The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-02-06

contract upon reasonable terms am willing therefore,
10 conhde thai jurisdiction 10 them.
formally expressed 10 the Senate on former occa-
sion that felt myself bound 10 vote for relieving this
committee from this duty, il the honorable chairman
Mr. boRLAkp] had persisted in his objection That
upon grounds personal 10 him senator but when the
committee IS wiling TO take II, am perfectly willing to
trust II TO them Now, what IS The difficulty in making
alr aud reasonable contract IN relation 10 part
well as TO another Ii they make fair and rea-
sonable contract for the presswork, why they not for
the paper do not understand that there is any mys
terry about this-in making contract for the paper
has 10 spulae for the kind OF paper the size OF the
paper and the quality OF the paper and have sample
furnished This is what he has 10 do when he makes
contract OF that sort And why cannot the committee do
that well they make contract for the compo.
siton and press-work They can ascertain the whole
sale prices OF the paper well as they can the proper
price OF the press work And so Is with regard TO the
binding There is, therefore, no necessary why
the government should suffer injustice by contract Of
this Sort made by this committee more than there is in
any other contract made by any committee oice
OF the government.
True, sir any one Of them may make bad bargain
True, sir all OF US united together. as wise
collectively and individually, may make bad bargain
The Committee on Printing may be overeached, the Sec
rotary OF the Interior may be oveTeached, and may
every human being. But feel very strong confidence
that while my friend from Connecticut Mr.. SMITH is
upon that committee there will not be a very great
amount thus lost to the government. II wanted any
additional reason Tor condng the trust to that committee
il is from the very fact that he has been designated
member OF it. Well sir now exercising what consider an
unquesonabe jurisdiction OF legislative power this
subject and at the came time intending TO offer insults 10
no one, propose TO amend this resolution, leave
the Committee on Printing TO enter into this contract ;
and for the reasons have already stated, think they
Will make, and can make fair just and reasonable
bargain,
Now, the honorable senator from Connecticut [Mr
SMITH seems 10 think that large profits be made
OF the government He says he does not say exorblan
pfohs, But, Mr. President, this is large work and, for
my own part, to any body of contractors any indivd
ual contractors, who will give this work executed
as TO DC credit TO the country aud worth preserving,
am willing 10 pay large and liberal compensation
have no desire whatever that persons who do this for the
government should be otherwise than well paid be-
eve there no striking exhibition OF the penny
wisdom and pound folly than there is IN the attempt TO
cure the services OF others with anything less than fair
muneIaon And shall be extremely sorry TO learn that
my friend Mr.. SMIrHl OF the Committee on Printing
do not believe that he would do it-woud be disposed
to make hard and exacting bargain. On the contrary
while believe he has desire 10 save the government
from injustice, In my opinion he would be the last man
on that committee who would be willing 10 do injustice
10 others
Now, sir suppose the contract well made My honora-
BILE friend from Connecticut Mr. SMITH is exceedingly
disturbed because my amendment proposes 10 supesede
the necessity OF those precise cautious and accurate pro-
visions which he supposes his committee would put INTO
the contract Tor an ehectua supervision | have no
doubt the committee would do their best and that their
best would be good but, nasmuch as think the commit
tee coald devise no better plan than the proposed in
the amendment which have submitted, reason
why we should leave that to the committee which we
can better do ourselves. | satisfied that the chair
man OF the committee will be glad 10 be relieved from
mat responsibility as he would from any other not
ay and necessarily imposed upon him in this business
lhs proposition leaves TO the Secretary OF the Interior
to supervise IT, There be Improperly in that
IL document prepared under his supervision and
perintendence. coming from his department. and OF
course the supervision naturally falls to his department
In his direction he will be aided by the head of the Cen
sus bureau That is all very proper. 1t seems TO me
hat THIS is the best modeor at least good oneto have
our work done well, and with credit TO and 10 the
country.
Now, sir what can you propose better than this The
hat Hrsf lat
The contract, and then not TO complete the business
Why SIR, the reason for that is very obvious the Com
when the contract is settled there will be no necessity
Tor their further nterposiiion. Bu. this work TO be
executed-t is 10 be executed. going for months 1t
will be in the process OF execution in the recess OF Con-
gress; the supervision OF the execution is be vigan
and lncessan You must, therefore, place the and
supervision OF ii in the hands OF officer who will
attend to IT. and who will always be ready perform the
duty required. The committee cannot do IT, Would my
honorable Trend Mr. SMITH propose that the joint
mittee should have the printing go during the session.
giving up their time, daily TO its supervision And then.
il seems they are TO stay here during the recess upon
their per diem Tor the purpose OF supervising the census
printing think, Mr. President this matter is properly
consdeIed-though my amendment | do not pretend
10 suppose is the best in the world, but that is
fair and reasonable one-there will be no objection
made to and think that the honorable senator should
have treated the matter in good temper and accused
me OF aiding and abeting the from Indiana [Mr
BRTcHTl IN making foray in the Senate OF the United
States. assure my friend have no such project in
from the system OF letting II 10 The lowest bidder
want j executed under system which will il 10
be well done; and want those who execute il 10 be
well paid for IT, And in this ! am acting under the
same rule here in the public business in my private
transactions willing to hope for the best, and TO
trust the very honorable and respectable gentleman az
the head OF the Census Bureau and the Secretary OF the
Interior
Mr. CASS. desire 10 say few words upon the SUBJ
Iceland they will be very few. The necessity OF this
printing is felt by all The question before the Senate is
as 10 the mode Shall we effect bya contract previ
ously entered into and wait its execution, shall we
take the means OF eiectlng II into own hands and
IneHor why not 60 TO an open contract, as II IS called
There are very sufficient reasons founded upon long ex
penence In the first place, we have security as 10
time. As have before observed, the decennal period
might again go by before these returns would be printed
Why, sir, we shall not get the Presidents message,
communicated at the commencement OF this session, until
the end OF the session. and perhaps not until long after
sands OF dollars in the printing OF documents whose in
teest depends upon their immediate and distribution
among the American people, and the subjects themselves
will have passed into oblivion before the documents APP
pear Shall we pursue such system upon such an i'm
portan matter as thisl
pend upon the execution OF the work. Propositions are
made exceedingly low-ower than the parties afford.
The parties must then necessarily either abandon the
tract or do the work improper and upon
materials less than they should be- II the contracts are
abandoned when Congress rs not session, very
likely to be the case. the work 10 another sss
SION and so II may continue 10 20 from ses-
sion TO another during the whole decennal period On
the other band, this is of those in which the
work should be well done and IL the contractor does
throw up his contract bis only other resource do
his work badly as great deal OF the work is done. u