The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-07

| O000. Dr0uOupC6 INC otAV0G0uS 18loDS WuOtOvoI
il comes from say to this House, that we have
of Towers, and that the price we propose to give
does not vary 800 from that estimate.
| Mr. EVANS. As never said that the gen.
teman had varied from Towers's contract and
never knew what Towers's contract was, pre-
sumo the gentleman cannot refer to me.
Mr.. GORMAN. Certainly not. But it has
been whispered about in certain quarters.
Mr.. EVANS. | never said anything Of the
sort, and do not say 80 now. ! am sorry there
are so many personal. difficulties surrounding
this printing discussion. | announced, at the
beginning of this discussion, and notwithstand-
ing all that has been said about it, / can an
nOunce it to-day from the bottom of my heart,
that can attribute no improper or corrupt mo-
tive to the gentleman from Indiana Mr.. Cor
MAN, or the gentleman from Kentucky, Mr..
STANTON They are the last gentlemen to
whom | could attribute any such motives.
know nothing about Towers's bid. But this is
a matter of public interest, and we have to base
this public printing upon some system. 1t be-
comes u.s. therefore, to have free, fair field, and
candid discussion upon this subject, doing JUS
lce TO all men, ard injuring the feelings Of no
man. | would not willingly do it. 1t strikes
me as a singular thing, that Boyd Ia nton's
prices were not increased, TO enable him TO go
on, for s. money makes the mare 60"
Mr.. S STANTON. We had no power to in
crease the prices Of Boyd Hamilton and we
were compelled, by law, to employ some one
else to do the work, and charge him and his
securities with the difference in price.
Mr. EVANS The House will Judge be-
tween me and the gentleman in regard to the
power | will not peruse that branch of the
subject any further. ! will not dwell upon the
short comngs or long goings of the committee,
or express any sentiment at all upon it. They
have done differently, it is true, from what |
would have done. They have acted upon differ
ent principles and from different motives
There are combinations existing in this city :
combinations bearing heavily upon us all, and
which myself will not say found it imposi.
ble--but difficult to resist; combinations which
have appealed to me as well as to you all.
These combinations ought to be resisted at
once, or they will exist here forever for this is
not the work Of one day. but of all time. Aud
all future Congresses will find the same things,
unless we now at once, and with all our manli.
ness and force, resist them For one, am
prepared to do it, They are found nowhere
else. will not quote the example Of absolute
governments for our imitation, for love free
DOM aud hate absolute governments but in
certain matters we may look abroad to see if
we cannot meet with something that may bene-
fit ourselves. The English government have
national printing office, which, as far as know,
has been carried on without any charge of cor
ruplion being made against it, So has the
French government so has the Prussian gov
ernment, and so has the Austrian government
Mr.. GORMAN. With the permission of the
gentleman from Maryland, desire to make
suggestion to the House. This Patent Office
report has to be printed by some one. wish
the House to understand that have supply re
ported the usual resolution for the printing of
the number that you usually order. have done
nothing else. am not going to do anything
else. When they are printed they are printed
at the prices agreed upon unanimously, be-
lieve, by the joint committee.
Now, sir, only want to state to the House,
that really you can have no printing done unless
you order it. The House must order it, These
things cannot be done by the committee. You
cannot have these reports printed unless you Or
der them to be printed. want the House also
to understand that they can get all the informa-
ton they desire about prices by referring to the
public bids which are on public record in Miscel-
laneous Documents, No. 10. They will find
Towers's bid there; and the prices that we have
given to the printers who are to do the work for
the House, although not identical in all the items
are substantially the same rs Towers's bid All
ask the House to do is, to order this printing
If they order il, well and good; if not it is all
the same to me- The old members are not par.
ticularly interested in these things If the new
members want them, they will have to order the
printing
If Boyd Hamilton can do the work, he shall
certainly do it. If he can do it according TO his
contract, il is the duty of the committee TO let
him do it, and they intend that he shall do it.
All the documents which have been in his hands
for more than a month, and which have not been
commenced by him at all, we have taken from
him. He has had some documents for four
months and half which are not finished, and
some of which have not been commenced vet
| will state another fact for the information
of the House. A proposition was submitted
to the Joint committee to give the printing to
Donelson & Armstrong and the Republic, and
that proposition was voted down when the new
committee met. A proposition, introduced by
Senator, was then agreed to, that the commit
tee Of each House should exercise its own
judgment in giving out such printing rs it saw
fit. The committee on the part Of the House
have, therefore, executed contract with Don.
elson & Armstrong, and they have ordered
one single document, and that is all, to be given
to them. We have strenuousy kept the con.
tract, and required Boyd Hamilton to come up
to it, as far IA we possibly could. We have
written notes and called on him specifically to
cay wherein he CEN comply with his contract.
Wherever he can do it, we have assiduously and
earnestly insisted on his fulfilling that contract.
That is what we have done. The committee
on the part of the House are not responsible for
any printing that may have been given to the
publishers of the Republic the Globe, or the
National Intelligencer, or any one else The
Senate committee can give the printing Of that
body to whoever they please do not know
what they have done. 1t is very probable, how
ever, that they have done what the House com
mittce have done--given it to Donelson g.
Armstrong.
thank the gentleman from Maryland for his
kindness in allowing me so much of his time.
] really do not want to make Il speech upon
this matter. But | do not want TO be msrep.
resented before the country. have no desire
TO get into personal difficulties, but do not
choose gentlemen to circulate it through the
country that have acted in bad faith towards
my fellow Democrats. ! will state here, be-