The southern press., 1852-05-18

themselves ana give TO each half independent
Jurisdiction, they must possess it by virtue of
their appointment by the two Houses. and not
under the law Of 1916, by which they profess
to be governed, for no such power is conferred
by that law; therefore, the same power of indie.
pendent action must Of necessity belong to the
two Houses respectively If the committee
have not the power, their action 10 this, like
wise, has been illegal, and presents another ar.
gument in favor of suporsedng it BY action Of
our own.
The report before us assumes state If f.cto
somewhat at varance with those actually fopnd
to exist il assumes that the House has instruct.
ed 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 certain
number OF extra copies of a document, patent
Office Repcrt) This report--ths rroposition
undeniably comes from the House portion Of
the committee--the joint committee has nothing
to do with il. The House recommits. with in.
structions, this report--ths proposition-not
to the joint commitiee-a committee which
knew naught Of it. and from which il never
came--but the House committee, the committoa
which reported it. That committee. being an.
parently predetermined not to obey the nstruc.
tons, Justify their refusal to obey by assuming
the instructions to have been to 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 report purporting TO
be from the Joint committee, assuming that we
nave instructed that committee, and denying our
right to do 50, and shield behind that report
ther reiusai 10 obey instructions to themselves
the House committee.
side from HAVING in otIar ro,Y,sI
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 al 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 at which the committee procure the
work to be executed. If the contractor obi.
gated himself to do particular amount and
quality Of work at $4,000, and so neglected
or delayed its delivery that the committee gave
it to another party at $4,000, while third party
stood ready to do il, and so notified the commit
tee, at $4,000, no man will pretend to say 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.
titled by another party he was ready to take it,
We thus lose $4,000 That $4,000 is given
as bonus to the tavorites of this committee
1t is loss to u.s. and gain to them.
During the discussion upon the first report, it
was urged, among other objections to the action
OF the committee, that such a, on would SUBJ
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 IL
their action was su stained, then the same sus
picions would be entertained, and the same
charges arrayed against those sustaining it. Un-
der such circumstances, it was clearly the duty
OF the committee, not only to the House and
the country, but themselves, to change or aban-
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 il never came, and so
far from altering or abandoning their action.
they have but added to it, They have taken a
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 so made
none, except propositions that we should place
at their disposal the printing Of some $4,000
extra copies Of profitable document, and even
upon that proposition the chairman Of the com
mi,tee moved TIE previous question, 10 cut Off
discussion, by which alone, experience proves,
we can elicit any knowledge Of their action.
And the report Which they have now giyenIi
under peremptory instructions, is conclusive
but one thing, and that is, their determination
to dfy the House, ard to disobey its instruc-
iions.
IL the whispers which the committee admit
hey have heard, which indeed are audible
throughout the city, should assume such shape,
through the press or otherwise, as TO sub
ect them to crnsure, ard 10 grave charges, they
will have but TO thank for il their own perverse
perseverance in plan condemned by the House.
"To willful men,
The injuries they themselves procured
Must be their schoolmaster. -
As resume Of my views in relation 10 this
matter, and Of the action which the House
should take in the premises, offer for adoption
The following resolutions as a substitute for the
resolutions offered by the committee:
Resoicsd, That the joint resolution entitled
Joint resolution directing the manner Of pro-
curing The printing for the two Houses Of Con-
gress, approved August Sd, 1896 empowers
the Committee on Printing 20 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 costractor"
Resolred, thereforr, That, in making a contract
or contrasts with any other party or parties for
the execution Of future ozark work not vet or.
dered-the committee exceeded its powers. and
such contract or contracts are null and void.
Res iced, That the action Of the committee
was improper IN proposing TO procure the exc
cuiion OF such printing nov, or hereafter 10 DO
ordered, ~ is or may be neglected or delayed,
ut prices unnecessarily high, inssmuch as by
procuring IFS execution at snch prices, they
would release, in part, Tie contractor from LA
bility Tor any increased expenditure consequent
upon the non. performance Of the contract"
Resoired, That the committee on the part OF
the House having exceeded their powers, and
having declined vbeying the instructions Of the
House, and expressed disposition rather than
do so TO vacaie their position on the joint
committee, the latter Of the alternatives they