was
IN favor of his being allowed to proceed.
Mr.. VENABLE continued. When he was IN
terrupted he said he was observing that the effect
81 CARRYING out the resolution in the form in which
Il had been introduced, wonld be to create an inn