Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-04-17
FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 1852.
IN SENATE.

IN SENATE
Mr.. BoRLAND rose to personal explanation He
had at his request been excused few days SINCE from
service the Committee Printing of which he had
been chairman for than three years He had hoped
that he would thus escape from all connection
with the business Of that committee the duties of which,
though each small in ITSELF had been in the ag-
gregate and from their nature very incubus upon his
life. The course, however, which members of the
mttee in the House had thought proper to pursue and
the statements Of certain Union espe-
ciaymade il necessary and proper for him trouble
the Senate with few words to place his in
regard to the public printing fairly before the country
He noticed the statement of the Union . which, by
nnuen placed him in the attitude Of the representa-
tive advocate of the Southern Press or National Era
before the Printing Committee endeavorng or desiring
portion of the public printing for those papers He
PEELED the imputaton and declared that he only did
not advocate the claims Of either of those presses but
he would have been opposed giving either Of them any
portion of the printing if it had been proposed and had
SO informed the proprietor of the Southern Press.
He denied that he had answered Mr.. GoRMAN in COM
mittee, that he wanted nothing be done with the
public printing. He had answered, when called for
proposition of particular person recipient Of the
patronage, that he had proposition make that he
was in committee chairman ready put any question
or proposition to vote but he had to provide for
and proposition to make but should himself vote for
proposition that did not suit his own views Of pro-
priety.
He said he party mana Democrat from his
youth up to the present time devoted to his party and
patronage whenever any should be at his disposal to his
political friends instead Of his political opponents But
he would not create patronage for any Assuming
however that he could properly and should party
man. give such patronage he had to dispense to his po
ltical friends, surely he under obligations give
it to who differed with him in opinion and sentiment
upon questions of public policy party politics In this
particular case, who proposed to the commit
tee the recipient of this patronage agreed with him in
sentiment and opinion to extent satisfactory him
as to induce him to recognise him his party represen
tave entitled to patronage at his hands The Southern
Press and the National Era before the commit
tee and they had been, he would have voted against
them. The "Union" and the Republic" were before
the committee and neither of them being satisfactory
to him as partisan, he voted against them.
He conrased the resolution of the committee which
really adopted the 9Th April and which is upon
the journal Of the committee, it reported by him
to the Senate the 13th with the reported by Mr.
GoRMAS in the House which purported to be the adopt
ed. They were, respectively, as follows:
Resoed, That the committee enter into contract with
Donelson Armstrong do the future printing of the
Congress for the House and with Gideon Co. for the Senate
upon such terms as shall be agreed upon hereafter"
Resoired That for much of the public printing may
be deemed necessary by the committee TO remedy neglect
delay on the part Of the contractor mr. Hamton
the work ordered by Congress- persons doing
under the direction Of this committee be allowed the
price contained in Mr. Rivess bid for printing the SD
Congress- Prorde That in shall pay be allowed for
double composition"
Mr. denied that he had obstnately or contumacious
ly resisted the action of the Committee on Printing which
might be inferred from the statement Of the majority Of
the committee in their Defence that the exgencies
of the public service had required the committee to
precisely they had done While he admitted that the
contractor had far failed to fulfil his obligations to
require the committee to make other
he denied that the action Of the committee in making the
particular arrangement in question: either the only
the best one that could have been made He
denied Also that the seectedo do the work
the best qualified the best prepared to execute it and
he said further that the prices agreed to be paid for
the work higher than need to be paid in order to
ensure the prompt and proper execution Of the work
Mr. b. stated that in the various appeals that had been
made TO him, and far he could judge the controlling
considerations in favor Of giving the printing to Doneson
& Armstrong and to Gideon Co. with themselves
and their special friends the giving of patronage and sup
port the party press He had been repeatedly solicited
by the editor of the Union give for that purpose
as that paper losing concern and could sustain
itself without profitable jobs Of public printing He had
also been appealed to, party man, by the chairman
of the House committee MIR. GoRmAN, upon the same
ground Indeed that gentleman had gone further and
declared especially in regard to the printing! that
unless it given to Donelson Armstrong within three
weeks the Democratic party would be disorganized and
disbanded he Mr. Co. and fifty other members of
the House, had resolved make il test of Democratic
party organization Mr. said he did not know how Tar
Mr. g. had authority speak for the fifty Others or how
far he himself in earnest but however that might
be, Mr. B. repudiated oil such He loved Democra-
cy, and would stand by under oil circumstances butn
its party organization depended upon giving patronage 70
newspapers at Washington or of rewardng partisan SER
vices out Of the public Treasury, he would not sustain
such organization moments and If the conditions OF
the partisan service of the Union newspaper were such
pecunary compensation he thought the sooner the Demo-
cratic party clear of it the better
Mr. b. exempted Gen. Armstrong from oil participation
in coalition with the Republic, or any other press to d.
vide the public printing He had conversed with Gen. A.
and learned from him that he had knowledge Of any
such arrangement and hnd heard from him the DECLARE
that he would neither recognise sanction thing
of the kind This was what he Ind expected from Gen.
A. whom he had known for years. and always respected
not only as true and faithful Democrat but high
minded honorable
Mr. SUMNER claimed the indulgence Of the Senate TO
correct statement made in the eleeraphic report of the
New York papers, wherein the remarks of Mr. HUNTER,
Of Virginia opposition to the bill granting land to Ohio
were attributed 10 him He did not speak that
sion Mt ALL but had voted for the bill act of justice
TO Ohio
The proceedings Of the Senate for the remainder Of the
day were unimportant.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
The SPEAKER announced that the first business in
order the consideration Of the report Of the Commit
Printing the question pending being on the motion
of the gentleman from Indiana (r PARKER) TO lay the
whole subject the table; which decided in the ne
gative by the following vote:
YEAS-Mcssrs. Willis Allen William Appleton, Thomas
Bayly Bartlett Bowie, Bovine, Briggs, Brooks, Burrows,
Edward O. Cabel, Chastan, Clark, Cobb Culum, John "
Davis Dawson Dean Disney Dockery Durham, Faulkner,
Thomas J. ID. Fuller, Gaylord Gentry German Hamilton,
Hammond Haven, Hendricks Ingcrsoll Andrew johnson,
r. W. Johnson George w. Jones' George o. King Landry,
McAiucn Meacham Miller ii. d. Moore, John Moore More
head Nabers Outlaw, s. w. Parker Penn Polk Porter Price,
Riddle Ross RUSSELL Sacket Savage, Schermcrhorn School
craft Scuy David L. Seymour, 0rgcn s. Seymour Skelton
Stanly Frederick r. Stanton, Richard a. Stanton, Stone St
Martin Sutherland Taylor Benz Thompson, Geo. W Thomp