The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-08-28
BY AUTH GRITTY.
LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES
Passed during the First Session Of the Thirty second
Congress.
IPuBIIc AoT-No. 45.l

oSSso U"tUS tHS rU6t DeSstOTt W Ise ocSOItu
Congress.
IPUBIIc AoT--No. 45.l
AN ACT to provide for executing the public print
ing, and establishing the prices thereof, and for
other purposes.
sentatics Of the United States of america in Con-
grsss assembled That the joint resolution entitled
Joint Resolution directing the manner of procur-
ing the printing for each House Of Congress- ap-
proved August third, eighteen hundred and forty
six, be, and the same is hereby, repealed.
SEQ 2. dnd Be IL further enacted, That there
shall be a superintendent of the public printing,
who shall hold his office for the term Of two years,
who shall receive for his services salary of twen
ty five hundred dollars per annum, and who shall
give bond with two eureties, to be approved by the
Secretary of the Interior, in the penalty OF twenty
thousand dollars for the faithful discharge OF his
shall be practical printer, versed in the various
branches of the of printing and book binding,
and he shall not be interested directly or Indirect
ly in any contract for printing for Congress or for
any department or bureau OF the Government OF
the United States. TIE first superintendent under
this law shall hold his office until the commence
ment of the ttirty-thir Congress, and the super
inItndents thereafter appointed shall hold their
offices for two years, commencing with the first
day of the session of each Congress. 49,.
SEC. 3. And be st. further enacted, That it shall
be the duty OF said superintendent to receive from
the Secretary Of the Senate and Clerk OF the House
to be printed, and from the several chiefs of de-
partments and heads of bureaus all matter or
dered by them respectively, to be printed ut the
public expense, and to keep faithful account Of
the same, in the order in which the came shall
be received, in book or books to be by him
kept for that purpose. He shall deliver said mat
ter to the public printer printers in the order in
which it shall be received, unless otherwise ordered
by the joint Committee on Printing. He shall in
spect the work when executed by the public print
er or printers, and shai record in book or books,
to be by him kept for that purpose, the dates at
which the returns of said work are made, an
whether the same ia executed in a neat and work
manlike manner, upon the paper furnished to the
public printers by said superintendent, and the
amount allowed by said superintendent for the
said printing. II shall be his duty to supervise the
execution Of the public printing, to inspect the
work when executed, and TO see that the same 10
done with neatness and despatch; to report every
failure or delinquency of duty on the part OF the
public printer and from time to time to report the
said delinquencies to the Joint Committee OF Con-
gress on Printing. He shall issue his certificate
for the amount due to the public printer for such
work as shall have been faithfully executed, which
certificate shall be made payable to the pubic
printer at the Treasury Of the United States, and
shall not to be assignable Or transferable by en-.
dorsement or delivery to any third party SAID
certificate of the superintendent shall be sufh-
Gent voucher for the comptroller to pass, and for
the treasurer, upon the order of the second comp
tro Ter, to pay the same.
SEc. 4. And be il further enacted, That it shall
be the duty OF the said superintendent of the pub
lie printing to advertise annually in one or more
newspapers Of general circulation in the cities
of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore
Washington, New Oreans, Louisville, and Gin.
einnati, for the space Of sixty days prior to the
the Government Of the United States all paper
which may be necessary for the execution OF the
public printing, of quality and in quantity to be
year. He .hall open such proposals as may be
made, in the presence of the President OF the Sen
ate and Speaker of the House of Representatives,
on the frat Tuesday after the fret Monday Of De-
been elected, or as soon thereafter az Speaker
shall be elected, and shall award the contract for
furnishing all of said paper, or such class thereof
as may be bid for to the lowest bidder, whose sam
pie, accompanying his bid, shall most nearly ap-
proximate to the quality of paper (size, weight,
and texturc all considered) advertised for by the
said superintendent. The sample offered with the
bid accepted shall be preserved by the said super
these with the paper furnished by the public con.
tractor; and he shall not accept any paper from
the contractor which does not conform to the sam
pie aforesaid. 1t shall be the duty of
the paper for the printing of the United States upon
the acquisitions Of the public printer printers,
and to charge him or them thercwith; and, as the
printing is returned and passed by the said super
lntendent, he shall credit the public printer with
the quantity used in the public service. 1t shall be
the duty of said superintendent to have the requi-
eitions of the printer and the returns OF paper by
the printer balanced at least once in each year.
and in default thereof to report the same to Con-
gress for euch proceedings rs Congress may di-
rect. In default Of any contractor under this law
to comply with his contract in furnishing the paper
in proper time and of proper quality, the superin
tendent lie authorized advertise for proposals,
herenbetore provided, and award the contract to
the lowest bidder; and for any increase of cost to
the Government in procuring proper supply OF
paper for the use of the Government, tho con
defn hia ahal Ill he cha ed
with and held responsible for the same, and shall
be prosecuted upon their bond, by the superin-
tendent, in the name Of the United States, in the
circuit court OF the United States for the District OF
Columbia.
Sec. 5. And be It, further enacted, That the public
printer shall be required TO execute each job OF
printing entrusted to him within thirty days from
the date of its delivery by the superintendent, ex-
cept bills, reports, and joint revolutions, which
shall be returned the Clerk of the House or
Secretary Of the Senate shall require, unless, for
good reasons shown. the superintendent OF print.
ing shall extend the time. And should the printer
detain any matter longer than thirty days, dc.
duction OF five per centum shall be made by the
superintendent, from the account Of the printer,
for such job; and additional deduction of five
per cen,Om for an additional detention of twenty
days. II the public printer shall detain such mat
ter for sixty days, The superintendent shall with
draw it entirely, and shall employ another printer
to execute the same with pro,nptncss' upon the
terms provided by law; and in such case the pub
lie printer shall not be allowed therefor -
SEC. g. And be it further enacted, That the super
intendent of the public printing shall not be d..
rsctiy or indirectly interested in the business of
the public printing, or in any material to he used
by the public printer, or in any contract for FUR
nishing paper to Congress or TO any department
bureau OF the Government OF the United States.
For any violation of this provision the snperin-
tendeut Of the public printing shall forfeit his Of
Ace, and may be indicted before the district court
for the District Of Columbia, and, If found guilty,
shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary Of the Dis
trct of Columbia for any tel m not lees than one
more than five years, and, in addition thereto,
may be fined in any sum from one thousand to ten
thousand dollars. .... .... ..
SEC Z. And be ii further enacted, That when any
document shall be ordered to be printed by both
Houses of Congress, the entire printing OF such
document shall be done by the printer Of that
House which first ordered the same. And whenever
the same person the same firm shall be printer
Gr both Houses of Congress, and both Houses shall
order the same document to be printed within
three weeks of the same time, composition shall
be charged but once for said document; and no
SUN shall be paid to said printer for altering the
headings from the form in which he printed them
first to the form or forms in which euch document
shall afterwards he printed
SEC g. And be il further enacted, That there