The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-04-21

II the motive had operated upon 10 go contrary to
the law, and TO carry out resolution which The gentle
says was contrary power, then he would have
come up here aud have said that exercised power
not granted by the law, and he would have sustained
it, too, But discovered the error ourselves We re-
traced our steps We adoptedt the very language oil the
law, and reported that TO the couny"to remedy any
neglect OF the public printer TO comply with hs con
tract" There we stopped That gentleman and this
/ House convinced that we controlled our aconpIe-
csely according the letter OF power, and went moi
one inch beyond it, Our powers committee ara laid
down clearly in the law Of lsi6, which reads as iol-
| lows
ing OF three of the Senate and three members OF
the House OF Representative shall be ehosea by their re-
Printing which shall have power adopt such measu
may be deemed necessary remedy any neglect or de-
dered by Congress- and to make reduction in the
compensation allowed 10 Ieiuse the work altogether,
tue contractor and his securities shall be responsible lo any
increased expenditure consequent npon
al accounts Tor printing but no bill shall be acted upon
lof work that IS not actually executed and develed ana
whIcsi they may require TO be properly authenticated
Now, sir, after carefully perusng this law, and the
powers granted and the duties eDoned, II would take
more than the genemans declaration, here elsewhere
TO convince me that there is upon this oo OF any
party who believes that the committee has transcribed
It's powers in any single point or in any contingency
do not believe word OF it, when the preence is set up
that we exceeded our powers You do believe, in my
opmon that have done exactly what me letter OF the
law authorized TO do He says that for political pur-
poses we undertook 10 give il to Doneson Armstrong
Mr.. CLlNGMAN, Gnterrupling) Will the gentleman
Nj. GoRMAN. If have misrepresented the gentle,
man will.
MI. CLINGMAN My remark as to the gentleman
from Indiana Mr.. GoRMANl being influenced by political
bias was founded upon statement which | read from
the Congressional Globe. II is from the gentleman's
speech upon the census printing. will read but few
sentences
"Iask my friend what there is in this transaction
Doneson Armstrong do it. and it is complained
because their inserted here. tell you if thai
be given thep far my influence and vote
20, they shall have Why will select in prefer
cnce to other democratic will do 50, tell my friends,
because they the organs o the democratic party Is
that plain enough Is that understood -
These the grounds upon which | based my re.
marks
Mr. GORMAN ! repeat them now, and never ut
tered sentiment true thah that. The gentleman
has not driven me from The record. stand there yet
and the who tells that he is not party man, he
is as stated before, kind of animal that have not
often in human shape in this country. But had
the candor TO come out on that occasion and state boldly
that would give il 10 political fnend where could
do upon terms equally fair as those offered by po-
ltcal Toe, in preference TO that foe And apprehend
that there is not upon the wing side OF the House
who would not have done the thing, if the consd
eraons upon each side equal.
/ Blu, 10 The point The gentleman from North Carolina
| [Mr. CLIsGMaHl says was aciuaed by political mo-
tves. The frst motive which actualed me 10 dis
ehrge my duty, and TO place the public printing before
the cOuntry. The next motive 10 look about and
| see whom we could get 10 perform the work as the
public printer bad failed 10 perform II IN obedience 10
his contact Was that legitimate step' What other
step could have taken than TO look about and
who could perform the duty that your public printer had
failed to perform Was not that the next Legitimate
duty OF the committee. IL Then comes up the
question, To whom shall il be given First, the com
mtiee considered and proposed TO give 10 A. b, G. &c
To whom could we give Almost every printer IN
the city OF Washington proposed. There could be
40 concurrence of opinion. As matter OF course, ia
obedience TO wha, said before, in my speech upon the
Census printing, preferred 10 give the contract to po
ca iend instead OF political foe, where the terms
were equal acted upon that principle, and shall con
tnue 10 act upon that principle.
In the next place, phGidid zoe do We laid down the
prices that We agreed TO give Those prices were those
contained ia The recent bid OF John G. Rves The gen
teman says that John c. Rves's bid higher than
that of Towers have said that proposed ToweIs'
bid but was satisfied by calculation, by deductng
the sixy-nlne per cent. upon the long numbers, tha
Rves's bid the cheapest 10 the country, and actne
under the conviction, accordingly agreed TO that bid.
i What next, sir Why, ii is stated IN this morn.
ings Globe by Mr.. Rives that his bid higher than
rowerss II is, Mr.. Rives led his friends, and my
self particularly, nio an error lot he published, Owe
his signature, and IN his own paper, OF 18th Decem
ber, 1851, as follows:
as am the lowest bona III, bidder FOR the greatest
portion OF the printing Of Congress- and have made ampl,
preparation % execute all that may deyoye upon me,
tender as security Messrs John W. Maury and Georg,
Parker, OF this city, sufficient be found any
where who are prepared you VIII by the enclosed
to into bond Tor the execution Of this work. according
to the terms Of your advertisement and my bid.
ready TO verify the statements OF this note by tes
mony before you But A. agents Tor letting the print
ing Of Congress- you should determine aside
sham bid 10 favor OF the iona fde inquired bidder, (aecord
INK the usage OF the executive departments Of this gov
body immediately interested, beg leave respectfully Il
solicit, through YOU, investigation Of the case by
mitlee OF Congress"
can say to you, and 10 this House. that il my vote
controls IT, that contract goes 10 that does
agree 10 do II as cheapy any responsible bidde
under the law. Gideon Co, or Donelson x Arm.
strong have never proposed TO have stipulated price
1uh DtueUf hgA
not ask the committee 10 give them this that price
They only asked the committee for the printing, IL any
one but the contractor got the work. Indeed, Gideon
Co asked the committee for anything that know
OF. | asked the committee, in behalf OF Donelson
Armstrong, for IT, But tell this House that Gideon
Co.'S hands are clean OF this They never talked TO
and did not know Mr. Gideon until after the hnal vot,
taken. II there has been any coalition the par
of the Printing Committee they could, and more readily
would have coalesced, matter OF course, with somt
other printer than that OF the Republic.
But, SIR let me look moment at this question, al
presented by the gentleman from North Carolina, [Mr
CLfsGMAsl and the gentleman from Mississippi, Mr.
BRowR for conceive, of all the speeches made upon this
subject that gentleman Mr. CLrNgMASl has presented the
most unfair issues He has presented them with tha
degree OF force which usually cbaracterzes his ability
I upon the floor, but he did it in tha, kind OF iron.
heeled way which would seem TO carry that inperio Ia
\ When any gentleman undertakes TO charge coalition the
hands should be clean IL s said sir in law, that when
you come into court OF justice for equity, you mus
come in with clean hands Now, sir, how did we give
/ this printing 10 these two men , The National lnle
gencer was one OF the public presses OF the whg party
The Southern Press kind OF gpaa organ OF the
South, OF what is called Stale. rights men and hay,
- II