The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-14
uOJJSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
TUESDAY, April l3, 1852.
THE PUBLIC PRINTING

THE PUBLIC PRINTING.
Mr.. STANTON, Of Ohio, moved to reconsider
.ha vote nv which the House refused to suspend
the rules to allow the gentleman from Misslsslppl
INT. RRowN1 to introduce his resolution on the
subject Of the public printing.
The SPEAK Err ruled the motion our OF oraer'
md cited presidents to show that motions to re-
consider motions to suspend the rules were not IN
order.
presented
NAVAL DISCIPLINE BILL
Tb. House proceeded to consider the bill of the
Senate to enforce discipline and promote good con-
duct in the navy of the United States ;,
Mr.. STANTON, Of Tennessee, then proceeded
70 renlv to the remarks Of Mr.. STUART, of Mchi-
igan, and Mr.. MlLLsoN, Of Virginia, against the
b;Il. He believed that officers in the army and
navy ought to be appointed, not by grade, but
nartIv upon the principle Of merit and partly upon
that Of seniority. 1t would not be proper to dis,
regard the length of service when that service had
been faithful, and when the officers were capable
and fit to hold place. He agreed with the gentle
man from Michigan [Mr. SruARr,] that strong
necessity existed for total revision of the code
governing the navy, and referred to the bill winch
the Naval Committee reported on this SUBJ ect al
the last session, which was referred to the Com.
mittee of the Whole, and there slept the sleep OF
death.
He admitted that the bill before the House was
but partial and therefore temporary IN Its char
acter, designed to meet a particular emergency
which was now pressing upon the country. lie
replied to the objections urged, that the biIl con-
ferred summary powers upon the commanders OF
vessels. and argued that such power was necessa'
Nv and far more preferable than the mode pro-
nosed bv the gentleman from Virginia Mr.. MILL
LON, that Of trial by summary court martial. re
then showed the evils which would flow from the
adoption of such system, and explained the sub
stitute he had offered for the bill before the
House.
object of the Japan expedition, and said that II
his political friends expected to make any poitl-
cal capital out oft by calling upon the President
for information, they would find themselves mis-
taken. He urged speedy action on the bill.
PUBLIC PRINTING AGAIN.
Mr.: GORMAN, from the Committee on Print
ing. submitted report in reference to the recent
action Of that committee in giving the printing OF
the House tn Messrs Donelson and Armstrong,
and that of the Ser ate to Messrs. Gideon d Co.
The report is statement of the proceedings I
the committee, and declares that Mr.. Hamilton,
the present contractor, had not fulfilled his con-
tract and therefore, for the purpose of obtaining
the proper execution Of the work, they had exer-
cised the power given them under the law Of 1886,
and given such work as MIR. Hamilton had not
executed according to the contract, to Messrs.
)0uetHOQ
Mr.. q. then proceeded to justify the action of
the committee He proce edtd to show that Mr..
Hamilton, the present contractor, had not COM
ned with the terms Of the contract, and that even
the cost Of the white paper, if he complied with
his contract, would be more than all he would re-
ceive from his contract OF course, then, he could
not be expected to execute his contract, unless he
should be sustained by millionaire. He then
sustained the committee by quoting from the law
Of 1886, and said that Congress could not AFRO
gate the powers Of the committee without repeal
ing the law. !,
He had learned, by publication made in the
of some that that paper should have portion OF
the " spoils," as they were termed. He would
ask the gentleman Of New York Mr. HAVEN and
the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. SrANroNl if
thew had ever heard it suggested in any way that
the So,the,-, Press desired part Of the public
Messrs. STANTON and Haven nodded dissent.
Mr.. GORMAN said that that paper had never
solicited part Of the printing.
MIR. HAVEN followed, and also defended the
action Of the committee, alleging the non-perform-
ance OF the contract by the present printer The
contractor had shown that he was unable to per-
form the heavy work according to contract, and
thew had given this kind Of work to those capable
Of performing it, while that portion of the work
which the contractor had issued according to the
terms Of the contract, they had allowed him to
retain. :,
M. DEAN moved that the House resolve itself
into Committee of the Whole with view OF taking
up. the Hcmsstead bill; which was negat'ved-
yeas IS, uays IS.
Mr.. BROWN shen moved to print the report OF
the Comuitlee on Printing.
M. FLORENCE moved TO amend the motion