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

the circumstances If the Secretary OF the Senate and
the Clerk OF the House OF Representatives TO let out
this work, how will they do IL! VIII they not let II out
upon the lowest possible terms That is precisely the
condition 10 which we now stand we shall be defeated
in the whole object OF doing The work well and speedily
II only be done by persons every way prepared TO do
the work and that preparation has perhaps been made by
only two persons Ii seems TO me that If the Com
mltiee Printing will take The responsibility OF making
proper contract, the work will be done BETTER and the
great objects to be attained will be better secured than by
giving the power TO make the contract TO those two o
GERS. can no objection TO the course proposed by
the resolution and seems to me that the proposition 10
take the matter out OF the hands OF the committee is
very extraordinary one.
Mr.. BORLAND. | am sorry TO trouble the Senate
any further STILL feel il due TO myself, and to the po
sllion occupy in this matter, 10 say few words more,
The senator from Michigan, [Mr: CAss,l am happy to
mad, agrees with me upon one pointtha responsibility
should never be avoided in this body am glad 10 be
sustained by his high authority certainly never have
avoided, nor desired TO avoid responsibility hope
shall be joined in that respect by that distinguished SEN
ator always hereafter, and that when questions involving
responsibility come before this body, he will, with me,
TO Use phrase common in the Far West. where hve
''toe the mark"
must confess that cannot fully understand one po-
silion taken by the senator from Indiana, [Mr BRIGHT
and sustained by the senator from Michigan, MIR CAssl
to which have already alluded II is, that the commit
tee can go further than the Secretary and Clerk and IN
the price to be paid for this work. do what those oacers
"dare' not do cannot understand the precise meaning
and force OF that position without explanation. 10
me II is an enigma which am not able 10 unrlddle The
resolution provides that the contract shall be entered into
at reasonable" rate OF compensation No one, ap
prehend who knows the Secretary oil the Senate and the
Clerk OF the House of Representatives. and who has
any knowledge OF the proposed work, will doubt that
they are peculiarly and eminenty qualified TO Judge OF
what is Reasonable" in this respect-cerainly better
qualified than any committee that either house. or both
houses OF Congress, can appoint The Secretary OF the
Senate has been for years engaged in the Of
work OF this very kind 1t has for years been part OF
his annual duty, He has become perfectly familiar with
T. The committee would have to rely mainly upon
him, il they undertook to perform it, The Clerk Of the
House OF Representatives is perhaps OF the most
perenced men in the business OF printing that we can
lind in this city elsewhere. He is peculiarly well
But come back to a point which wish TO insist
upon. said that in the joint resolution OF 1885, under
which the committee was aised lis duties are prescribed
hold IN my hand the rules oil the Senate from which
will read what the duties required from the Commit
tee on Printing:
"A Committee on Printing consist of three members,
shall be referred every question on the printing OF
documents reports other transmitted by either Of
the executive departments and all memorials, petitions
the printing Of which shall be moved excepting bills orig
mating in Congress- resolutions offered by any SENATOR
from the legislatures or conventions law,
fully called, of the respective States motions print
by order the standing committees Of the Senate and
epng, Also and othe comm from the
President Of Uuted States and such reports and com
muncaons from the heads of departments may be made
Congress- to the Senate in obedience TO law or in
answer calls from the Senate and shall be the duty
OF said Committee on Printing to report in in
one day, or sooner, If practicable"
You perceive from this the character of the duties
CURED OF the committee II TO report upon the pro-
priey of printing various papers which before this
and sooner il practicable viii any one undertake %
say that the committee perform the duties required
by this resolution in one day. or in one oeek2 No one
who knows anything about il would say they could be
performed in week. Even il competent TO do il
so WELL would not undertake TO do il in any time less
than month. practical printer, experienced
IN the performance OF such duties, might do II
The joint resolution prescrbes also that the committee
shall audit the accounts OF the public printers That duty
they have been in the habit OF performing But this
resolution goes further and requires them only TO do
this, and to make reports but 10 go out into the market
and make contracts
The senator from Michigan lMr CAssl says this is all
very easy and simple, and will require but little time and
labor. He surely has never looked into the manner OF
making the contracts for the public printing III he had
but examined one sheet OF the calculations necessary to
be made in order TO provide for the different classes OF
printing, he would not he could not say that il is SIM
pie thing, and one easily done
insist kat the resolution under which the committee
formed, and the rule OF the Senate under which they
have heretofore acted shall be adhered TO and observed
And protest against being required TO perform those
other duties, which altogether foreign 10 the purpose
for which the committee was raised and for which il can
be legitimatey employed
Mr. BRIGHT Mr. President, the honorable senator
who is chairman OF This committee Mr.. BoRLASDI has
made remark TO which must reply. He says there is
an enigma connected with what | have said which he
cannot understand. He cannot understand how the
Committee on Printing can afford TO give higher price
than the officers OF this body able TO give will
explain why | made that remark. II we go little
further back-o the first speech OF the honorable
tor from Arkansas, [Mr BoRLAsDl-we will ind COM
mentary upon mode and of legislang here.
He states that have law establishing the authority
OF letting out the printing TO the lowest bidder; and yet
there !. not day when do not practical violations
OF the law. Day after day the printing is laid upon our
table here bearing upon It's face the evidence OF viola
ton OF the contract Now sir is duty as legisa
tors, improve the morals OF those legslae for,
and certainly is encouraging immortality our part to
tolerate this violation OF contract from day TO day. and
IL is to prevent this state OF things that advocate the
principles OF this resolution know there is frequent
violation OF the contract regulating the public printing
and believe, If to lei out this valuable class OF
printing under that system, that II would be violated
again | have hitherto advocated the letting out OF the
public printing 10 the lowest bidder As general thing,
have approved of disposing o public services in that
manner. Bot have so many practical demonstra
tons here going prove that cannot in that way get
our work done in a suitable and satisfactory manner,
that am decidedly against H. | do not believe this
work can be done by being let out to the lowest bidder
in such a the public service requires. And
believe il the officers Of bodies have the matter referred
out TO the lowest bidder; and hence is that the printing
and binding are so badly executed.
We have provided that the printing shall be done
on paper costing 81 so TO the ream and weighing ity
pounds. Their paper | understand, weighs no,
foriy pounds TO the ream, and does not cost 80,
when should cost 81 so by the contract But my in
formation from others is that the printing we are getting
here is upon paper costing only 81 30 to the ream, IN
stead of 81 So
Now, SIR am afraid, II the printing be done under tie
old contract mode by officers, that they, in self de-
fence will feel bound TO LET out TO those who will offer
TO do il the lowest say that the Committee Printing
of the houses with their position before the country,
afford TO do than the officers Of the bodies dare
do They can calculate at once the expense which
would necessarily be incnrred-they each have a clerk