The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-03
epa<sh Of Hen. A. w. venAhao, Of HeFth
Carolina.

On the Public Printing. Delivered IN III
House Of Representatives., April 10, 1852.
The proposition to recommit the report o
the Committee on Printing to said committee
with instructions to make a contract, after ad
vertisement of ten days, with the lowest respon
slble bidder, for the execution OF the Pubh
, Printing, being under consideration,
} Mr.. VENABLE said
Mr.. SPEAKER: | had not intended TO tax,
any part in the discussion Of the distribution
the printing patronage OF this House and thu
Senate. My views to the proper mode o
disposing of that matter were freely given at al
early day Of the session This determination wa'
unchanged until on Friday last, the chairman o.
the Committee on Printing, Mr.. GoRMAS, OF
closing the debate which had consumed The
previous days of the week, declared that the OPP
position to the measures proposed by that com
mittee was the result of combination of Free
soilers and Abolitionists on the one part, and
Secessionists and Disunionists on the other, tC
prescribe the Union and Republic newspapers
because Of their decided stand for the measures
known as the compromise; their loyalty to the
union of these States and their determination
to arrest agitation, and restore repose aud tran
guilty to the country, constituted the head and
front of their offending in the opinion of those
who now resisted the proposition to divide the
printing emouments Of this Congress- between
those two journals. | felt that il was due tc
all concerned TINT this error be exposed, and thai
the facts Of the case should be placed in array
before the country. | could not consent to be
silent listener to such statement, especially
as the honorable gentleman was pleased to DIES.
ignate me one TO whom his remarks would ap
ply have avaied myself of the first occasion
after the previous question has exhausted itself
to perform that task, and now ask the indulgence.
Of the House whilst develop the details Of thu
votes given upon the report of the committee
present an analysis Of those votes and then leave
it to the decision of all candid men, whethe,
the gentleman has not fallen into great mis-
take.
And would here remark, that the fact of ar
existing combination of the friends of the
Union and Republic is a matter apparent upon
the face OF the report of the committee itself
1t is confirmed by the declarations of the honora
BILE chairman, who, on this floor, avowed himself
to be party man, and that in MANY meetings OF
the Joint committee, he had uniformly voted to
give the whole printing to the Union, and that
the division OF this patronage was conclusion
arrived at after many tie votes in the committee
1t is also most strkDgly apparent from the fact
that there is Democratic majority in both
Houses and according to the common parlanct
of party discipline, the emoluments should be
appropriated to the partizan editor who was SO
fortunate as to be esteemed the organ. This is
the usual routine observed; and | think may
safely say, that the Wings, being in power, have
never given an example of any distribution Of
the good things out of their own party family
| mention this not with appreciation, because
have always believed that separation of the
, party press from the public treasury, was as in
dispensable to the purity of the press ITSELF as
it was conservative in the administration of the
general powers of those who conduct the de-
t tails of government. But | only refer to it as
} such departure from previous customs as to
indicate an understanding that both political
parties were to be rcconciled by the arrange
ment. The result was, that a large amount OF
. printing was to be distributed between these
two journals at price greatly in advance of that
D for which the public printer, Boyd Hamilton
r had engaged to perform the work, and he was
t to loose the difference thus paid to others. The
l Democratic party, when formerly in power, be
q came satisfied that the Office and emoluments O
a the public printer had become an abuse, ant
n abolishing that office, enacted the present law
n of letting out the printing by contract to tn,
y lowest bdder--a system under which we hav
n conducted that branch of the business eve
j. since. AS to the policy of that measure, shall
f speak presently, and mention it now rs PROC
+ that one party in power, and that the Demo
. cratic, did, with view to economy, abolish one
4 of the richest offices within their gift, and adop
| policy which promised to lessen the burden.
t by diminishing the expenses of government.
8 Now, sir, in the face of an existing law to LEI
s out the public printing by contract to the low
r est bidder, the committee report project O
0 contracting with the editors of two journals il
Q this place, occupying the extremes of part,
n lines, and that too when the Democratic part,
d is dominant in both Houses. No one is 81
green as to suppose that this is to be attributed
Il to generosity, or that it was adopted upon prin
Q cples of just and equal distribution TIL,
II votes of the committee show that it was adopted
s. because the peculiar friends of the Democrat,
journal could not command sufficient number
), of votes for the sole enjoyment of this lucrative
A employment Upon this showing of the case
my friend from Mississippi Mr. Brown
! charged, and thought proved, that there was
n coalition of the friends Of those two papers to
e consummale this division of the printing profits
r. II will be recoected that there was resistance
made to the whole scheme, and made mos
y promptly. The whole of the last week was ex
: hausted in the investigation, and decided vote
!, of disapprobation is found upon the records O
the House. This vote has been reconsidered
and now offer the resolution which read be
: fore commencing my remarks, as the expression
of the wishes of this House as to the whole
printing subject The honorable chairman
Mr.. German on Friday last, attempted to de
fend the action of the committee, by charging
; upon those who opposed it here, the formation
of a coalition of Freesoilers Abolitionists, and
Disunionists, for the purpose of prescribing the
Union and Republic, because those journals
were the known and constant advocates Of the
series of measures known as the compromise
acts Of the last session. The House were grave
" informed that such motives determined the
action of those opposed to the proposed distri.
button of the printing. The country was ad.
monshcd of the danger which such coalition
must produce, and all Of us thus designated
were to be known, suppose, as distuGbers OF
the peace. II such a combination existed, Mr.
Speaker, it was produced by the instantaneous
shock which the sense of propricty in MAORI
ty in this House experienced when the novel
mode of distributing tho printing was an
nounced. They had no favorites to reward nc
organs to supply with wind, no presses or ed