The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-01-30
-.s4sN& NAAsA

ing for the use OF a Congress which expired more than
Ten monlhs ago and nothing could fully illustrate
the oiiy anu abuses OF The existing system Whsh ouf
venefsDle friend shall have completed has labofs sup
pose we shall have 10 add about SoOooo 10 te
aggregate OF the table for the last Congress, which will
bring up the amount TO about the aggregate for The pre-
eedlng Congress Thus appears thai the enormous sum
OIL Ss3273io As has been paid Out OF Tue treasury Tor
congressional printing since General Jackson came into
power; and | do not hesitate 10 say that every penny
over half million has been thrown away. And how,
MIR President, has this inghtiu result been obtained
II be traced in part al least, 10 the very principle
which deprecate--polltical favorism. When you
embark any such policy ayowedy, or, il not ayowedly
really, when you make contract under such an i'm
pulse. IS there not strong temptation held out TO the
majority TO augment unduly the quantity of matter 10 be
printed do not say that any such purpose is enter
tanned here in regard this printing do not say that
any honorable member OF this body would Intentionally
do any such thing but do say that such is the tenden-
cy believe that this principle OF political favonsm
OF the amount of printing by the two houses of
Congress. Perhaps honorable senators and honorable
members OF the House OF Representatives have hardly
been oil The presence OF the motive in their own
minds; perhaps IL would not be so with majority of
the members considerable number may be in favor OF
printing large number OF any particular document with
out reference TO any consideration of that character yet
few, with view TO favor the public printer--a po-
lcsl iavorile-7mght be induced to think that the
whole they would 90 Tor the proposition, although other
wise they would be opposed TO IL
In every view. then, OF this subject and indeed of
expenditures generally and OF the many abuses which
have crept into all branches OF the public Service il
would seem to me that the time has arrived when we
should pause and consider well the tendency OF public
AFFAIRS Indeed II is apparent that some reform is nds
pensabie Where shall we begin? think the very FIRST
thing we should do is to reform ourselves, reform Con-
gess reform the extravaganza and wild expenditure which
making the public printing matter OF iavoritsin bu, by
dispensing IT, AZ conceive, under the provisions of
listing laws though should like TO have such modfca.
tons made as have suggested in these remarks,
In conclusion, MIR. President wish TO made few re-
marks on the number of copies which should be ordered
oil TINS work Congress ordered in 1899 ten thousand
al Tho QtNt ,hn,,. 81
shall we order at this time! have great difficulty in
making any order about il until know what is the mag.
n,ude Of the work; II it is 10 be very large work.
believe u will be, am Tor small number OF copies
doubt exceedingly whether ought TO exceed thou
sand in any event 1 know we have States now
than we had in 1910. We have added five States since
that time we have vastly larger extent oil territory,
and much larger population. Therefore will com.
plain honorable senators should propose to print twelve
thousand copies Alter ten thousand copies OF the sixth
census had been provided for the Twenty seventh Con-
grsss ordered compendium TO be made and twenty
thousand copies to be printed
am opposed to any compendium OF this census
Blair IL Riyes obtained very large and lucrative Job
IN printing the original returns OF the sixth census and
hope y was not the purpose Of the wing Twenty
seventh Congress to give job IN the form OF compen
dunn TO the Madisonan newspaper then printed in this
cy. That compendium cost large sum, and believe
never was OF the least practical utility. do not be-
leve It necessary to print vast number Of such docu
ment as this TO circulate all the country 1t will be
OF no use Congress must have proper supply the
congressional library, the departments, the State govern
ments the leading seninares OF learning. and the lite
Iary institutions OF the country should be well supplied
AZ for putting this census into The hands OF vast multi
tude OF people IN tAs country, IT u.s. IN my Judgment, ut
tery absurd and ridiculous Ii is OF very little use
cept to enable us TO make apporonment OF The
oers oil the House oil Representatives among the respect
i've States, and to furnish statistics of the population
OF the business OF the country But who the men
competent TO deal with the contents of the this
regard Only s,a:cians-very learned men-and there
are few OF them in this country. am perfectly free
admit that ! should myself be utterly incompetent for
such an undertaking. although there may be members
arr mn tanf thnraf fora
have no compendium would print limited number oil
copies Of this work. My belief is that ten thousand
or twelve thousand copies will be abundant supply fo
the entire country You ought 10 have copies
send TO Europe, 10 interchange with foreign
and perhaps some to send to OF the leading semna
After have supplied Congress- the general govern
mcnt, the State governments and the semnaes
Learning and sent copies to the foreign ambassadors
think we shall have gone quite as FAR the public inter
ess require. am, therefore, for filling up the blank in
this amendment, al present advised, with ten thousand
copies; but will not object to twelve thousand copies
If honorable members desire that number; but shalt be
utterly opposed to printing compendium such as was or
dered BY the Twenty seventh Congress, because be.
lieve there is real practical utility IN such work.
Having demonstrated, trust have conclusively that
this 10 departmental printing having shown that the law
OF 1S42 now ~ full force having shown that that law
has worked well, and that all contracts under il have
been performed having shown that the public treasure
has been economical in very considerable degree by its
Inc interests in every respect require that that law should
he maintained and that the JOINT resolution which pro-
vides for the printing OF the two houses OF Congress
should be amended, ask, upon what principle is 1t that
any member rise IN his place and demand The
oil the original resolution, and upon what principle
any object TO the amendment which have proposed.
separating the supply OF paper from the composition and
the press work and from the binding, and requiring the
Secretary OF the Interior with proper securities and under
proper supervision 10 let out all three TO the lowest bid
der Will not this be entirely safe for the publici Will
1t not give us good paper, prompt execution, fair work
and moderate prices every department OF business
These are the elements OF the which belong TO the
public, and will not do honorable senators the injustice
10 believe that such considerations will not have
trolling weight on the present occasion.
MIR. BRIGHT replied TO Mr.. SMITH, and in the course
oil his remarks The following statements and explanations
Mr.. BRIGHT. The honorable senator Mr.. SaIHl
certainly forgeis that al the last session o Congress he
hlmsef proposed in the Committee on Printing 10 give
this very work the Republic. Hot haste IL was not
too early at the last session OF Congress sgiiae the
question.
MIR. SMITH. AS the honorable senator has never al
tended any OF the meetings OF the Committee Printing,
Ipresume he makes the statement that was in favor OF
giving the printing of the returns TO the Republic
the authority OF others All have TO say is that the
gentleman is entirely misinforned
Mr. BRIGHT. II not correct. hope the chair.
man OF the COMMITTEES on Printing will correct me.
Mr.. BORLAND. | presume the statement OF the
senator from Indiana made information received
from He ~ mistaken, however in surprising that
printing TO the Republic did say that The senator from
Connecticut 10 favor of the proposition made by The
Superintendent OF the Census, TO leave The printing 10
him, and have II executed at that time Whether he
would have had it done at the Republic office or else
where do not know But the Superintendent OF The Cen