The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-08-09

prize you Of our purpose to terminate the en-
gagement, on our part. at the close of the pre-
sent special session Of the Senate. In commune
eating to you this intention we beg to assure
you that we are not insensible to the liberaity
which prompted the Senate (the first time in
House Of sGs 5'a to nSai for
porting and publishing it's debates in public
journal; and we are equally sensible that the mea-
sure OF compensation offered was dictated in a like
spirit of liberality But liberal this deemed
at the time, have found it to fall short Of the
actual outlay of money which the faithful per.
Torrance of the duty has rendered necessary, u
say nothing of incidental burdens which we did
not take into account, and which il is not necessa
ry to trouble you with
Although, doubtless, an arrangement might be
made which would induce to continue the en-
gagement, with all it's inconvenience and draw.
backs, yet we beg to assure you that il is no part
OF the object OF this letter to draw from the Senate
more advantageous terms. Its purpose is simply
and solely to advise you Of the necessity we feel
ourselves under to close the existing engagement.
We shail continue to send the Intsligencsr to
each Senator, as usual, until We complete the pub
LEGATION of the arrears OF debate Of the last days Of
the session.
Very respectfully. your obedisnt servants,
GALES SEATON.
So far from intending, in this surrender of the
contract, any disrespect to the Senate the reader
semblance of it. We could not dictate to the Sen.
ate any particular modification of the contract; but
is by fault of that the Senate debates
not now as fully reported in this paper as under
the late contract at greater expense to the SEN
ate, and with less loss to the publishers. Could We
have taken tho liberty to propose a plan to the
Senate, 1t would have been that there should be
but one corps Of reporters employed to report and
publish on the following day Gas far as practica
ble) the debates of the Senate, at just compensa
ton; and that such daily papers Of this city the
Senate should select should be engaged to copy
those reports entire into their columns on the day
succeeding the official publication, at q compensa.
ton to each far short of the compensation to
be allowed to the original reporter. So far
as this paper is concerned, as wide a circulation
would be secured for the debates could be in any
other way, and at less cost than under the terms
of our late contract.
But it was further stated, in the debate in the
Senate upon the foregoing resolution, that as far
as one Of the two great parties Of the country 10
concerned, they 1.-THE Whigs] are excluded entire
ly from perusing the debates of that and the other
branch Of Congress. The honorable Senator fur
Their charged that. except perhaps upon one qucs.
ton, he had not seen ga single speech" of mem.
Der of the Senate published in this paper at the
present session. and be called upon another honor
able member $40 bring him National Intelligencsr
and chow him debate" This was said, we are
confident, out Of no ILL will to the National Ints-
gencer, nor with any intention to msr epresent It,
but under the influence of entire misapprehen.
sion of the facts of the case. But these remarks
having gone forth to the country, and having
found place in our own columns, we shall be ex.
cused for going into some details to relieve this
journal from the reproach thus cast upon it in the
presence Of the Senate.
The plan which we have proposed to ourselves,
and endeavored to pursue, in reporting the pro-
ceedings Of Congress- has been to keep our readers
posted up, punctually and particularly-and with
an accuracy in which we yield the palm to no other
journal-in regard to every thing of business
character, or otherwise interesting, that in
the si,tngs Of both Houses. The expense of full
reports of the debates in the two Houses, as we
have already shown, is far beyond the means of
any private individuals. We are able. therefore,
to publish only such Of the fully speeches
as we can find room for without excluding from
our columns the news, advertisements, sc which
are the ordinary and necessary ingredients in the
composition off newspaper. Our course, in making
such selections, we had occasion to explain in the
Inteligencer OF the llth Of May last, in few lines,
which we cannot do better than repeat, as follows
jects of material consequence, we shall aim
without surrendering our columns entirely, dur
Ing the sessions of Congress- to the publication Of
such masses Of the reported debate in each House
as would effectively exclude all other reading
matter from our columns-to publish 30 much Of
: it at least as will make our readers acquainted
with the merits Of the questions debated. We
have gone beyond that limit in regard to the In.
tervcntion subject, having published, thus far,
the schoe Of the debate in the Senate that qucs
ton; and We have done SO, making it an excep
ton to the general rule, because we have con-
sidered the question q vital one.
son the other hand, have published almost
nothing of the debate upon the Printing question,
because so much OF It as was not wholly foreign
6 to the subject would have afforded little interest
or instruction to readers generally"
This is what we have proposed to ourselves and
promised to our readers. Having said thus mich
by way of explanation of our intentions, let
fer to the file of the National Intelligencer, and,
after showing what we have done in the way of
publishing proceedings and debates in the Senate
during the session, leave further justification
to the good senac and candor Of the public.
Beginning with the CONNIE ncement OF the ses.
sion, we presented, the day after they were trans.
mited to Congress, in one paper, at our own
charge, the Presidents message, and oil the
ports from Departments which accompanied it,
(flling more than thirty five columns,) the official
publication (which, by order Of the Senate, took
We believe, more than elk months to place in the
hands of the members Of that body; nnd We have
published many other Cong ressional documents
which have fret met the eyes ofthe members of both
Houses in this and the other daily papers of the
city.
OF the proceedings, single speeches, and occa-
sional debates in the Senate, have, up to this
day, published some two hundred and thirty col
umns; whilst of the daily proceedings in both
Houses, including speeches in the House of Repre-
VIC have published nearly five hundred
columns; making, with about one hundred and
twenty columns of reports of committees and other
documents of Congress, total of some eight hun
dred and fifty newspaper columns. which have
been placed by u.s. without the cost of single cent
10 the Government, in the hands of all readers of
The Daily National Intelligsnee'; much the greater
part Of which has had the circulation of the thrice.
1. week paper, and much as was practicable
that of the weekly paper Issued from this Office.
So much for the general view. And now, to
show how easily the request might have been COM
piled with, If the keeper of the Senates file of the
National Infeliigsncer. instead of the honorable
Senator from California, had been asked to point