The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-02-24
P O L ITIC Al.
SPEECH
HON. s.. w. VENAE5L H.,

~
tatipes, January 26, 1852.
The following j,int resolution, re-
ported, from the Committee on
Public Printing, being under con.
sideration-
Be It reso'ved by the Senate anG
House Of Representatives Of the
United States Of america im Con,
gress assembled, That the Joint Com.
mittco ON Printing be directed to
contract with AIcssrs. Donelson u
Armstrong for printing and binding
the Census on such terms as they
may think reasonable and proper,
the work to be executed under the
direction of the Secretary of the
Interior, and to be paid for as it pro.
gress by the head Of the Census
Bureau, with power to abatc from
the amount stipulated it the work
when executed shall! prove deficient
or below the standard which may be
agreed upon.
Mr. Evans moved to amend by
striking out "Donclson l. Armstrong,
and to insert 'the lowest bider for
cash, the Government furnishing
the paper
Mr.. VenaLlc said:
Mr.. Speaker: This discussion is
entirely unexpected to me. A few
minutes since l came into the
House, having been called away by
business, and found my friend from
Maryland Mr.. Evans] opposing the
resolution Of. the Committee on
Printing. I am very much grat:fcl
at being present during the dis,
cussion. 10 have been absent, and
thus deprived Of an opportunity of
expressing my Views and ss;%5tTgg uEy
vote, would nave been a subject of
sincere regret. In saying this, do
not presume that any expression of
opinion may make, will the actor.
of this House. But, sir, I have
been at all times unwilling that this
subject of public printing should
pass from before this House until the
country should understand, and fully
understand, all that was meant by
ehis corruption fund. We have
heard gentlemen make great OBJ
jections to letting the printing out to
60 the lowest bidder, which has been
denounced all around this House as
d miserable failure; and, by way of
an ndlng it, it is proposed to let it
ou, % the highest biddcr-f,r the
committee are bound to contract with
designated individuals, and instructed
by the resolution to contract with
no other. Competition is excluded,
and the powers of the committee
limited IN the negotiation to such
terms as they may be able to make
with the editors Of the Union. Now,
I would suppose
Mr.. German. The contract is 10
be made upon such terms as the
committee shall deem reasonable.
I ask my honorable friend from
North Carolina if he supposes the
gentlemen composing the Committee
on Printing will make the contract
upon terms unreasonable unjust to
tho country and the Government?
Mr.. Venable. My gallant friend is
q pure and fair.mindcd man. !
know his purposes are correct. I am
confident that the same is true with
regard to the other members of the
committee, but why not authorize
them to contract with any responsible
person, being q practical printer, tc
execute this portion Of the public
printing! What claims have they
upon us, or upon the country? Mr.
Donelson has been called the ad
ministrator of General Jackson's
opinions. I say, he is administrator
not only in his wrong, but in Gencr
al Jackson's wrong. Aye, sir
he has no claims upon me, or upon
those whom I represent. I felt the
inauen:e Of his power the last sum
mer. I will never pay man to
whip me. con get it done cheaper
Laughter. The Union newspaper
contains the highest Federal doctrines
doctrines with which I never had
any sympathy, and never can have,
and therefore it has no claims
upon me.
AS an individual, I have nc
personal complaint to make; but
the assaults continually made by the
UNion upon those who asserted
tho rights of tho States, were
fe.t as open political hostility to the
whole class. Denominated agitators,
md associated with fanatics dc.