The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-01-27
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
CLAIMS ON THE DEPARTMENTS.

Inc SPEAKER announced that the first business
IN order was the motion of Mr.. FULLER Of Maine,
made last Monday. to suspend tie rules 10 enable
nm To Introduce the following resolution viz
Resoeed, That the Secretary of State the Secre.
'ary OF the Treasury, the Secretary of the Interior
the Secretary OF the Navy, the Secretary of War,
and the Postmaster General, be, and hereby are,
instructed to cause to be reported to this House, as
soon as may be practicable full and complete lists
OF all claims. II any. Gncluding principal and. in
tcrest, and designating each separately allowed
and paid by the respective Departments, or any
bureau thereof, since the 9TH day of March, lS49,
which had been previously presented, suspended
or disallowcd, in whole or in part, and specifying
the character OF such ciaims; and also that they
cause to be reported the names Of all persons who
at any time acted as the agents solicitors for said
claims, and the persons who received any portion
thereof, or were interested therein.
MIR. CAMPBELL, of Ohio, asked the gentleman
from Maine (Mr. FULLER) W modify his resolution
30 as to include claims from the fourth of March,
IS45
Mr.. FULLER declined making a modification,
and said that the gentleman could offer a separate
resolution Tor the purpose of procuring the infor.
nation which he desired
The question was then taken, and the House sus-
pended the rules-yeas 1874, nays &c.
Mr.. FULLER demanded the previous question.
Mr.. CAMPBELL, of Ohio, appealed to the gen.
tleman to withdraw the motion, and promised to
renew it. He desired to offer amendment to the
resolution, to include list of the claims since
the fourth OF March, 1915. lie desired this inves
tgation
Mr. FULLER repeated that the gentleman could
accomplish his object by separate resolution.
MIR. CAMPBELL was aware of that, but he
wished to save the time of the House. IF the gen
tleman from Maine was afraid of investigation
very well
Mr.. BAYLY, OF Virginia, wished modification
OF the resolution-to make the call upon the Prcsi
dent. He thought that the practice which the
House were getting into of calling upon the heads
OF Departments, and thus treating them inde-
pendent branches Of the Executive, was q very
bad practice. The Executive ia a unit, and the
President is the responsible man; and when the
House undertake to make independent calls, they
are guilty of consequences which the Constitution
itself does not contemplate. In the early days of
the Republic they CHE heads of Departments)
were treated as head clerks. Now the practice is
growing into consequence which, be thought,
was inconsistent with the spirit of the Constitution,
and the consequence grows out of, to a very great
extent, the manner in which Congress treat these
Departments.
gentleman, but refused to modify his resolution
The demand for the previous question
SO, noes So; and the question stated
on ordering the main question to be put
Mr.. MlLLSON inquired whether, if the main
question should not be ordered, the resolution
would go over?
The SPEAKER. Yes. till next Monday.
The main question was ordered to be put-yeas
l25, nays g.
The resolution was then agreed to-
BOUNTY LAND LAW
On motion Of Mr.. HARRIS, of Tennessee, the
report Of the select committee to which had been
referred the bill explanatory of the Bounty Land
act of September 2S, 1850, together with the bill
from the Senate to make land warrants assign
able and for other purposes, referred to the
Commit &c OF the Whole on the state OF the Union
and made the order of the day for Thursday; so to
be continued until finally disposed Of
CAPTAIN LONG AND NJ KossUTH
MIR. SMITH, Of Alabama, asked the unanimous
consent OF the House to offer the following rcsolu
ton, viz:
Resoivsd, That the President of the United States
be requested TO furnish TO this House, If not ncon
sistent with the public interest, all the correspond
ence between Captain Long, of the United States
irigate Mississippi, and NJ Louis Kossuth, growing
out OF alleged difficulty or misunderstanding
between the snid Captain Long and the said Kos.
suth; and also the collateral correspondence, if
any, including the letters of and TO Commodore
Morgan and Consul Hodge, arising upon the said
and connected herewith.
Mr.. BELL Is not this resolution day.
The SPEAKER II 10. and it is also competent
to move to suspend the rulsp If there be objection.
Mr.. GIDDlNCS. II this 10 resolution day, l call
for the regular order Of business.
Mr.. SMITH moved to suspend the rules; and the
motion prevailed.
The resolution was then agreed to.
THE CENSUS PRtsrIso-rHx PRoPRiEroRs OF Tnr
UNION, AND THr PREsiDEsuAL INJECTION.
Mr.. GORMAN, from the Committee on Public
Printing. introduced joint resolution to the ef.
feet that the Joint COMMITTEES on Public Printing be
directed to contract with Donelson and Armstrong
for the printing and binding Of the Census such
terms "a the committee may deem reasonable and
proper, the work to be executed under the direc-
ton Of the Secretary Of the Interior, and paid for
IL progresses; and that the committee have power
to make deductions If the work is deficient or be.
low the standard agreed upon.
lie sad that considerable an ricty had been mani
Tested by the Census Board and the Superintendent
OF the Census, and by the House, upon the subject
OF the census report. The Joint Committee on
Printing had, this morning unanimously passed n
resolution declaring that the public printer Mr.
iamilton) has not complied with his contract in
relation 10 the materials he Ia making use Of The
printing OF the census is required by almost every
member, and, in consequence of the many importu
mites il 10 insisted that something be done towards
having il commenced without unnecessary delay.
In addition to the manifestation Of the House, the
Secretary Of the Interior and the Superintendent Of
the Census had been bothered az 20 the printing,
and they too, are anxious for action upon the sub
ject. On the first blush, gentlemen will be under
the imprcssion that this work belongs 81 the public
printer but by reference TO the act Of 1851 which
prescribos the preparatory and preliminary forms,
il will be that these were TO be printed under
the direction of the Census Board The other clause
in the law is, that all other printing shall be exc
cuted "as Congress may direct" SO THE is not
dcbatable question. There lie no member Of the
Printing Committee who is not clearly Of the opin-
ion that thi. docs not come within the contract Of
the public printer. For the purpose Of crpediting
the census printing the resolution has been offered.
been done in relation 10 the resolution which passed
the House a week ago, ordering the Committee on
Printing TO procure one hundred thousand copies
Of the abstract Of the census prepared by the So.
porintendcnt, and published in the Giob, the
first instant.
DIR. GORMAN replied that the subject had been
before the Committee on Printing, aud that he al.
dressed note 70 the public printer. and called up
ON Mr. Rvcs. lie also addressed a note 20 DonclsOn
and Armstrong. Mr.. Riyos did not desire 10 have
any thing to do with the matter II IL, in the losst,
confictcd with the public printer, although he bad
the abstract in type; and he reluctant 20 print
the copies until IL was distinctly Understood that
II would not conflict with the public printer. Do
nelson and Armstrong declined; and Mr. Rives
declined until action could be had. II he (Mr.
GoRMAs) should have the concurrence OF the com
mittoe, he would order the printing OF Mr. Rives
and In the course Of two three days the copies
would be furnished TO the House.
Mr.. EVANS, OF Maryland. said il was perfectly
well known that no single thing in the history Of
the Iiousc-nnd most fruitful source Of corruption
and discussion had been so entirely covered up
the public printing, which had been lily executed
and badly correspouded with the contract. II had
generally been taken as a profitable job TO sustain
partisan editors and publishers, who could not
make out fair case 10 entitle their papers 10
At.ro sI.a ~ Ip,r