Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-08-28
WEDNESDAY, AuGUsT25, 1852.
IN SENATE.

Mr.. ATCHIS0N appealed to the Senate to allow him
take ap bill for poor blacksmith who had been here
for the last nine months presenting his claim, who
had made appeal to him this morning, which, if made
to the Senate, would induce them to take it up and act
upon il at
Several SENATORS Let it be taken up
The joint resolution TO authorize the settlement of the
Of James Pool then taken up and ordered
to be engrossed for third reading.
| PRINTING OF CONGRESS
Mr.. BR0DHEAD moved to postpone all prior orders
for the purpose of taking up the bill to provide for
cutting the public printing and establishing the prices
thereof, and for other purposes.
This motion led to a.protracted discussion
i Mr. HAMLIN hoped the motion would not prevail as
it could not fail to lead to debate to the interruption
other business.
Mr. BRoDHEAD said that, if not taken up to-day II
would not be taken up at ALL 1t would lead more
debate to-day than any succeeding one.
Mr.. BORLAND was compelled to vote against the pro-
position of the Senator from Pennsylvania mr. BRoD-
HEAD He deemed it impossible to give that attention
to the measure which its Importance deserved.
Mr.. SMITH alluded to amendments which he desired
to have made and said it would take several days to
anime the bill properly which could not be given without
prejudice to other and more important business He
would be willing to make it the special order for the very
first day Of the session. if that could be DONE and
have it investigated and it might be passed by the 10Th
Of December.
He presumed that discussion would not change single
VOTE be supposed that every Senator present
was familiar with the provisions Of the bill.
Mr. SMITH was not willing to have the bin taken up
with view to its passage before proper examination
could be had 1t might be possible that Senators
acquainted with its provisions but Senators around him
said they had never seen it.
Mr.. CASS alluded to the fact of the session having
now occupied nine months the in which the
tract system had failed and now, after the House had
passed the bill upon mature elaboration he thought IL
ought to be taken up and disposed of
Mr.. HALE denied that the contract system had failed
hutt that had failed in hav I'd
had not failed in the Departments but in Congress bid
ding not based the prices but on the hope that
Congress would relax and where there losses that
they would be made up out Of the public crib.
Mr. BRIGHT advertcd to the efforts made to have this
subject disposed Of The Committee Printing were
unable to agree to the BILL but all agreed
the present mode Of executing the public printing being
full Of difficulty and delay The present bill might be
tract system, and they had better take il up and pass it,
On the motion to take it up he demanded the yeas and
nays; which were ordered.
Mr. B0RLAND was not now q member Of the Commit
tee Printing but when he he had urged upon the
Senate plan which had been thoroughly examined and
yet he could get sufficient support encourage
ment to enable him TO have any action upon it. That bill
altogether free from objections, but in his opinion
infinitely less so than the present measure.
Mr.. DOUGLAS insisted that all prior attempts to
cute the printing by contract perfect failures If
printer were elected now il would take him until thsaext
session make the arrangements There We're
documents important TO legislation not yet printed nor
likely to be- unless the bill passed
The question then taken by yeas and nays and de-
cided in the affirmative, as follows;
YEAs-Messrs Adams Atchison Bayard Bradbury Bright
rodhead Cass Charlton Clemens Dodge Wisconsin Dodge
Of Iowa Douglas, Downs, Felch, Gwr, Hamn, Houston
James Jones Of Iowa. King, Mallory, Mason Merwether
Norris, Rusk Shields Stockton, Toucey, Walker, and
Weler--30.
NAYS-Messrs. Badger, Borland, Brooke Butler Chase
Clarke Cooper, Davis Dawson DeSaussure, Fish, Geyer
Hale Jones Of Tennessee Mangum Miller Morton Pearce
Pratt Seward Smith, spruance Sumner Underwood, Upham
and Wade-26.
The bill was then taken up, when
Mr.. HAMLN stated his several objections to it. The
first Of which that it connected the printing Of
Congress with that Of the several departments in which
the contract system had worked well for years The
cond that tprovded superintendent to be appoint
ed by the President whom neither branch Of Con-
gess could exercise any control He insisted that the
printing Of the Departments should stand by ITSELF il
was different in every way from that Of Congressional
printing il not obliged to be executed at a given
time The prices paid for the printing Of Congress- though
reasonable in itself under all the circumstances would be
enormously high for that executed for the Departments
The printing Of the General Post Office amounted
ally to 50000 and would be enhanced greatly by the bin
Mr. H moved to amend by striking out the following
words;