The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-13
The Congress Printing /.

Inc lnallty OF the congress prlhliuS Jou
occurred yesterday very much in the manner
we expected, only more So
1t seems that the law has been violated more
than we supposed. The law which provides
for the printing of Congress, requires the com.
mittee to be elected by each House. The law
is as follows:
The committee, consisting of three mem.
bers of the Senate and three members OF the
House of Representatives shall be chosen by
1 their respective Houses, which shall constitute
a Committee on Printing, which shall have
| power to adopt such measures as may be deemed
necessary to remedy any neglect or delay on
the part of the contractor to execute the work
ordered by Congress, and to make pro rata
reduction in the compensation allowed, or to
refuse the work altogether, should it be inferior
| to the standard and in all cases, the contractor
and his sureties shall be responsible for any
increased expenditure consequent on the non-
performance of the contract. The committee
shall audit and pass upon all accounts for
printing; but no bill shall be acted upon for
work, that is not actually executed and deli
vered, and which they may require to be proper
y authenticated. joint Res. I'd Sec. Isl Sess.
och Cong.
The joint rule of the House for the appoint.
ment Of committees, is as fellows:
Standing rules and orders for conducting busi-
ness in The House # Representatives..
TOUCHING THE DUTY OF THE SPEAKER.
7. All committees shall be appointed by the
Speaker, unless otherwise specially directed by
the House, in which case they shall be appointed
hu ballot. and ~ ,Innn ruch haIlnt fba MN, har
required shall not be elected by a majority of
the votes given, the House shall proceed to
second ballot, in which pleurality of votes
shall prevail; and in case a greater number
than is required to compose or complete com
mittee shall have an equal number of votes, the
House shall proceed TO a further ballot or
ballots.-Jan ID, 1890.
Yet, although this committee was otherwise
provided for by law, the Speaker appointed it.
The portion of the committee appointed for
the House, consisted of Mr.. GoEMAN Of Indiana,
and Mr.. STANTON Of Kentucky, two Compro.
mise Democrats, and Mr.. HAVEN Of New York,
Compromise Wing.
This committee thus appointed contrary to
law proceeded to act contrary TO law, in giving
in effect the printing of Congress TO the Union
aud Republic.
On yesterday morning Mr. BRowE, of Missis-
sippi, offered resolution in the House decara-
tory of this violation of law aud to prevent its
consummation. 1t required a vote of two-thirds
to suspend the rules TO consider the resolution.
The ayes and nays were called for and they
were ayes SO, nays $3.50 that not quite two
thirds were for considering, and the contract OF
&c committee stands.
OF those who voted for considering this mat
| ter, there were IS Democrats and 80 Wings.
Those against it were "a Democrats and 26
Wings. 1t thus appears that the course of the
committee was condemned by almost two thirds
of the House, and by almost exactly two thirds
Of the Democrats present, the members Of the
committee themselves voting with consumate
modesty for themselves Such awithering re-
buke has never before been bestowed on coal
itiou-intrigue Of papers pretending to be organs.
They stand exposed by an overwhelming vote
Of majority of both parties Of which they affect
to be organs. We understand that the reason,
why some of the Wings voted for the Union
was because they thought they could do their
party no better service than by sustaining such
an incompetency as the Union for Democratic
organ, and we suppose some Of the Democrats
might give the same reason in favor of the
Republic.
The Democrats who voted for this outrage
on law, on usage, and on party, are the very par
ticular and peculiar champions of party fealty on
all occasions, except when job is wanted for
their own set, and can be obtained only by a
coalition with the enemy TO defeat majority Of
their own party.
We have often dwelt on the meanness OF
party organship before, but were not quite pre-.
pared to see II take this plunge. The Washing
ton Union may henceforth be regarded as the
organ Of 81 Democrats and 20 Wings, and the
Republic as ditto. This is the principal part oil
the remnant Of Compromises Of both parties il
the House. Here we have another and most
signal illustration Of what we have before stated
that whenever an net Of peculiar turpitude is &c
be committed, an act TOO shabby for the ricketty
reputation Of one party TO stand, it is under
taken by coalition Of both. But we COMES,
we were not prepared, by all we had seen o.
shameless spoliation, to see the virtual election
Of printers TO both Houses, and job Of severa
hundred thousand dollars, snatched from both, il
contempt Of their expressed will, and Of a sol
emn vote Of nearly two thirds. Nor did W,
4 expect the prestige Of organshp-the moral.
low as It was-would be thus given up, even TO
the probable profits Of such job Really, tn,
organ of the faithful-executon ofthe.law capdi
date, and the ex-private secretary Of Genera
JACKSON, have succeeded in fixing an estimate
on themselves and their cause, which their mos
relentless enemies could hardly have been crue
enough 10 have made.
We are informed on the best authority thi
the prices to be paid the coalition printers al
the bids made by Mr.. RrvEs, for this printing !