The daily union., 1852-09-07

public money il will be difficult for nsares 10 count mn
The amount which have been squanderng hereoiors
70 hls moment, the public printing has been done by
hr hlchle Tor more Than twenty-five per cent less than
any man living has done H. Talk about the pTes,ni
contractor heing below II! The present contractor has
done work according to his contract is moeksrs
upon printing 10 call II work and have abandoned
il upon the ground that he has violated his contract, and
not done the work according 10 il all speaking
OF the xed prices where the printing has been dons
according to the contract and according TO law.
Our prices OF 1919 are we'll understood After
series OF years, when il was supposed that the wors
could be done for less than those prices you reuceS
them so as 10 make them twenty per cent below t6s
prices of 1919. That done, il | recoect under
democratic administration. Blair & Ryes performed
he work at twenty per cent below these prices
When in ls40 the whiss into power. they thought
they would initiate The democratic example, and thew
passed resolution 10 bring the prices twenty per cent be-
low those OF 1919 but al The end OF that Congress s
ter their printers had enjoyed the work during the Who'll,
tAo Yeas. and upon the suggestion o Gales & Seaop
that the editors If the then Madsonan had Lost money IN
doing at twenty per below the prices of 1871 ihe
two houses OF Congress repealed the provso and paid
them the full prices OF 1919. Now, sir, il, the sen.
ator from Connecticut says this is squanaering public
money. what TO think of him and his friends
who paid double the amount to their printers when thew
in power Its admission that they paid double
the prices which this amendment proposes to pay Mr.
Rche. How is It that you paid the full prices OF 1919
to Gales & Seaon, the whg edtors when they did The
printing, and then talk about exrdvagance when pro.
pose pay halt these prices to democrat who has done
The public printing. and lost his fortune by unfou
nate contract believe that Blair Rves once did the
printing subsequently, al twenty i've per cent below the
prices OF 1919, and that according 10 my recollecton
the lowest at which the public printing has ever been
executed by any public printer since the formation OF The
government No whig gentleman has ever done il short
Of the full prices Of 1919 Democratic printers have eY.
ecuted IT at twenty-five per cent less.
Now sir, on this amendment which offer to settle the
| accounts Of Mr.. Richie, who know has grown old
Fin the public service who has retired from the press aud
ceased to be partisan and is ruined and bankrdp
by having executed our work for less than il could Be
done-when propose. 10 pay him one-half what you
have paid the wing printers whenever they have exc.
cuted the workand twenty-five per cent less than any
man, whg or democrat, ever did perform the printing
foIl do not understand this outbreak OF extravaganza
Again we passed law only two days ago appoinunga
scale OF prices in that law. Now, let look and see
what that scale OF prices is for the amendment provides
that the prices to be paid Mr. Richie shall exceed
half the prices OF 1919. and shall also not exceed the
prices which are to oe paid to the public printer under
the law which was passed the day before yesterday
What the prices 10 be paid TO the public printer that's
to be appointed under the laws cannot tell precisely
what they are, but know this to be the history Of
them First, select committee was appointed in the
House OF Representatives to ascertain what fair and
reasonable prices for the public printing and that select
committee, composed OF wings and democrats ndscrim.
naely with distinguished whig its chairman. called
before them all the leading printers OF this city, and took
prices; and after having consulted all the different print
es, wings and democrats, OF all the different papers in
this city, and the job Offices they to the conclusion
that The tariff ol prices fixed by them was fair and
sonabe rate TO be paid to whoever should be the printer
whether he might be whig or democrat They reported
that bill to the House OF Representatives. It also
ceved the sanction of the standing Committee Print
ing. After thus being endorsed by two commit.
lees-one The standing committee OF the House, and the
ether the, select committee appointed for the purpose
after having carefully examined every ltem-the House
took up the bill 10 act upon il aud that House, upon the
motion OF democrat STILL out OF great precauilon lest
too much should be paid, reduced be prices npon
OF the work twenty-five per cent below those fixed by
the Two committees, and in that shape they The bill
10 US The Senate took il up and passed ], as came
tom the Hou.e
Now, providing for the settlement OF the account oil
Mr. Richie, put Two limitations upon the amount to be
paid First, it shall not exceed half the paid
to the wing printers heretofore Second, il shall 10
event exceed the amount which you pay, under the
existing law, TO the public printer who TO execute
work in future. How IL is that gentlemen can get up
here and denounce this as being waseiu exavaganee
OF the public noney-as being tavofllsm to an indvh-
ua after the two houses OF Congress have passed that
law-l am unabe TO comprehend. II is q charge
against the Ssna,e and he House Of Representative
II charge against Congress is Eharge OF lntamy
against their own conduct pas ng bill upon which
the ink is scarcely dry al ipIs moment and il The
charge be true, would like TO know what excuse
any whig upon this floor is 10 have for having paid
twice this amount for every particle OF work which
has been executed by any whg printer since the be-
ginning of The governmentl II these charges could be
proved, what punishment would be adequate for them
do not believe word OF them. Sir, believe the prccs
are fair and reasonable believe the present law gives
aIf and reasonable prices 10 the public printers who
ony fair and reasonable prices 10 Mr. Richie for The
work which he has executed find this explanation
necessary in jushcaton OF mysef for bringing forward
TINS amendment. My object 10 get rad OF this old
claim Let US pay up, and begin thought that
was getting within bounds il got it at half the price
for which the work had heretofore been done, To
guard still furthe have restricted II TO the prices in
the bill which We have just passed. II this is wrong,
we ought TO repeal that act There is no excuse for
continuing II moment, IL these prices too high for
Mr. Richie Then, appehend lbai the remarks which
nave made have shown that this is by all the infer.
that be fairly drawn, fair settlement OF that
these prices have not been considered by commtee
because they not to exceed the prices to be paid
the present public printer authorized by law, which are
sanctioned by two committees OF the House OF Represent
sves, who examined the subject and reported that bill
In that point OF view think have all the safeguards
that could be asked against paying extravagant prices
Tor this printing.
lTo BE cosTIsUEDl