The southern press., 1852-01-27
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

MONDAY, January 25, 1862.
The first business before the House after the
reading of the journals, motion by Mr..
FULLER, of Maine, to suspend the rules TO enable
him to submit resolution which was read on a
former day, calling upon the heads of Depart
ments for list of all claims pending since l849,
specfying their character and the names of per-
sons who acted as agents, or to whom payments
had been made. The motion was carried, the
yeas and nays be ng taken, by 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 resolution.
He condemned the practice which is becoming
prevalent OF calling directly upon heads Of De-
partments for information, as investing them with
n character that does not belong to them, under
the Constitution, and being disrespectful to the
Executive.
MIR. 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 l25, nays 80.
Mr.. HARRIS, of Tennessee, moved that the
two bills before the House relative TO the assign
ment OF bounty land warrantg-one Of which was
sent down from the Senate-be referred TO the
Committee on the state Of the Union, and that il
be made the order Of the day for Thursday to 60
;nto their discussion, and that il be continued
from day TO Cay, 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
init a resolution calling upon the President for
copies il not Incompatible with the public service,
of'the correspondence which took place between
Captain Long and Kossuth, growing out of
misunderstanding between those gentlemen, and
also the co respondence on the part of Commo-
dore Morris and Consul Moore, with reference TO
Kossuth which was carried.
Mr. GORMON, Of Indiana, Chairman OF the
Committee on Printing, reported a Joint Resolu-
..,k< rxfn nno Of
and Armstrong 70 print the 100000 copies Of the
census report, which was ordered TO be printed
ON n former day. The committee, he said, were
unanimously of opinion, that the public printer
had failed to perform his contract. The Secretary
81 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 to establish that the print
inc Of the census report did not necessarily APP
pertain to the public printer.
MrsEvANS, OF Maryland, commenced an at
,.ck on the resolution by stating, that nothing had
been so fruitful Of corruption as the system of
public printing. And went intoa history of Con-
rressionAl proceedings, which resulted in the es-
Establishment Of the contract system; when the
printng was taken by house, which avowedly
took the contract for the purpose ofdestroyng the
contract system and throwing tn printing again
into the hands Of partizan editors. He dsapprov-
ed Of the indefinite manner in which the resou-
tion was framed, and which fixed no limit to the
expense that may be incurred. He contrasted
the course pursued towards Mr.. Hamilton with
reference to the paper used, with that adopted
EDWARDS Mr. Richie. He went into history Of
that genteman's dealings with Congress hitherto,
described the inferior manner in which the public
nrpers ofthe United States printed, when COM
pared with those Of other countries; said he was
opposed TO the corrupt system that had been hith-
erto pursued--he cared not by what partyi and
concluded by moving as an amendment, 10 strike
ont the names OF Donaldson aud Armstrong, and
insert instead the lowest bidder for cash.
MIR. yENABLE, of North Carolina, took the
s.ne view of the subject as dad the gentleman
from MARYLAND, and wished to know why Don
nldson and Armstrong should have been selected
from all the other printers IN the United States,
for the performance OF the work ana 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 pmse, and would be
bound by no party ties in the discharge OF public
duty; and he was under no obligations that would
compel him 70 depart from the strict line Of duty;
and would give the public printing TO whoever
would perform il cheapest aud best.
From the consideration Of the public printing,
Mr.. ". diyerged to one.of political nature, in
which he defined his position. He alluded TO
MIR. Winthrop, who, he said, three days after
the passage Of the compromise measure, intro
duced a bill into the Senate, TO abolish slavery in
The District of Columbia. He could not sustain
anv man who would not pledge himselfto main
tain State sovereignty, and to put down slave agi-
tetion. He said he voted for the compromise
measure not because the Constitution required il;
he was for supporting the government by ODE
dience to the laws, ana would vote TOT any man
,yho wouId undertake to carry out the laws OF the
,snd. When he differed with man about prin-
s;nles no could understand him, but he could not
,dderseud that man who Was continually chang
nc bis views. EIesad hscoud not vote for mees-
,re. the elect Of whicht would be to put
And enable them to give direction 10 public opin