The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-01-30

The want. then. o. spssiasaliO. q The number oi
resolution,
But, Mr. President ,hsrs : aso,hsr dlasaly 10 ths
wouid 10 be equally necessary thar both the
mitee and the proposed oOnlfsetofs should know some
thing Of the magnitude o extent q ne work % b. done
and what do we know about ID The wofs !. not
peled; report OF this wogs has bcen Submitted 10 she
two houses OF Congress. What "a 10 BE- the senate
does not know neither = .hs,s any human beng "a ee
country who does know OF caa knos Al present We
knowor rather We have every reason 70 belieye-thai
II IS 10 be work OF very great nasnltude From she
time, and from ihe length Of tine in whleh hey havs
been engaged. and si likely 10 BE- engaged We may
conclude that II Is TO be document oi unusual sixs
Of Is sso ,hsre ' were % only - seventeen Clerks osi Il iii
That we know, was large work and believe y was
laid before Congress and published as early IN hs ses
sion this time. in si2 But, instead oi seventeen
clerks employed, understand that they have now IN the
census Office hundred and sixy-one clerks and ines.
sengers. do not know how many messengers there are
or how many clerks but understand The roll OF the
present employees up 10 hundred and sNy.one,
and suppose the services OF all these clerks are fcn
dered necessary BY the grea, number OF nlenogaoTes
and the vast amount and variety OF statistics brought
into the returns OF the mashals BY he act OF Congress
II, sir, Messrs Donelson 4 Armstrong. in eoase-
quence Of the magnitude OF the work have % get q
vast deal Of machinery, type, and other Materials
which would be OF little 10 them when the work u
is completed, and upon which they must sustain great
oss then the committee should accord set OF terms
But if, on the other hand, il is a small work, coming
within the capacity OF their present machinery they
could afford TO do il on other and much lower terms
How the Senate or the committee Judge, this mat
ter is situated, OF their ability capacity to dis
charge this duty How can we determine whether
they likely to execute the job in due season How
can the parties named, discreet aud prudent men,
ture incur such important obligations without know
ing something OF their extent or magnitude How can
the committee determine what securities would be ate-
quale without this element before them take for
granted this is a in which securities 10 be
quired Ii the object is TO quarter party organ on the
treasury-whch can hardly believeihen can readily
conceive why such obvious and urgent considerations
should be overlooked.
But again who ever heard of two houses OF Con.
gress ordering document of this Importance TO be pub
llshed before II had been communicated to them
The provisions OF the act, insist, show con.
cusvey that Congress could not have contemplated the
printing Of these returns until they had been made out
and submitted to the two houses OF Congress This act
provides that the Secretary of the Interior shall see
that all due dligences employed by the mashals and
sstant mashals 10 make the of their respective
doings complete at the times herein prescribed and.
further as the returns so made to cause the same to
be classified and arranged in the best and most convent
en manner for use and to lay the same before Congress
at the next session thereof"
Why lay them before Congress Not for the purpose
OF founding any legislation upon them. Formerly the
returns land before Congress TO enable that
body to apporlion the members OF the House OF Repre-
sentaves among the various States of the Union. But
that labor has been taken oil our hands the apporon.
ment has been made advance These returns were 10
be made out and laid before Congress- not Tor the pur
pose OF becoming the foundation OF legislation but solely
TO enable Congress to make suitable and proper order IN
regard to their printing can conceive OF no reason for
communicating the to the two houses. except sim
ply that might have them before US in order to form an
opinion in regard to their character and in regard to their
value; 10 whether they properly auanged-wheth-
have TO believe they accurate, and then,
in reference to The magnitude oil the work. to decide how
it shall be printed, and what number OF copies shall be
printed
returns laid before by the Secretary who was TO
complete and submit them to the two houses OF Congress
proposes that we should take leap in the dark that
without knowing anything as to the magnitude oil the
work. TO its accuracy, whether II comes before
us in form in which it ought TO be printed, without
knowing anything 10 regard to the number Of copeshe
proposes what All a job is wanted for the propre.
tors OF the Union office in this city Such seem to be the
indications OF the case and therefore TO take time
pens 10 be completed perhaps the committee are TO
60 up to the Census Ohce, or my honorable fend does
not propose to make order the Secretary OF the
Interior TO hand any portion OF these returns) and,
for aught know, TO break into the Office and capture
portion OF this document, and hand il TO the prope
tors of the Union newspaper From all the circum.
stances of this case may be led TO infer that that
Office is pretty hard pushed for supplies. Why canno,
the senator wait till the document comes herel The
Secretary OF the Interior is not ordered to hand the doc
umen over to ,hem he is only ordered by law to lay
before Congress Surely the worthy and highly respect
able gentlemen who are the P,9pIei9s Of ae Linen are
such monstrous haste TO get hold OF some portion oil tbe
public treasure TO sustain the organ OF the democratic
party.for which, as have said, have very great re-
spec Ii is excellent organ. IL supports Tue prnci-
pies and doctrines and views OF very patriotic party
though, believe, party which is very much mista.
ken with regard TO some important questions OF public
policy. Still admit that II is necessary and proper
that they should have organ; and am perfectly
willing and desrous that It should prosper do
not know but that | may be persuaded by and by,
to come into this measure myself, and hand over 70
them this job OF printing, for | believe am very ac-
commodatng gentleman ! am disposed TO oblige my
democratic friends, and particularly my honorable Trend
from Indiana the author ol this resolution have re-
ceiyed great many favors from him since have been
member of this body and il he should put II on the loot
ing OF recprocaton OF favors might go great way to
obge him, and do something for this Union ONCE which
seems now TO be severely pressed that II cannot walt
Tor tins document but must catch hold OF IFS head or tail
and print before we know anything about IT, do not
know but that this will be done shall wait, however,
until see a majority OF the two houses OF Congress in
favor of this proposition, before believe it, Sir, main
Congress to commit itself in the dark 10 the printing of
such an important document this without knowing
what is TO be- We ought 10 have the document FIRST,
and ought refer IL 10 the appropriate committee 10 give
ii thorough examination. ] do not know what they
are making up in the Department OF the Interior have
very great regard for the honorable head oi that depart
mcnt and great confidence in his rectude and patriotism
butt may not have the same confidence IN all heads OF
bureaus Ii is very possible that these returns may be
made up in way, and may be in form, which would
not meet with the appreciation OF the two houses oil Con-
gress and what than that, they may pe erro-
neous. That is not by any means an uneramped CIR.
cumsiance in the history OF the country In the case oi
the census OF ls40 after the returns came in II was ds
covered that there probably very serious error IN
the taking OF the in an adjoining county 10 lns
in hn A.