The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-18

undoS Inc law, 10 instruct or control " II the
joint committee have the power TO thus bsect
themselves, and give to each half independent
Jurisdiction, they must possess it by virtue of
their appointment bv the two Houses, and not
under the law Of 1886, by which they profsss
to be governed, for no such power il eonf.,rsd
by that law; therefore, the same power of india.
pendent action must OF necessity belong to the
two Houses respectively. If the committee
have not the power, their action in this like.
wise, has been Illegal, and presents another are
gument in favor of superseding it by action Of
our own. a
The report before US assumes state of fact.
somewhat at variance with those actuaItv fnu,d
to exist it assumes that the House has instruct.
cd the joint committee, and then denies orr
right to do SO. Let us examine the real facts
in the case. The House portion of the com.
mittee report proposition to print a certain
number OF extra copies Of document, patent
Office Repor) This report--this proposition.
undeniably comes from the House portion of
the communicable joint committee has nothing
TO DO WIN H. The House recommits, with in
structons, this report-ths proposition-not
to the joint committees committee which
knew naught of it, and from which Il nevar
came-but the House committee, II 9 committee
which reported it. That committee. being nm.
parently predetermined not to obey the nsiruc.
tons, Justify their refusal to obey BY assuming
the instructions to have been 10 the Joint com,
mittee, and denying our right to instruct that
committee. We have not claimed the right
we have not attempted to exercise it. Yet the
House committee prepare a report purportinp TO
be from the joint committee, assuming that wa
have instructed that committee, and DENYING orr
right to do so, and shield behind that report
their refusal to obey instructions TO themselves
the House committee.
| Aside from having in other respects transcend.
ed their powers, the action of the committee
has been improper, in bestowing such printing
as has been, or may be, regulated or delayed by
the contractor upon the men of their selection
| at prices higher than those at which others stood
ready to take it, and give security for its faithful
execution. by so doing, they would deprive us
| in part OF our remedy upon the contractors for
the difference between the contract price. and
! the price ut which the committee procure thu
work to be executed. If the contractor obi.
gated himself to do particular amount and
quality OF work at $4,000, and 80 neglected
or delayed its delivery that the committee gave
it to another party at $4,000, while third party
stood ready to do it, and so notified the commit.
| tee, at $4,000, no man will pretend to saw that
the liability OF the contractors extends beyond
$4,000, the difference between his contract price
and the price at which the committee were no.
tilted by another party he was ready to take it.
We thus lose $4,000. That $4,000 is given
as bonus to the favorites of this committee.
1t is a loss to US, and a gain to them.
During the discussion upon the first report. Il
was urged, among other objections to the action
of the committee that such a, on wouId snb-
ject them to the suspicion of having been gov
erned by improper motives in the disposition of
the printing, and that, perhaps, charges would
grow out OF such suspicion; and further that if
Their action was su stained, then the same sus
picons would be entertained, and the same
charges arrayed against those sustaining it. Un-
der such circumstances, it was clearly the duty
OF the committee, rot only to the House and
the country, but themselves, to change or abnn.
don the action which the well understood wishes
OF the House had condemned or at least. to
make voluntary, full, and candid report to the
House of their proceedings, of the parties to
whom they had given the printing, the prices at
which they had given it, and the reasons for
both. Such report we were induced, many
days since, TO expect; but it never came, and so
far from altering or abandoning their action.
they have but added to it. They have taken
step in advance in the same line, and made
plan, sufficiently objectionable before, still more
so. 80 far from making, voluntarily, a full and
candid report of their proceedings, they 80 made
none, except proposition that we should place
at their disposal the printing of some 10000
extra copies of profitable document, and even
upon that proposition the chairman of the com
mttee moved the previous question, to cmt off
discussion by which alone, experience proves.
we can elicit any knowledge of their action.
And the report Which they have now given us
under peremptory instructions, is conclusive of
but one thing, and that is, their determination
to defy the House, ard to dsobey its instruc-
tons.
IT the whispers which the committee admit
they have heard which indeed are audible
throughout the city, should assume such shape,
through the press or otherwise, rs to sub
ject them to censure, and to grave charges, they
will have but to thank for it their own perverss
perseverance in plan condemned by the House.
To wlfu men,
The injuries they themselves procured
Must be their schoolmaster."
AS q resume of my views in relation 10 this
matter, and of the action " hch the House
should take in the premises, offer for adoption
The following resolutions a substitute for the
resolutions offered by the committee
Resolred, That the Joint resolution entitled
" JOINT resolution directing the manner of pro-
curing the printing for the two Houses of Con-
gress," approved August 80, 1886, empowers
the Committee on Printing to provide only for
The execution of such printing as has been or
dered by Congress" and in the execution Of
which there is any neglect or delay on the
part of the contractor"
Resolred, therefore, That, in making contract
or contracts with any other party or parties for
the execution of future 1cork work not vet or.
dered-the committee exceeded its powers and
such contract or contracts are null and void.
Resi- lred, That the action of the committee
was improper in proposing to procure the exc
culion OF such printing now, or hereafter to DO
ordered, as is or may be neglected or delayed,
at prices unnecessarily high, inasmuch as by
procuring its execution Mt such prices they
would release, in part, the contractor from La
bty for any increased expenditure consequent
upon the non-performance of the contract"
Resolred, That the committee on the part Of
the House having exceeded their powers, and
having declined obeying the instructions of the
House, and expressed disposition rather than
do so to vacate their position on the joint