The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-01-08

duty, That understand To be the plain English OF it.
Now, sir for one, not willing TO bear any impuia
lion OF that sort And wish TO sustain The Committee
on Public Printing in making these individuals who
thus employed fulfil their contracts and perform their duty
iaithiuny am not willing TO say TO my constituents
that that rule by which all your bridges built-all
your court houses ails, and public works erected
everything you have TO perform An your neighborhood-
all hat which works so well al homealls in Congress
because we have not virtue and frmness enough 10
have It executed | am not willing TO go before the
country with any such acknowledgment as that.
Sir, u we will do our day-if will say 10 these
printers who are endeavorng TO get Jobs and contracts
you must do your work according 10 the stpuatons oi
the contract and you do not do IL we intend TO make
you sue and feel the effects OF your own fault OF your
own iraud-lf we do this, we shall have our work well
DONE and done promptly, and have no complaint
mai me work cannot be done Sir do think that these
unmerted remarks are reflections upon this body and
upon the whole coantfyreecions especially upon the
employees that they are permitted 10 fe with their con-
tracts and impose upon inferior article OF paper,
and cause their work TO be executed in such that
twere to placed in the archives would not last per-
haps more than len years Sir. these avowals are de-
grading TO and 10 the country and we ought enforce
the remedy by telling all these contractors you must Toe
ne marx, as the gentleman from Arkansas [Mr. Boz
LANDl says, and you shall toe the mark and if you do
not do IT, you shall reap the consequences of making
tracts which you cannot stand by Sir it is manifest
that s the conduct of Congress in allowing these i'm
practicable and fraudulent bids which has led 10 the
whole series OF mischief now complained OF.
! Mr.. BORLAND. Mr.. President the senator from
| Kentucky says that these "precious confessions"
which have been made this side of the house, and
body am not responsible for the inferences which may
De drawn from what he calls confessions on this side
Of the house ho have always acted upon the rule thai,
| Mr.. UNDERWOOD thank you for it.
Mr.. BoRLAND am not responsible for the infer
Which may BE- drawn based my statement upon
which particularly referred at the time made the re-
mark During the last Congress the public printing
Printing. examined that contract and my knowledge of
the printing business, though not extensive minute
sufficient TO satisfy that the contractors had taken
the public printing at prices at which. if the contract
should be faithfully executed, they would lose large
amount OF money. Before any OF the public printing
was done. notified them that this the opinion Of the
tractors OF the preceding Congress had before
and exhibited loss OF about twenty thousand dollars
and knew that they uhe new contradictory had taken the
work at about twenty five per cent lower, and that it
impossible for the work to be performed according
TO contract without heavy loss By authority of the
mittee accompanied this notice with the assurance, in
advance that they would be held to faithful perform
ance OF their contract and that no work below the
tract standard would be received or paid for.
Well, The work came in 1t was at lirs! little below
the standard it became it got TO be very bad it
became ntoersble; rejected il. What the
quence Was sustained In despite of my rejection
of the work continued TO be done in this Inferior this
document room, till it reached the ceiling was called
every day by senator's who requested me to receive
the work. refused. said ii done violation of
the contract that could not receive it, approve any
account for its payment The the Sem
appeal anu the consequence was
that overruled, and the work was received Sena
tors had the documents folded and sent TO their consu
ens But the contractor sent his bills to the
mliee while remained IN the city. lie retained them
till after had left
was complained OIL was censured; but stood upon
the contract and insisted upon its being executed Sen
ators know that | make no random assertions state
what is known TO be true by all who here at the
time Work of an inferior quality, not half up to the
contract standard was received And not only the
proposition made here, but actually passed this body 10
pay the contractor profit OF ten per cent upon the whole
amount OF his expenditures That failed in the other
House But the last session the House OF Representa-
yes passed Joint resolution, not only receiving all his
work. but providing Tor paying him profit OF nearly two
hundred Thousand dollars that work. Ii 10 the
Senate al the close OF the session. and not passed Ii
il had come earlier cannot say what would have been
It's fate. The resolution, as passed the House OF Rep
resenaiives, allowed profit, as show any one by
simple calculation, OF very nearly two hundred thousand
dollars on the work. Was that no censure on the Com
mtee Printing that had performed their duty in reject
ing the work Was il no censure on the committee 10
receive the work and TO pay the contractor profit
double the amount OF the contract for violation OF that
contract These the facts 10 which alluded and
they are facts which cannot be controverted. Call them
precious confessions or what you please let them re-
fleet njunousy upon whom they may, appeal TO the
Senate for their TRUTH and not responsible for them
or their consequences did all nmy power to prevent
their occurrence. Had been sustained in that attempt
the Senate would have been spared these confessions
and have avoided any censure they may imply
Mr. PRATT The proposition under consideration, as
understand IT, is, that the Secretary of the Senate and
the Clerk OF the House OF Representatives be substituted
for the Joint Committee on Printing and have the
powers make this contract which, under this resolu
ton II is proposed TO give the committee. Now, my
friend from Indiana [Mr BRIGHTl says that the effect OF
this amendment would be TO put out this printing to the
lowest bidder Now, canno, that such is the legit
mate result OF the amendment which is proposed. Why
should il have that effect The Secretary OF the Senate
and the Clerk OF the House OF Representatives directed
by this amendment 10 make this conlract they direct
ed to make the conractn the very words nwhch the Joint
resolution directs the JOINT committee to make IT. Why,
then, are to assume that the Secretary and Clerk
mee referred TO in this resolution would not be bound
TO do so II is said that the committee would assume
responsibilities that the Secretary and Clerk would not as
same
Now. the argument, or rather the assumption OF the
senator from Michigan, Mr. CAss is, that the Secretary
Of this body and the Clerk OF the House OF Representa-
ves will employ persons who not prepared to do
assumption that il this amendment passes, then the Sec
etay OF this body and The Clerk OF the other House will
employ persons who not prepared to do this work at
this time.
Mr. CASS. II the gentlemen will allow ME TO explain,
II will say that meant TO convey no such idea. But
meant convey the idea tbatthe Secretary OF this body
and the Clerk OF the House might conceive il their duty
to 90 round TO every man and say what will You do
this work for" and take the they received for
their standard That is the idea meant to convey
Mr. PRATT That may have been the honorable sen.
atos intention But the idea conveyed to my mind was,
that the committee would employ persons who are pre-
pared to do this work, persons who now have printing
presses paper and everything in readiness to go on with
this work but il this amendment should pass, then the
Secretary and Clerk would not employ persons who are
equally prepared TO 90 with it. Now, IT seems 10 me
that If the persons who would be employed 10 make this
contract, IL this amendment pass would moi be willing
10 assume that responsibility which IT is supposed the