New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-04-20
TILE prINILNG OF cOXGEEsS

IF ouv Member of Coz. ress Rad Halt
Million Of Dollars. worth OF Printing OF his
own to do, we presume he would have conf
mon sense enough to cal TO his aid capable
and intelligent printers. under whose advice
he would SO frame his specifications arl
conditions as to know who should really o.
fer to do his work cheapest, ard how much it
would cost him if executed under ore prop
osition or another. He wocld sl.pl',tc
for paper of given size and weight de-
posting specimens whereby to test the
fidelity of the prospective contractors. All
things being made ready. he would Issue
proposals for bids. to be opened and the
work awarded at q specified time. At that
time he would give out the work-not, per-
haps, 10 the lowest bidder Internationally,
but to that one who eminently combined
moderation in his terms with ability to do
the work promptly. handsomely and faith
fully. And he would take care in his
specifications to secure dispatch in excel
ton by STIMULATING for so much damage or
demurrage for every days delay In the de-
livery of any work beyond reasonable
and specified period.
This is the way, we cannot doubt, that
Members of Congress, acting for themselves,
would provide FOR the execution of so large
an amount of Printing as that required by
Congress. How do they manage it when
working for the Country!
Within the last twenty years several
Millions of Dollars have been paid for Con-
gressional Printing-at least one-third more
in the aggregate than fair price; and TIE
work has been about the most wretched OF
any done in the country. Much of it has
been ruinously delayed in the execution; a
good deal of it has been sent forth on paper
unfit for the manufacture of buzzard' 5
nests. Taken as a whole, the Public Print
ing has been either miserably and dilato-
rily executed or it has cost far more than
it ought.
Formerly, the mode of giving out Print
ing was very simple and very fragrant. The
majority in either House gave its Printing
to the publishers of the party organ at
Washington, who charged liberal price
and made handsome fortune out OF the
Job in the course of two or three years, I'M
less he belonged to that large class whom
money will not stay with. This was final
ly given up, under strong pressure of pub
lie opinion, acting upon and fructifying a
jealousy as to who should be recipients of
'the Spoils.' But, though nominally aban-
doned for the lowest bid and contract sys-
TEN, it was never heartily surrendefed.--
The inveterate cormorants regarded the
new system as one by which each of them
was cheated of his just due, and waited
impatiently for the time when the king
shall come by his own again. For sin
gle Congress, the Printing was honestly bid
for, honestly awarded, and tolerably exc
cuted. The next time it Yves bid in at
ruinous prices by Thomas Richie of The
Union, using the names of two of his jour
neymen, with the express intent of break
ing up the Contract System and getting the
work at his own price. He did the work
very badly and tardily, and then came
upon Congress for some 100000 alleged
loss by taking it too low though we do
not believe he ever lost cent by it. He
did take it too low for such paper as he
should have used, but not for such as he
did use. And he came near getting his
100000 out of the last Congress, and does
not despair of it yet!
For the present Congress, the contract
was taken by Mr.. Boyd Hamilton, late OF
The Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, who
does not seem to have possessed either ca
pacity, facilities or credit for its proper ex-
ecution. He has hobbled on wretchedly
until about the LIST inst. having no materials
of his own, and getting his work done at
The Union office, until the trap was ready
to spring when, presto! the scene changes.
The Joint Committee on Printing declare
his contract forfeited by non-fulfllment,
take the Printing away from him and divide
it between The Union and The Republic,
one sucker from each party, ON what terms
we are not advised, but they cannot fail to
be iberal-probably the bountiful rates Of
the good old times. So away goes every
shadow Of Reform, and at the mere say-so
of FIVE or six members of Congress, some
Half Million Dollars will be taken
out Of the Treasury and put into the pockets