The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-04-19
SPEECH OF MR.. PARKER,

= potrers and duties Of the JOINT COMMITTEE on me
Public Printing Of The tUo Houses o. Congress
MIR. PARKER said: did not intend TO make
sir pie remark in reference to this subject, unli my
attention was attracted 10 il by suggestion that
this matter was probably to be referred to the Com
lnittee the Judiciary. The Speaker oil the House,
nj the opening of the session, saw nj 10 place me
noon that committee, and confess that when the
idea OF referring this subject 10 the judiciary Com
miltee sauted my ear. ! was somewhat as'on'sheo'
II struck me as strange that matter OF pruning
should be referred 10 that committee; ! nave hao
my attention somewhat attracted TO this thing since
then, and it strikes me, with my humble know
ledge Of judicial affairs and the Interpretation oil
laws, that there never was clearer question pre-
scntCd to this House.
One OF the members Of the Committee on PINT
ing made allusion yesterday to the fact that III
numbers of these documents that had been pre-
eented to Us there were instances OF what printers
call I" monks" and 4" friars," brief margins, ana
SO forth. 1t strikes me that there are as many
:" monks and " ffiars" TO be found IN the course
OF this debate as there are IN any OF those ooou
ments; and confess that they are, rs they appear
i'm our printing, disgracelul to this House make
this remark with due Difference TO this House, and
without intending disrespectt oany gentleman mere
shouldbe happy, il had II III my power, IN Gaining
the attention OF the House to the law OF me iano
aboy " hich not-tor relieve this chanoer lroui
some of the monks" and " iriars" that have IN
;ruded upon here; and would be extremely
gratifed IT, in addition 10 all that, could cut tins
thing I'll go as 10 leave no - margin lot iuttne'
difficulties
Now sir | am 4 new member of this House, but
| am not altogether n new man. am getunS o'a.
| have had my attention somewhat attracted 10
public affairs. | am aware oil the TACT that oou,
gress has existed for more than half century; and
| think il would strike any Wise man with ~ohuei
that we should be involved IN such lnterminnoie
difficulty we have been for days In reference 'c
the mechanical execution OF work that apperlAlhs
10 US Why expect the next thing will be trou-
bles in regard 10 the cleaning OF this Hall; These
things are all provided for. ask gentlemen TO
surgest to me wherein ! am wrong in the repre-,
sensations that am about TO make 10 the House
hold in my hand the act in reference 10 TINS SUD
ject, approved August 3, 1916. suppose thai this
u the law that is 10 rule US. we OF TINS house
cannot make or repeal laws alone. Ourresolutlons
do not override laws. Our reports do not override
laws We must what the law is-where the
law is IN the case. IL is our rule, as much as the
Constitution is our rule. =
The fourth and last section oil mat law reaus III
these words
"And be II fuhleyr resolued, That all laws and
parts Of laws now in force, not in conformity with
the provisions Of this joint resolution, be, ond the
same are hereby, repealed
understand, then, that the three preceding sec
tions cover the Gaze. Now, what are they! ask
the attention of gentemen-who have been wan
derng for days through this maze OF difhcuiue5'
in which the whole politics OF this nation, the price
of printing, and every other considerable thlh mas
been involved-to this law.
