The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-08-09
From the National Intsuigsncr If SATURDAY,.

The Laws and Debates OF Congress. il.
The following joint resolution has recently
passed both Houses of Congress:
with view TO the cheap circulation of the
laws OF Congress and the debates contributing to
the true Interpretation thereof, and 10 make Tree
the communication between the representative
and constituent bodes: w
"Rssoloed. &c., That from and after the present
session of Congress the Congregational Globe and
Appsndir. which contain the laws and the debates
thereon shall pass free through the mails 90 long
as the same shall be published by order of Con,
gress Provided. That nothing herein shall be
construed to authorize the circulation Of the Daily
Globe free Of postage"
OF this novel proceeding, though open to serious
objections, we do not know that we should have
been tempted to take any special notice. had it not
ELECTED in the Senate the debate which was insert
ed at length in this paper OF Tuesday, in the
course Of which reflections were thrown out con-
corning, to some extent, the readers we'll as the
proprietors Of the National InteuigencT.
To the object Of the resolution should raise no
objection, were il not departure from principle,
an exception in favor Of a particular publication
from the rule which applies universally to all other
periodicals. or serials.
The Constitution has forbidden the passage by
Congress Of any law abridging the freedom of the
press. But the general freedom of the press is
abridged when a facility of circulation is by la,o
given to one press which is denied to the public
press generally. As precedent, besides, which
may lead to the gradual demolition of the order
and sef'sustaining vitality Of our admirable post
Office establishment. we regard the innovation as
an unwise one.
OF the preamble to this joint resolution we may
say, in addition to the general objection to pream-
bcs as superuous, that it is, like some other pre-.
ambes to be found on the statute. book, made up
ID. Alt
authors to be true, or at least we'll founded.
In the first place, the Lars published in the Con
gressional Globe could not reach "thc constituent
bodies" until after they would be in the hands of
the good people all over the United Siates and
Territories, in the form in which alone the people
ever read them; that is, in the newspapers of this
District, and the papers in each State which are
appointed by the proper authority to publish them
For this service the proprietors OF those newspa.
pers receive compensation which barely pays the
cost of setting up the types. Yet it has been
proposed, that we know of, by the most enthusas-
tic friend OF the laws, of the constituent bodies,
that those papers, which do really circulate the
laws, should be transmitted through the mails free
Of postage. If Congress were to enlarge very con-
sideraby the number Of papers which already
publish the laws by authority, such a measure
would cost very little in comparison with other ex
penditures of the Government of much less utility,
and would in reality promote the "cheap circula.
ton" of the laws.
With regard to the Debates in Congress, it is a
mere illusion to suppose that this measure of ia.
voritism to particular press ia to make any more
free than it now ia "the communication between the
repr sentative and constituent bodies" Freeing
the Congressional Giube from postage will not do it.
Nor can nero Rrpositoryof Congressional de-
bates, such the Congregational Globe ia, support
itself by it's circulation, however free or favored.
Such publication can never command subscrp-
ton sufficient to defray the heavy expenses of re-
porting the deba tea much less of both reporting and
printing them Such undertaking may be
couraged for while, by show Of support by indi
vidual subscriptions But such support will, in
every CASE be found to be transient and evanescent
The heavy amount now paid by Congress for re.
porting and publishing its debates, could be
reimbursed to any publisher by the proceeds of any
supposable amount Of individual subscription,
could any one be found rash and rich enough to
undertake such work. The publishers Of this
paper tried the experiment five and twenty years
ago, when Congress was comparatively young,
and its annual debates had not spread out TO one
fourth of their present amplitude; and it was an
entire failure. They changed the plan Of publica-
ton into that'of permanent Register Of Debates,
and continued it until they completed twenty mine
volumes; when, Congress contributing to ito sup
port only by casual purchases for new members,
they were compelled to abandon it. Whilst re-
curing to tbese old times, may here state that
for forty five years has the National Intelligenc
reported and published the proceedings of Con-
gress, at an expense of some thousands of dollars
annually, without receiving from Congress a
single cent of compensation for this labor and out.
lay, except the insufficient payment for reporting
and publishing the debates OF the Senate, under a
contract with that body, during the last three
years.
No publication, in fine, Of the debates Of Con-
gress in full, can be made but at the public
expense, betrayed as 1t now is in the case Of the
Globe, out of the funds at the disposal of Con
gross Nor any regular circulation ever be
given to those debates through any other chanuel
than the newspapers.
For preserving the debates OF Congress in a COL
!cctive form, in public and private Libraries, aud
for the instruction of future legislat TORS the Con,
erosion al Globe 10 a valuable undertak king and we
trust that it will in that view of it, continue to be
literally sustained by Congress. But as to cheap.
enng the circulation OF the laws, or performing
the functions IF q newspaper, or "making free''
"thc communication between the representative
and constituent Lodics," by allowing il to be
ranked by Uncle Sam, God bless him. it 10 the
vainest of all imaginings. The supporters Of the
measure deceive themselves, as the publisher may
deceive himself, in conceiving that freedom from
postage would much enlarge the circulation of the
cumbrous quartos Of the Congregational Globe. The
20 constituent bodies" will not be seduced by the
remission Of postage to subscribe to work they
cannot read for there few individuals indeed
who have the hysical capacity, and fewer still
who have the inclination, to read and digest, as
hey issue from the press, the pondrous contents
Of the Congregational Globe.
In the course of the debate this joint rcsolu-
ion as our readers may have Observed an argu.
ment was drawn to it's support, which, without
explanation, might make an impression upon the
public mind that the proprctors of this paper had
capricious!y "refuscd' to publish the debates of
The Senate. The facts of the are, that enter
ing into contract with The Senate to report and
publish daily, on each succeeding day, the debates
Of that body zinc. uding every thing that said,
On every subject, important or unimportant,) we
diligently performed the conditions Of it for three
sessions Of Congress, trusting to reap someproft
der the contract; but though the face of II prom
sing email profit, We found, after giving ii fair
trial, that it was in practice losing bargain. To
the newspaper. as a busines5 concern found bo