The southern press., 1852-05-08
The Pubic Printing.

The Pubic Printing.
According to promise, we append few
extracts from the debates of Wednesday in the
House, on the printing question. 1t seems to
cool observer that the committee are disposed
to carry matters with very high hand, and that
they assume very lofty position when they
attempt to override the manifest wishes of the
body that created them, and raise points of per
sonal etiquette which have nothingto do with the
matter. Instead Of members of that committee
displaying indignation, we think the body that
right: for the committee.has proceeded to carry
out its own plans in the very teeth of the senti.
men.s of the House. as manifested by repeated
votes. No later than yesterday very emphatic
indication Of this was given on the vote adopt
ing Mr.. CLIKGMAs's resolutions of instruction
without call for yeas and nays.
And yet members of the committee rise in
the House, put on an air of injured innocence,
and intimate that the natural curiosity of the
House on this subject amounts to personal
reflection on them. Now, so far as we have
seen, and know, no personal assaults have been
made on these gentlemen. The whole matter
has been so much enshrouded in mystery that
no one positively knew, or does know to this
day, exactly what the committee has done, or
intends doing. An approximation only TO such
knowledge can be made from their own repre-
sensations and admissions in Wednesdays de
bate, which were by no means clear or explicit,
and from the comparative statement Of the diff.
ference between Towers's bid and the com.
mittee's prices, which was furnished TO us, and
which we still believe TO have been correct at
that time. By reference TO the Southern Pres,
Of the 30th ult il will be seen that on hi.
particular part of the printing, to which Mr.
GoRNAs's remarks must have had reference
rs Il was under consideration-the prices die
not very materially vary, but on other portion.
ofthe printing they did: and this, we presume
will not be denied.
Dir. STANTON admits that the committee took
Towers's bid rs the basis-but made il higher.
While Mr. GoRMAS insists that il was "sub-
stantially" adopted, though "not identical in
al the items" Now, the identical items are
the very things the House wants to see and II
the committee would only report fully their
proceedings, great expenditure Of time, talk,
and temper would be saved by it. Facts and
figures are the things wanted, not flowers Of
rhetoric or general remarks apropos 10 nothing
With regard TO thi, discussion, we believe
Mr.. Evans expressed the general sentiment Of
the Ionse when he observed:
aThere is one thing which rejoice at, as the
result Of all this discussion that we have, al
last, . single fact"
We give portions only Of the remarks of the
different speakers.
Mr.. EVANS. The honorable gentleman from
Wisconsin, W. DoTY,l has introduced for the
consideration Of the House bill not quite perfect
but which may be made so by the House, by which
you can have the printing executed in one week
do not know what my friend from Indiana
Mr.. GoRMAs has done, but know one thing
he has not done, and that is, anything corrupt
j am quite certain that the honorable pentl eman
from Indiana, Mr.. GoRMAN,l the honorable
gentleman from New York, IMr. HAVEN'T OF
any other member Of the Committee on Print.
ing, would not consent 10 any proposition which
they thought was wrong. Yet the action OF
that committee will strike various minds differ
emily. II appears 10 me that they have over.
looked (though know nothing as 10 what they
have done) John T. Towers, the only contractor
who executed his contract during the last Con.
gress, when everybody else who had contracted
TO do the printing violated their contracts. as
no one knows better than nv friend from In.
diana. With all Difference, I conceive that.
however honestly they may have acted, they
have not done what il right.
The gentleman is acquainted with the whole
history OF the difficulties in relation to the print.
ing 1T the last Congress. Contractors then
violated their contracts and nothing was said
abont IT, There was no taking away of the
public printing from the violating contractor
then; no reletting TO other parties. / believe
the Presidents message and ACCOMPANYING dozen.
ments were not delivered until long after thew
were required. John 4. Towers went on ana
executed his contract faithfully-to the letter
although he had underbid the other contractors.
who were DESTROYS Of having the contract for
the printing OF all the classes 1.-THE committee
have passed by him, John G. Rives and other
faithful ana honest men, who can give good se-
curity, and given the printing to Donelson e.,
Armstrong, or Gideon a. Co.-whom believe
10 be worthy gentlemen, and against whom I
would be sorry TO say anythinp-at higher
price, IL is due TO the House that il sboul3 be
reported. The gentleman should not snppress
the facts nor should he, when asked question
by q member, as 10 what had been done by the
committee, have moved the previous question
He should have communicated the whole pro
ceedsgs OF that committee. We should have
known the price Of the bid, and how much higher