The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-04-22
PUBLIC PRINTIEG-THE PRESS

On our return from a short visit TO the Nortl
we find Congress agitated with the question {
the Public Printing. Nearly all the newspa
pers here derive some support from Govern
mental patronage The hteHigencer is print
ing the old debates of Congress the Globe, th
current debates of the House, beside the pro
ceedings of the Senate at $3.50 a column: thu
Republic, the advertisements of the Executive
Departments, through the favor of the Presi
dent the Telegraph, the proceedings of the
City Corporation while the hteihgencer and
Union are selected thc last-named paper
through II violation Of law) tospublish the
notices Of the Executive Departments
The Southern Press and the National Era
are unproyided for Both applied long since
for the printing of the Executive advertise
ments the former having Il larger circulation
than the Union, and the latter larger one
than that of both the Union and Intelligent
Ger together but the Administration. grossly
dsregarding its legal obligations, has rejected
their applications.
By law, the printing Of Congress is given to
the lowest contractor who can give sufficient
security but the contract system, owing to the
hostility of the leading party presses here, has
worked badly. The contractors screwed down
to inadequate prices have failed both rs to
punctuality and quality of performance, and
in the end come before Congress as applicants
for relief from losses sustained by ruinous
bargain
The contractor for the printing of the pres
ent Congress having failed to comply with his
contract, the subject was referred to the Joint
Committee on Printing, constituted under the
following section of an act passed August 3d.
1916:
o." And be ii further enacted, That commit
tee, consisting of three members of the Senate
and three members of the House Of Repre-
sentatiyes, shall be chosen by their respective
Houses, which shall constitute Committee ON
Printing which shall have power to adopt such
measures as may be deemed necessary to RENE
dy any neglect or delay on the part Of the con
tractor to execute the work ordered by Con-
gress' " And to make a pro rata reduction
In the compensation allowed or 10 refuse the
UO'h ul"SttHti' IlubIh tldl i SHOULD III DE IN
terior to the standard &c.
The following members constitute the Com
mlttee on Printing: Borland, Hamlin. and
Smith, of the Senate German. Haven, and
Stanton, of the Housc-lour Democrats and
two Whgs-tour from the Free States, two
from the Slave States--one Free Soil Demo-
crat, one State Rights Democrat, two Compro-
mise Democrats two thoroughly Hmker Wings
As the Democratic party had decisive ma.
Jorlty in both branches the first effort was. to
remedy the delay Of the public printer. by
giving the whole Of it to the WASHINGTON Union.
The ostensbe ground for the transfer was.
the oxIgcnces Of the public service The rea-
sons urged upon some of the members of the
Committee are thus stated by Mr. Borland, in
ms personal explanation of the 18th instant:
The main, if not only, consideration sug-
gcsted by Mr.. Donelson himself to me. and his
active friends to induce me to support that
proposition, was the necessity of it to sustain
the Ch'on as party press; it being alleged
that IN no other way could the paper he sus
tanned and kept up Sir, the appeal was dis
nnctly, and repeatedly and openly, made to
me- as party man, to do this. as IA party
measure, whereby patronage would be given
10 mat paper, which was n losing concern and
could not be sustained except by proFfobIe
JOBS OF pubic printing. Appeals were made
10 me upon that ground, and upon that ground
alone' not merely in connection with this print
ing but when Mr. Brights resolution was re.
ported tyom the Committee on Printing. to give
70 Doneison Armstrong the printing of tn,
seventh census the appeal was made to m,
upon the same ground by the active friends o
the Oni0n, and by one of it's conductors i,
person. mean Mr.. Donelson | was toll,
'nat u was necessary, in order to sustain tn
paper that It must have that printing Nav
en' was Vold-and am sorry TO have 10 sa,
~ out IL ~ necessary to my full Justification
was toiu ny one oil the most active friends q
that preso-one who had its interests speciall,
III charge, IN regard to this patronage. tina
unless the printing was given to Donclson s
Armstrong, and that too, within three week,
the Democratic party would be disorranize
and disbanded. The gentleman who told m
30 said he had agreed with some fifty others ,
the House of Representatives. that the prop.
sltion should he made test of the Democrat
party organization; and that unless it wei
CONFIRMED to, the party would be disorganizc
and disbanded - g.,
Mr.. Borland proceeds to say, that he indi,
nantly repealed all such considerations but
seems that other members appreciated the
force, though they had not votes enough
control the Committee Mr. Fisher, of ii
Southern Press, suggested in his paper, til,
the printing should be distributed equitabl
between the papers in this city" A liberi
proposition, but by no means acceptable
men who wished to monopolize everything f
their party organs The Southern Press the
urged that rs it represented portion of tn
Democratic party, larger, perhaps, than tina
sustaining the Union, the printing should b
divided between them; that such measur
would tend 10 concliate the State Rights Demo
Gratis, and secure votes for the Baltimore nom
nees &c. Mr.. Fisher, in his paper of the l6tl
makes the following statement:
awe said to him, as we had said long be
fore publicly in this paper, that we would con
slider this disposition of the printing as a ties
of the professions of those Democrats who hat
proposed a reunion of the Southern Democrat
with the other portions of the party. And :
we say now and so we will And in orde
not to be misunderstood, we declare that II tn
public printing is gwen TO the Republic an
Union as by the proposed arrangement or b
the Union alone by any arrangement as
matter of party favor, and exclusive OF th'
Southern Press, we will earnestly endeavor t.
prevent the reunion Of the Democratic party
We shall do this on the principle that act