The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-05-13

the Rouse, anu aDrOgdte Tue cOutractS milut
with Donelson e. Armstrong and Gideon Co.
and, however much they are disposed to respect
the wishes Of the House, they cannot execute |
them under the law, without the assent of the
and the concurrence of the Senate
"In respect TO the report of the members OF
the committee of the House, proposing to pub
lish SO, 900 copies of the mechanical part of the
Patent Office report the members Of the Senate
belonging to the committee conceive that they
have no jurisdiction over the subject. The law
requires that all motions to print
extra copies of any document shall I've referred
10 the members of the committee belonging 10
the House in which such motions are made
and these members having exclusive control Of
the subject, the members from the Senate de.
cline to express any opinion in regard thereto.
The members of the committee of the House
do not deem the number of the Patent Office
report proposed to be published unreasonable,
or the price greater than the work will cost
The members of the House belonging to the
committee submit the following resolution, and
ask its adoption:
Resolved, That the Committee on Printing
under the joint resolution of the Sd of August
1916, 'bave power to adopt such measures rs
may be deemed necessary to remedy any neg
lect or delay on the part of the contractor to
execute the work ordered by Congress, and to
make pro rata deduction in the compensation
allowed, or refuse the work altogether, should
it be inferior to the standard; and in all cases
may hold the contractor and his securities re-
sponsible for any increased expenditure consc-
quent upon the non-periormance OF his con-
tract
1t is difficult to find words to characterize
such audacity as this. Authority is given to
the Committee, under the first resolution of
1916, to adopt such measures may be
deemed necessary 10 remedy any neglect or delay
on the part of the contractor, to execute the
work" The resolution specifies two Of these
measures-a pro rata reduction in the compen-
sation allowed; a refusal to receive the work.
We may admit that the terms of the reso-
luton would justify the Committee in employ
ing another printer to execute such portion of
the printing as ne contractor had badly
done, or unreasonably delayed, unless one or
this remediate measure, or directing another,
incompatible with it, Such instructions surely
would be binding on the members chosen by
the particular branch which should adopt them.
In the absence of instructions from the House,
for example, the members of the Committee
appointed by that body may propose measures
in their Judgment deemed necessary to remedy
delay or neglect, but to set up their judgment
in direct opposition to the judgment of the
House, embodied in the form of positive d.
recton, is simply impudent and iutolerable.
1t is true that they act under "A law, so that. if
the law required them to act in one way, and
the House in another, they must obey the law,
or resign. But there is no pretence that the
law enioins any particular mode of action 1t
simply authorizes the Committee to "adopt
such measures may be deemed necessary to
remedy neglect or delay" When the House
is silent the House members of the Committee
have certainly the right to judge what these
measures may be. But should the House it.
self decide what these measures should be- and
accordingly instruct those whom it has ap-
pointed, it is their manifest duty to obey, nor
can they plead in excuse for disobedience that
the law makes it their duty to do otherwise
for the law, we repeat, prescrbes no particu-
lar course as their duty, but merely invests
them with certain power, which is discretion
airy only when they are uninstructed by the
body which appointed them.
But the Committee is guilty, not only of gross
oontumacy and disrespect, but of most fla
grant usurpation, for which it cannot offer the
apology even of legal technicality. The
Joint resolution clearly embraces remediate
measures for neglect or delay, only in the print
ing already ordered The terms of the law
impose this restriction" to adopt such meas
ures as may be deemed necessary to remedy
any neglect or delay on the part of the contractor
to erec,ae the work ordered by Congress"
Now, admitting that in the absence of all
contrary instruction, it has the power to seek a
remedy for such neglect or delay, by employ
ing another printer to do the work that has
been unreasonably delayed or badly executed
by the contractor, what shadow Of right has it
to enter into a contract with other printers for
thereafter order? And yet this very thing it
has attempted; for in its report it says-it
entered into contract with Donelson & Arm
strong, to execute 80 much of the public print
ing as had been or might be ordered by the
House,p &c. Standing upon this outrageous
usurpation, it coolly defes the House, and de-
clares that the Committee. men, whom through
its Speaker it appointed, are independent of its
tah Ia ~, ;So NH
The proper response of the House to these
gentlemen would be their expulsion.
ScANDALoUs.-The following advertisement
appeared conspicuously in the columns of the
National Inteihgencer, last Saturday week;
For SALE-An accomplished and hand
some lady's maid. She is just sixteen years of
age, was raised in genteel family in Mary
land and is now proposed to be Sold not for
any fault but simply because the owner has no
further use for her. A note directed to C.. D.,
Gadsby's Hotel will receive prompt attention"
This is simply putting up young girl for
prostitution. The advertisement means pre-
cisely this. She is accomplished and hand
some" and for whose benefit is this information
given? And the owner sells, not because she
has any fault, but he has "no further use for
her!D Is there father or mother who can
read such an advertisement without loathng
and execrating the system that can sanction it ?
As for the man who could thus deliberately
consign young girl to prostitution, we would
rather take murderer by the hand
We must do the editors of the fnieihgencer
the justice to believe that the thing could not
have found its way into their columns had