The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-01-20

be had in the ordinary course Of printing for long
Tune to come. and then in limited and very made
| quate Quantities; therefore,
| Resolced, That the Committee on Printing be in
structed to order hundred thousand copies o.
that report for the use OF the House, provided thai
i II shall not exceed one cent per copy.
| Mr. SWEETSER moved to lay the resolution
upon the table.
| The SPEAKER informed the gentleman that tho
proposition not now before the House-thC
pending motion being TO suspend the rules
! Mr.. RICHARDSON said that the resolution re-
ferred TO publication in the Globe, He. and he
supposed other gentlemen, did not know what il is
Being short article, i might be read
! The SPEAKER replied that it could be read only
| by unanimous consent.
But objection was made
The vote was then taken, and the rules were sus-
pended-yeas 1872 nays IS.
The question was announced on agreeing to the
resolution, when
| Mr. ORR said that he should like TO know whe-
ther the passage of the resolution would not break
! the contract with the present printer.
! The SPEAKER could not inform the gentleman
/ of the effect and object of the proposition.
| Mr. ORR remarked that the result would be that
the public printer would come here asking for com
| pensation. And he moved that the resolution be
laid upon the table.
Upon this the yeas and nays we're taken, and the
question decided in the negativeyeas A, nays 81
MIR. ORR moved 10 reconsider the vote just taken.
He wished to call attention the resolution, WITH
the hope that hs motion would prevail and that the
proposition would be rejected. Before he proceeded
nc desired TO inquire Of the gentleman who intro
duced the resolution if il not his purpose and
understanding that the printing, instead Of being
executed by the public printer, should be executed
at the Office Of the Globe?
Mr.. ALLISON replied that he certainly had no
such intention; he had no purpose that the publ
cation should be made from the office OF the Globe
The only desire he had was that gentlemen should
be permitted to disseminate the Information con
tanned in tho report throughout the country. He
repeated, ne had no desire whatever to have pub
lished at any particular office. The Committee on
Printing has direction Of the matter, provided
for in the resolution.
Mr.. ORR Why is it that the gentleman refers,
IN the preamble, TO the publication in the Globe?
Mr.. ALLISON answer by saying that 1 did
not know how to get the particular matter that l
desired to have published better than by indicating
the time the report published in the Globe, to
wit on the let OF January, 1902.
Mr. ORR. One other question, if the gentleman
pleases to answer.
Mr. ALLISON. Certainly.
Mr.. ORR. Has the Committee on Public Print
ing power TO contract with any person other than
the public printer if they shall proper do so
Mr.. ALLISON. have To say that the authority
or direction which intended to give in the Ian
guage oi tue resolution was, that the Committee on
Printing shall merely contract or have hundred
thousand copies mase, not to have power to go to
this that office should not divert the printing
from the office to which it of right belongs.
Mr., ORR. The effect is to take the job from the
public printer and to give 1t to some other person.
the printing; and the very terms of the resolution,
authorizing the committee to make contract, con-
templates taking 1t away from the public printer.
lie would not object this but for the result which
ls 10 grow out OF it. And gentlemen would bear
him witness, from past experience, that the slight
est pretext will be resorted to by the public printer
TO ask for indemnity for an alleged violation Of his
contrast. Ii has been charged that the public
printer has violated his contract. Let the Commit
tee on Printing examine into this; and if they shall
hnd IT 10 be true, declare at once that the contract
Is yod but do not give the public printer an excuse
TO cay Congress, 'Y GU have violated the contract
as have" He had seen letter from the public
printer, claiming that the printing of the census is
included IN his contract, and alleging that he has
made large OUTLAWS in anticipation Of doing the
work, purchased type, &c, and brought hands to
the city for that purpose. Re was of opinion that
the contractor had undertaken to do the work at a
lees cost than he could afford By the passage of
this or similar resolution, the House would lay
the foundation VI a claim OF forty, fifty, or q hun
dred thousand dollars, for an alleged violation Of
contract.
Mr.. ING ERsoLL was understood to inquire the
ground of the genteman's assertion.
MIR. ORR replied that his reasons were based on
the preamble Of the resolution.
Mr.. lNGERSOLL did not know that he under.
stood the resolution in all its parts but HE impress
SION was that condensed report has already been
published IN the Globe, and, il will be long
TIME before an elaborate report shall be published
II ls now proposed to subscribe for or order one
hundred thousand copies of the condensed report
oihce must necessarily furnish the work
Mr.. FULLER, Of Maine, wished 10 inquire Whe-
Their, n the motion TO reconsider should prevail
The original resolution could not be amended 50 AZ
TO provide that one hundred thousand copies of the
report he purchased.
Mr., ORR going 10 cay that, by adopting
that course his objection would be obviated He
vac opposed 70 printing any copies at all Of this
report but, as the majority disposed 20 or
Ger one hundred thousand copies Of il, If the vote
should be reconsidorcd, the resolution could be
amended by ordering the purchase Of that number,
which would not interfere with tho public printer.
Mr. STANTON, Of Kentucky, would make n
statement az a member Of the Committee on Print
NJ, and in the absence Of the chairman, (Mr Con
MAS.) Some time ago resolution wns introduced
ln the Senate, that the printing OF the census be
given to the editors Of the Union. This resolution
vac referred 10 The joint Committee on Printing.
lnc committee met, and took IL into consideration
They cent word % toe public printer; and received,
ia writing, statement claiming that the printing
u the census belonged TO him. The committed,
however, after examining into the subject, came 10
the conclusion that, both from the terms Of the con
tract and the law Of COrgress the public printer s
not entitled 20 the printing Of the census and that
he law reserves 70 Congress the right 10 give il out
as they may choose.
Mr. ORR said that this was an abstract Of the
census, aud the contract is 90 be made for prn nr
it The very tact that the resolution rontcmplatca
the necessity Of making contract, shows that the
contract shall be taken from the public printer; and
be thought that this gave a right TO the public prn.
ter 70 come forward and claim damages, inasmuch
as there Is n failure - give him all The printing
Mr.. STEPHENS, Of Georgia, said that the public /
printing j. nov regulated by law-by a Joint re-
solution Of the two hOuscs, pa-sed few years aro
letting out the printing Of the Senate aud the
House u Representatives by contract. Tho bills,
rcpOrts and executive documents, were all let out
la this way. lie, therefore, would AK the House /
how could they make a contract with any other I
pcrs1u than he 40 has contracted for it and how
could they ask the contractor ~ DO work for less
.um than that agreed upon In the contract, Ills /
bond had been gwen for a fixed rate.
Mr.. FULLER, Of eno, asked the gentleman:
suppose Congress should order additional copics Of
The Life Of John Adams Or tic Life Of Alexander
Hamilton, would that come under the contract for
printing,
Mr.. STEPHENS repicd TINT he was not pre
pared TO answer the question. That, hov ever,
would have to be done by the Joint action Of the
two Houses, Iu the form Of bill. lie was opposed
% the HDusc taking the initiative in the violation
Of The contract he was Tor holding the contractor
10 bic bond. Bptn Houses havo been very much
imposed upon. lie vas opposed 20 sending out tho
document a. this time. lie desired that tie Print
ing Committee should give them fair cofnptn-
dunn 81 tae late census. They ought not ~ send
DOT partial returns.
Mr DUNCAN hoped. that tho House would not
be- alarmed Wy The bugbear cry about the public
printing. Tic resolution did not proplrc 10 take
from the public printer what belongs 70 him. n
thc committee decide that this work belongs ~ the