The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-05-08

Mr.. GROW presented the petition of George
Catn, relative 70 the purchase by Congress Of his
collection OF Indian portraits; and IL referred
90 the Committee on the Library.
THE PUBLIC pRisrISo.
Mr.. STANTON, Of Kentucky from the Com.
mitt'e on Printing, made the following report,
which was read for Information, namely:
Inc Joint Committee on Printing, who were in.
structcd by the House Of Representatives "to re-
port ~hst, If any, arrangement has been made TO
execute the public printing, and II Bny other than
the public printer has been employed, 10 report
what prices they have agreed to pays" and who
were also INSTRUCTED 10 let out such printing
as the present contractor could not execute to the
lowest bidder, after ten days notice. respectfully
report
That under the resolution OF the two Houses Of
Congress, adopted August 3, 1876, the proper Of
hcors Of the Senate and House OF Representative
let out the public printing to the lowest bidder
agreeably 70 the terms OF tho said resolution. That
A. Boyd Hamilton, being the lowest bidder for
each of the several casses OF the public printing
desgnaied by the law, received tho contract, and
entered into bonds FOR ts faithful execution on the
81 VI March, 1851. The prices at which said Ham.
ilton undertook 10 do the work are ruinously low =,
and, in the opinion Of experienced practical print
err, are scarcely more than sufficient TO pay Tor the
paper upon which the printing required be done
by the terms ofthc contract. The officers authorized
by the said joint resolution let out the work and
make the contract, in their report 10 the House Of
the 81 Of March, 1851, estimate the aggregate
amount Of the contractors bid at the sun Of Ss7..
OIL, supporting no greater amount Of printing will
be ordered Wy the present Congress than w0s exc
cuted under the order Of the previous one. II is
conceded by all that the ncxt lowCat responsible
bidder Who offered for The printing, and was will.
ling otikc IL at HE hid. was John i. Towers, an
experienced practical printer of the city Of Wash
gion. The difference betwcen the sum which
tie contractor, Hamilton, will receive by his con.
tract and the bid ii John 7. Towers, for the came
amount Of rinting. s $50 ESQ, or difference OF
nearly one hundred per cont. IN the two bids. II
compared with the bid Of John &. Elves, another
competitor for the came printing tho disparity be-
tween the sum agreed upon by the contractor nd
that for which Mr. Rivos willing 10 execute the
work 10 much grrater, being the sum OF l0s,14l 4,
more than one hundred aud twenty five per
cent Both Tovers and RvCs are practical men,
engaged extensively in toe businers OF printing,
and no doub. offered 20 do tho work at what the
cccmcd iairand reasonable prices
AZ might have been cxpecicj, under thgge cir.
cUInssances, the contractor, Mr.. Hamilton, has
been unable at any time during the present SOS
sion u Congress 90 execute the printing Of the
t~o Ilouscs sgrceably to tho terms Of his contrac'
In angle instance, to tho knowledge Of the com
mifiec, has he fully complied with tho acquisitions
II HE bond. Neither the bile, reports, CALENDARS
executive documents, nor any other 90, cincn Of
work he Las executed, lie printed upon such paper
done in such style bis written obligation re-
quiros VI him. That description Of the pUll.c
printing intended for prcservaton, as part Of the
legislative rccOrdsu If the nation is done upon paper
greatly inferior 10 the standard If the contract,
auj 10 such an unskiliul manner as TO be abso.
iuiely disgfaceful 10 Congress. The piper IL not
only below the standard ~ weight. butts II coarser
texture and Il smaller szc than provided for by his
contract Wber bornd and trimmed, the margin
s neccs ariiy 20 small to dis6gure the work. and
IL plates Vi the usual szc are used they are
clipped and seriously injured. The general mp
pesrance 81 the work, arising from The inferior
quality Of The materisI and the unskilful manner
Of lie execution, IL shsmcfuly bad, and believed to
he worse than that done for any State Legislature
in The Union.
IL ia Iv in m ftf, n
the material and the defective execution II the
work that the committee find the contractor in
default, bot in point Of time in the completion Of
The work entrusted 20 bis haDds be has been and is
now unrcasonably behind. Tic Presidents mes.
sage, which might have been completed in three
wt,ks hy an energetic and capable contractor, is
not now. after lapse 81 five months, ono half
done There 10 not Tie slightest pro'T cot, judging