Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-07-17
THE CONGRESS PRINTING.

THE CONGRESS PRINTING
A debate took place in the Senate on the Oath
ultno, upon very sensible proposition by Mr. Sena
tor BRADBURY, to reduce the mass of documents
printed, BY excluding details such as--though per.
haps fit to be communicated to Congress-it is
supremely absurd to publish annually tens and
hundreds of thousands of volumes of In the course
of that debate, Mr. BRADBURY, arguing the waste
fulness of such useless printing illustrated it by
asking why the Senate should publish ten thousand
copies of book of which hundred and thirty pages in
one body made up to great extent of the mi
mute detasthe little items and particulars such as the
length of poce of board the number of josts that
may have been furnished. will read (said Mr. b. one
two specimens
g A dozen pieces Of India rubber"
Twelve dozen lead pencils"
/" Twocounting- house parallel rules"
g Four dozen linen tape" &C.
Does the honorable Senator suppose that great infor
nation to be furnished by sending abroad these minute
Details and that there the public will look with very
great interest to learn that particular individual fur
nished four pieces of red tapeR 1t is this abuse per-
petrated in printing volumes Of this useless detail for
distribution, that wish 1t is waste Of the
public money that we should avoid.
In the course Of some remarks on the subject by
Mr.. Senator BORLAND, he made the following as
founding revelation of the state and condition of
the Printing for the present Congress- exhibiting
state Of things which is highly significant as to the
merits Of the system of letting such work out to
the lowest bidder:
Mr.. BoRLASD said: Though not now member Of the
Committee Printing, served long enough on that
mittee to know something of the difficulties which that
Senator suggests have found upon service Of three
years chairman of that committee that is nearly i'm
possible not absolutely to have the public printing
especially the printing of the public documents which
come from the Executive, executed within time when
they will be of any either House Congress under
the present system. Sir, there Is Senator upon this
floor that o~ of wao has get recsvsd the Presidents
sage, any Of the documents from the Departments; and yet
the session of Congress drawing to close and
had nothing from the Departments whch to base legs
laon Seven months Of the session gone and yet if
any member has received copy Of these documents
he has been fortunate than have This is an evil
that ought be corrected that u.s. If it is desirable
have these documents the basis of legislation We
know what has been the action of the Government
cannot have the facts which have been developed in
the annual administration of the Government before
in such way to egslate Understandings upon all
of the Government what legislation is necessary to
carry the Government? We do not know what amount
Of money has been collected the from
which it has been collected, the proportion in which
the different sources have paid it in dove know how
much it has cost to administer the Government. have
sought ascertain this with good deal Of care and the
not to be had They have been furnished
is true, but they in the hands Of the printer
in manuscript and threeourhs of the session have now
passed. and is impossible derive any thing like
rate knowledge oft The which has been adopted
of the States remedy evils of this sort has been
to extent similar to the suggested by the Sens
tor from Maine namely, to require the Executive to
have these documents printed and laid upon tables
at the beginning Of the session do not any other
way in which the evils have been speaking of can be
remeded 1t will not do to wait till the beginning of the
session have this large of documents brought here
and then to have to wait till the end of the session before
they be brought before in printed form, that
all become acquainted with their contents. II we
desire have these documents at ALL must have them
in tangible shape at the beginning of the session. which
only be done by the Executive having them printed
and brought to us.