The first section of this law provides that, at the
beginning Of the final session OF every congress
the Secretary Of the Senate and the Clerk oil the
House OF Representatives shall advertise Tor propo-
sails 10 90 the printing Of the next Congress tpro-
vdes over and above this, that they shall prepare
and show specimens Of the kind OF work that ls ~
s. be done-bills, resolutions, reports from commit
tees journal, executive documents, and so iorthi
and they are also 10 provide samples oil the paper
and Of the type, and of the manner IN which the
work j. to se done. After that is done, and Dds
presented and examined, contract Is 70 ue
made with the lowest responsible bidder. and then
the duties OF those officers in this respect are con
cluded
now beg members TO look TO the second section;
and II there ever clear proposition since
The sun -hone upon the earth. it seems TO me 1t Il
clear that have been involving ourselves IN the
most useless difficulties that can be Imagined IL
this law be good for any thlng-lf II Is TO be as
effective any other law-f II Is TO cover the
case that il pretends TO covert ask you, when
you look into this second section, what 10 there
left for to quarrel about; The second section
reads:
"fnd be AZ further resolved, That committee
consisting OF three members Of the Senate ant
three members Of the House OF Representative
shall be chosen by their respective Houses, whlct
shall constitute Committee on Printing, Whlct
shall have power 10 adopt such measures az may
be deemed necessary 90 remedy any neglect o
delay on the part OF the contractor provided ioi
abovel TO execute the work ordered by Cohgress
Wen, now, that looks very simple, indeed; anc
q il most beautiful exempihcauon Of the diih
Guilty have been involved in here. Two hun
dred and thirty three members have been Tor scv
The Law has pre- ludcd us from being troubled viii
any Of these difficulties. The committee "shal
have power TO adopt such measures az may b
deemed necessary TO remedy airy neglect or delaJ
on the part Of the contractor 10 execute the vOri
ordered By Congress, and TO make pro rata re
duction in the compensation allowed, or 10 rqm
the ,rork aItogtfher [mark that sboud il be inie
nor 10 the standard" set up here in the hrst sec
uOn.
Bot. cir, who is 10 be the judge That commit.
tee is az much tribunal as IL the Supreme Court
Of the United States; and We have no more 70 do
with ts decisions than We have with the decisions
II that tribunal. This section goes on 10 say "Or
90 refuse the work altogether, If il shall he inferior
the ndsrd; and ia ali cases the contractor and
his securities shal be responsible for any incurred
expenditure consequent upon the nom performance
Of the contract. The committee shall audit and
pass upon all accounts for printing, - &c.
The third and Last section but oue-which ON,
only provides for repeating all laws not an con
forfuity with this neutrality-suspicious.:
That all motions TO print cptra numbers VI an
bill, paper, or document IN either House, shall b.
referred 20 the members Of the committee Of thai
House, who shall report upon tho propneiy %
printing and the probable Expense thereof, a. earl
ne convenient. And all expenses for printing shall
be paid from the contingent fund Of the two Houses
IN proportion 10 the number Of copies ordered by
each, except the expense Of competition, Which
shall he paid by the House which shall have hrsl
ordered the printing Of the paper or document
and II there shall be n second composition u shal
be- paid iOr by the House which shall authorize and
direct the same and when extra copies OF any 20
sument or paper shall be ordered by both Houses
they shall be delivered TO the two Houses simuita
ne0usly. 10 proportion 10 the number Of copies by
them respectively ordered.
CSC 4. Ind be u ftgOu fesOired. That al laws
aud psrts Oi laws, In force, not in conformity
with the provisions Of this joint resolution, be, and
the same ore hereby, repealed"
Now, that IL the business Of the committee, and
We have rothinR 10 DO with g. We can do nothing
unless VIC get the consent and help u the President
and Senate 10 amend the law. And there D. grea
wisdom in that provision, as ] said before. W.
have bad q bcautiful illustration Of IL here for th
Iast two or three days when VIC have been rcsoly
ing ourselves into sort Of COMMITTEES Of censorship
upon the Committee Printing. For myself,
know bat very little upon the subject OF printing
and il ve we're TO act upon the matter-ii the iiOus
we're 70 undertake 90 direct the committee bow q
act-I should wish for good deal Of time, and &
take a good deal Of pains 20 inform myself upoi
The subltct and 81 With every other gentleman here
% is for that very reason that the Law PROVIDE
that three intelligent gentlemen should lie se
lerted from This. and like number n m the Oihc
branch Of Congress. who should have specially y
charge this whole matter, and thus relieve ih
House Now, IL seems 70 that there an be no 81
Gculty whatever in the case; but II any exists u
that suggested by the honorable gentleman Iron
Pennsylvania, (Mr STgvsNs,) IN relation 10 III
constitution Of THE committee. That gentieInai