The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-02-06

verify believe very large amount OF the public money
ne hohoaOe senator IRON Indiana content TO de-
liver into the hands of these gentlemen whatever
prohts they might make out OF the paper composilon
and but the honorable senator from North Car
olna Is not content with that margin OF profits He seems
TO have the anxiety about the prosperity OF the Union
ofhce that my honorable friend from Indiana manifested
as humbly conceive, by introducing this proposition 10
The consideration the Senate; but he is not content
with the profits they make out of the original reso-
luton but proposes also TO hand to them the bind
ing OF this work They practical printers They
are the propneors OF political press in this city They
have no bndery, But sir, the honorable senator from
North Carolina wishes to give them larger margin of
prohts, and wishes, therefore, TO hand them the
binding OF documents letting them Job il out, give il to
other blndery in this city, and make large profit,
| as know they WILL by the operation Why should
the binding OF these documents be given Donelson
Armstrong Why not hand il over to the Secretary of
the Interior, 10 be contracted for in conformity with the
provisions of The law of May 49, 1912 Or II il s not
to be let out 10 the lowest bidder why not hand the
binding OF these documents to the Committee Print
ing, and let them make contract with the different pro-
pretors l-fo there considerable number Of them
and the Committee on Printing have had little expert
ence IN this matter OF making contracts with the bindey
establishments in the city OF Washington We made
contract very short time ago upon the subject.
and believe very prudent and udicious contract Il
has been my good fortune TO concur most fully and on
all occasions in the views and plans entertained by my
honorable friends constituting the majority of that
mittee.
But says the honorable senator from North Carolina,
want to hand to the Union office the binding of
these documents and place them in condition to job it
out, and exor from hard working mechanics and arti-
sans IN tns CITY In DfdnCu OF
centage We know what they will do. Sir, never
will consent to any such scheme this and, have
already remarked to the Senate the two houses of Con-
gress have had some experience upon this subject At
the last Congress made contract for doing the public
printing, mainly with Belt Il Trenho I'm; and with these
same gentlemen we made contract for the execution Of
the binding OF the two houses Of Congress, although
they not practical bnders-although they had
bindery. What did they do' They went and underlet
that contracts and, as have been crediby informed they
exorted from the workmen engaged in this business
profit of eight thousand dollars. That will be
done il this scheme is carried out in conformity with the
views expressed by my honorable friend from North
Carolina.
But, sir will not dwell upon this subject any further.
Whatever the majority OF this honorable body may do
with regard to the printing, have not the slightest ap
prehenson that they about to yield their assent to-
proposition M for handing d over to the prSp@e0rs metz Of the
amount to a very large sum OF money.
But there is another objection to this amendment 1t
provides that the Joint Committee Printing shall be
directed 10 with Messs. Donelson Armstrong
for the printing and binding OF the the commit
tee may deem to be reasonable and proper But now
come some provisions that are new, admit:
"The work be executed under the direction Of the Sec
etay Of the Interior, and 10 be paid for from time TO time,
during the OF the work. by the head OF the Census
in the Secretary to abate from the amount stipulated the
work, when executed, shall prove deficient below the
standard which may be agreed upon"
In the first place, in regard TO this clause, these pro-
visions in the amendment OF the honorable senator, l
have 10 that they totally unnecessary Does the
honorable senator suppose that if the Committee on
1
members Of that committee will not insert in the contract
proper spuatons and guarantees for the due perform
ance OF the work. The amendment really apperains to
the duties OF the committee. You know very well that
IN the binding contract inserted in the contracas
shall in every contract which the Senate shall direct
makeproper spuations and guarantees in order to in
the due performance of the terms OF the contract
am not prepared to say that these the proper spua
tons and the proper guarantees. not prepared to
aniees by any means What sipulations we shall in
sert-what guarantees we shall require-in my humble
Judgment matter which should come before the Com
mttee on Printing, and which should be inserted in the
contract itself, and not in any resolution which this
honorable body may pass
But, Mr. President, regard the part Of the resolution
indignty the honorable Secretary OF the Interior
do not suppose il was intended by the honorable
mover. But suppose, sir that this amendment should
be adopted and that the resolution should pass the two
houses OF Congress in conformity with the provisions OF
this amendment desire TO ask the Senate what kind
of an exhibition do make Of this subject upon the
records of the government Do we not know that il is
saying have confidence in the Secretary of the In
teor-tha could not consent to his making the
tract3 And having said that will not trust the Sec
reary OF the Interior TO make the contract the honorable
senator from North Carolina proposes TO say that
conhde in him TO execute the contract We have
hdence IN you Mr. Secretary, 10 make such contract
this, and therefore take il into hands, and will
draw the contract through the agency OF OF the
standing committees OF the two houses OF Congress- but
when come TO the performance OF this contract
will let you in TO see whether the execution OF the con-
tract is in conformity with the sipuatons. must say
Mr. President that think this is pretty poor compli-
men TO the honorable Secretary o the Interior, coming
from any side OF this chamber.
But sir, desire TO PROFOUND for the consideration OF
my honorable friend the old inquiry. | want to know
what OF printing this is Is il printing,
or is it departmental printing insisted the other day
that departmental printing. II So why is Con-
gress making contract about 1t III it is congressional
printing why do call upon the Secretary OF the Inte
rior 10 interfere this matter At first the amendment
of the honorable senator from North Carolina
that congressional printing and therefore he proposes
that the contract shall be negotiated, drawn up and
tered into, by Of the standing committees OF
the two houses OF Congress-the Committee on Print.
it is congressional printing remarked the other
execute the contract But the honorable SENATOR being
apparently that this could hardly be regarded az
congressional printing after having said as he proposes
that should say here, that the Secretary OF the Interior
cannot be ntrusted 10 negotiate this contract then pro-
poses 10 put the execution of the contract into the hands
of the Secretary OF the Interior and to put into his
hands very large power respect TO the matter for he
gives him the power TO abate from the price contained in
the contract If there is not exact conformity with
what he understands TO be its stipuations object TO
this IN toto only indgnity to the Secretary of
the Interior, but also upon the ground that, take
this business into hands a, all am for going through
with the work, for attending to the execution of the
work, for attending to the performance OF our con-
tract and for investing the Committee on Printing with
the power OF deciding whether there is is not con-
formity the terms OF the contract object IN toto 70
having this matter partly in the hands OF the committee Oh
the two houses OF Congress and partly IN the nanos OIL
the Secretary Of the Interior cannot therefore, agree
to any such proposition this nor can agree 10 II
merely because the honorable mover has seen mt 10 bap
| tlze il with the name OF compromise. 10 no COM