The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-02-07
more or the Census Printing.

speaking on the Census Ffintlng. ~ seems ne
had offered the following amendment to Mr.
SMITHS amendment to the original resolution,
which directed the Joint Committee of the two
houses on Printing, to contract with the proprie-
tors Of the Washington Union, for printing the
returns Of the census on reasonable terms"
Strike out from the amendment to the amend
ment all after the words " il shall be the duty OF,
and insert the following
---ssThe Joint Committee on Printing to contract
with Messrs Doneson & Armstrong for printing
and binding the census, on such terms as the com
mittee may think reasonable and proper; the work
to be executed under the direction of the Secretary
Of the Interior, and to be paid for from time 20
time during the progress Of the work by the head
of the Census Bureau, under the direction OF the
Secretary, with power in the Secretary TO aoate
from the amount stipulated, if the work, when ex
ecuted, shall prove deficient or below the standard
which may be agreed upon.
Now, one might suppose that the reasonable
proposition wemade the other day, for the Cen.
sus Pr De divided among the several
news bIishments of the city, would
have HE prompt concurrence of the
Union. 1batpaper is devoted, as It says, to the
reunion Of the Democracy on its original prin-
ciples. And we have a faint recollection that
one Of these principles was anti monepoly. If
we are not mistaken, a good many edifying arti.
cles used to appear in the Globe, in the good old
times of VAN buren, and JACKSON, denoancing
monopolies; and particularly that desperate mo-
nopoly, the Bank of the United States, which
allowed her favorites among members of Con.
i L. u
lie large loans. Now, the census job, according
to the developments of yesterday, may amount
to the matter of one or two millions of dollars
and at the lowest rate of profit that has been
named-say ten per cent.-this would give .
nett bonus of one or two hundred thousand
dollars to the contractors. Well, this beats any
of the accommodations of the old monster--fer
none Of her favors. as exposed and denounced,
ever went that far. Why then should the Union
persist in claiming the whole of this enormous
job, to the exclusion of all the other papers 10
the city! Is it not evident the Union, in thus
plunging into such monstrous monopoly, will
throw scandal OIL its interesting effort TO re-
unite the Democracy! Why what are the
symptoms already! Why that the Union has
already enlisted the sympathies of the Wigs.
We found Mr.. BADGER addressing the Sen
ate in favor of the Union. And who is Mr..
BADGER Why he is an ex member of General
Harrison's admiIistration--an Elk Secretary OF
the Navy-an administration that came into
power by the election of 1910, we were told, by
the aid Of had cider, ceon-skins, and the most
cantankerous assault on the Democratic party
ever known. Well, has Mr.. BADGER changed
lis politics-is he to join in the re union of the
Democracy If so, he has made no public re-
canlation Of his DID, or declaration Of his new
faith; on the contrary, il seemed to us from the
length, the enthusiasm, the emphasis Of his
speech in favor Of giving this job to the Union,
that he was animated, directed aud inspired by
the old insGnct of the party, which the old Globe
editers-nsughty fellows, used TO call the
British-bank-b ought-federal-party Mr.. BADGER
could not have manifested more zeal, more en-
ergy, more solcitude in bis palmiest days for
the re.charier OF the United States Bank, or
high protective taif
But, perhaps, there is another solution for this
newborn zeal Of Mr.. BADGER, Tor giving jobs 10
a Democrats organ. 1t will be remembered We
stated the other day that we were advised there
was a secret ation between the Union and the
Republic TO o6tsin this job. The Union spoke
Of this report as falsehood-but we called on
the Republic TO answer-and IL has answered
not Now IL seems that Mr. BADGER proposes
that the work shall be executed under the d.
rccton Of the Secretary Of the Interior, and that
he shall have power to sbate and withhold the
pay for failures on the part Of the contractor as
10 the quality Of the work, or the time. Well,
II such condition were annexed to the work,
it would be i'm portant, almost Indispensable, TO
have partner in the job Of the politics Of the
Republic. For the Secretary Of the Interior has
displayed such profound capacity for rnisappre
hension in constituting the very plain law that
regulates The Executive printing when political
opponent is concerned, that II would be exceed.
ingly inexpedient for Democratic reunion or.
gan to have 70 g9io him every week and be de.
pendent on his Expectation Of so large con-
tract, and Of the mode Of executing IT, Would
il not be far better 10 give the acute and astute
editor Of the Republic large per centage Of the
job and its profits, 10 secure his invaluable ser.
vices as mediator And IL this were done, then
both Of the great national parties would have
organs richly e a. Of the public chb-and
prepared q furI| |soneeriug documents TO
order, at the sboIl = essice and on tie lowest
terms ~
There are, however some unsettled points 10
this coalitiop--or piber compromise-tbst is
the word--~hich ~ 1ivide the diplomats or
councils Of " 81 6|rscting powers. The
Administrative y wants TO reserve under
its sole controI - >1tchase Of The paper That
is perhaps more Than half the job. And, as the
quantity ofthe paper is enormous, and the quail.
ity thing that admits Of great executive discre.
ton, in determining the relative value Of differ.
anf oonnnlos and Aha oorraonnoH.,..A If a..