Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-05-08
OF land upon some equal and Just principle Of approprs-
uon, to oil the States" Laid on the table

lon, 10 Ill the states" Laid on the table.
PRINTING
The SPEAKER stated that the first business in order
was the consideration of the following resolution reported
| by the Committee ON Printing on Friday last
esovd That there be printed the use Of the House Of
$4,000 copies Of the mechanical part
Patent Once report and three thousand additional copies for
the use Of the Commissioner OF Patents
Mr., TUCK raised the question of order that the first
business in order was the motion to refer to the Commit
tee Of the Whole the French Sp0lation bill hayin heen
taken from the Speakers table on Monday
The SPEAKER decided that the resolution from, the
Committee on Printing the first business in order
According to the practice Of the House the French Spo
iaon bill was confined to business the Speakers Ia
BILE and would be the first thing in order when the House
| should proceed to that business
Mr.. HOUSTON moved that the House go into Commit
tee OF the Whole the state Of the Union with view
Of taking up the Homestead bill; which motion was disa-
greed to Ayes &c. noes II.
The House then proceeded consider the resolution
reported by the Committee on Printing.
Mr. CLINGMAN said that he had no disposition to oc
cupy the time Of the House in discussing this question:
but, with view of asceranng the Of the House. he
would move that the resolution be committed the Com
mittee on Printing, and that they hereby instructed
report to this House what if any arrangement has
been made to have the public printing executed and if
other than the public printer has been employed
report what prices they have agreed to pay and that the
said committee be instructed to let out such printing
present contractor cannot execute the lowest
sponsible bidder, after ten days notice" st
Mr.. STUART raised the question Of order that it
4 COupctcib
regard any thing except that which pertinent
the subject matter it moved to recommt The sub
ect sought to be recommtted report from the Com
mittee on Printing, directing the printing Of certain
number Of extra copies of the report othe Commissioner
OF Patents The instructions did not propose any mod
cation OF the former report substitute therefor but
related to the subject Of public printing generally and
were in contravention of the existing law.
The SPEAKER decided that the motion Of Mr.. CLIsa-
NAN was in order He of opinion that the action of
the committee on the subject Of printing generally Of
which the printing of the Patent Office report part
might very reasonably be presumed to affect to
tent the action OF the House on the pending resolution AS
70 the effect Of the Instructions in view of existing laws
ne thought II more properly the decision Of
| the House than for the chair.
| Mr.. STUART appealed from this decision and some
discussion ensued the appeal which participated
in by Messrs. CARTIER, STUART, CLINGMAN, STAN
Lf, and others
! Mr.. JOHNSON, Of Arkansas then moved the previous
question.
Mr. EVANS moved that the appeal be laid on the table;
which motion was agreed to: Yeas l22, nays "A.
So the decision Of the Chair was sustained
The SPEAKER then stated the question to be upon
agreeing to the motion submitted by Mr. CLIxdMAs to re-
commit the resolutions with instructions.
i Mr. GORMAN, from the Committee on Printing on the
part Of the House, modified his report Of the pending
solution by adding thereto the following viz the cost
of printing said mechanical part of said Patent Office
1 port will be about forty-nne cents per copy"
Mr. BAYLY, Of Virginia, moved to amend the instruc-
tons offered by Mr.. CLISGMAN by putting them in the
| form of joint resolution
He remarked that he had heard great deal about the
higher law party in this country The object of his
amendment ascertain many Of that party there
were in the House. and he would undertake say that
his opinion was that Of the branches of the Legsa
Of the United States set more examples Of higher law
than any other body Of the number They did this
every day in riding down their rules BY the Con-
stution Of the United States each House had authority
to adopt its own rules of proceeding After they had
done this the rules precisely much the law Of the
land, adopted in pursuance Of the Constitution any
other law. And yet the House constantly undertook to
exercise the higher law privilege and these
Il rules! Aa
BY the law of 1916 the subject of the public printing
was committed to the Joint Committee on Printing of the
Houses and during this whole session there had been
attempts on the part Of House, without the
renee or sanction of the other to control that law In
other words there had been practical attempt
here the higher law doctrine He should not go into
minute discussion Of this law regulating public printing
had already been discussed and he had dis
position to go over the ground again; but he would say
that the committee had plenary power this subject
and that neither Of the two Houses could control the
committee; and when one Of the two Houses undertook
to repeal the law Of Congress- sanctioned by the Pres
dent they were undertaking the higher law doc
tnne. he was utterly opposed to this. When question
arose as TO the number of copies each Honse would
issue, each had the sole authority decide itself
How these documents could be printed how the public
printing was 10 be executed and whether the public
printing had been executed according the contract
nota this by law had been committed the Joint Com
mittee Printing whose conduct regulated not by
the rules Of the Houses by the rules of the Senate but
by law which was passed by both Houses and approved
i by the President These instructions for joint
committee constituted by law and he undertook main
tain that the House had right to give instructions TO
the committee in any other mode than by Joint resolu
| ton Of the two Houses.
| Mr.. EVANS said that this subject had occupied the
attention Of the House since the 2sh Congress Persons
whs had executed the public printing had put such large
sums OF money into their pockets that the Goth Con-
gressa Democratic one-determined that the contract
system should be adopted and what had been the conse
ovQfou had haan ~
and combinations had been formed in this city by presses
| of both parties to break this system down.
The Senate of the United States he had understood
had given to the Republic the printing Of fifty thousand
copies Of this report and the question here
whether Donelson Armstrong should have their part Of
the printing of Congress- It appeared that they could
not obtain their part Of the bargain and not fair
shake. He opposed to all combinations all cor
rupt ncoupt bargains for the purpose Of compensa
ing the press Of either party. He would pledge him
self to vote cent for any Wing press land he
was whig,) any other press and he trusted the
Democratic party would stand by him.
He supposed those gentlemen who TO the com
bnaton between the Union and the Republic would stand
to the rack The Republic had obtained the printing
Of the Patent Office reporttheir manger was replete
their loft was full Of hay, while Donelson Armstrong
could not get their part Of the bargain This was the
whole secret Of the affair and every body knew H. He
hoped that the House would stand by the contract sys
tenn, and put down those who combine against It.
He hoped they would execute the contract system at
every risk and IL they did do this he trusted they
would resort to that which nearly all Governments had
resorted to-a public printing Office II would be an
easy matter to establish Government printing Office, free
Of all corruption.
Mr. GORMAN in the corrse ~ NJ ~o-n..l,