The daily union., 1852-05-15
SPEECH OF MIR. STANTON,
OF KENTUCKY,

q
On s subject Of The Pablo Printng deiiuersa ia tho
D Hoass Of Representatives., hay IL. 1852.
Mr. STANTON addressed the House as follows:
do not design. if can avoid it, to detain the House
very long upon this subject, having upon former
sion spoken in regard 10 il at length and would
abstain from any remarks il they called for by
the very and extraordinary speech Of the gentle
man from Indiana, Mr. FncH the great object OF which
seems TO have been 10 peye facts and msrepesent the
action of the committee OF which am member, with
view OF driving and my colleagues upon that commit
tee 10 abandon our places Now, sir let say TO the
honorable gentleman, that however much should be dis
posed 10 gray the wishes OF the House, II II so desired
and resign my position member OF that committee,
shall never do 80 al his arrogant dictaon, except upon
Mr. FITCH With the permission Of the gentleman.
will interrupt him for one moment lie inllmates that
have evnced disposition to drive. by arrogant dlca-
non, him and his House colleagues from the committee
only proposed TO accept OF the alternatives pre-
sented 10 the House by the committee themselyes-aye,
presented by that gentleman. - s...
During the debate, when the resolution was presented
the genileman-himself having presented the report
said: .r..aet#
required obey the instructions of tho House against
the law we cannot DO h and our duties are az an end and
far am individually concerned, shall be compelled
to wash my hands OF IT, and SO also will the rest OF the com
mittee."
They place such construction upon the law as their
will or plans may dictatea construction different from
that OF the House-and arrogany tell us, unless their
construction adopted, and the instructions Of the House
repealed that they he House cOmmtee) will disregard
and disobey those instructions abandon their position
on the joint committee. They have presented the alter
native TO u.s. and told us that one we must accept Is
there arrogant dctaon in this Yet the gentleman
now praes OF arrogance and dicatlon from others. For
one will not submit TO the alternative which the COM
mittee hoped to force upon u.s. and which their report and
resolution mplae-namely, their retention on the
committee. and permission to them 10 defy and our
instructions No. sir they shall neither dictate 10
nor trust to the House, what construction OF the law
we shall accept which OF their proposed aterna
tIves adopt They have informed US they would leave
unless they were permitted to rule They have opened
the door, and am not disposed to close against Their
exit. Let them go! That is all have saidthat is the
extent OF my dclaton have refused to bow to that OF
Mr.. STANTON. The gentleman wholly misunder-
stands what said made such declaration as that.
sunless the House would permit the committee TO make
the contract they have made and the other members OF
the committee would wash our hands from further duty
on the committee" Those who heard my remarks when
made the report, and who listened with view of not
msrepresentng the committee. will recoec that said
:" The Joint Committee Printing desire know of the
the obey the instructions OF the House
f required obey the Instructions of the House against
far am individually concerned shall be compelled
TO wash hands Oft and also will the rest OF the com
mittee." Ear .5a
Now sir there is very wide difference between what
really said upon that occasion and what the gentleman
alleges did say. What said then repeat now, and it
only what any gentleman having proper regard for his
official obligations would say and do under 6s same cir.
Icumstances say, that if the House OF Representa-
ves under the impulses Of heated excitement and mad
both houses OF Congress together and the President of
the United States combined and undertake to instruct US
10 perform duties the plain provisions OF the law
under which we derived our appointment, without the
concurrence OF the other branches OF the government
our plain and obvious duty would be to obey the law
wash our hands of the matter. This is the question
which the report submits TO the House We only ask,
sir, whether compelled TO violate the law or act
in obedience TO its PROVISIONS was about TO say, when
interrupted by the gentleman from Indiana that would
not be driven by his dctaion to abandon place upon
the committee, except upon one condition and that
that the House will appoint him to m my place-a posi-
land and his excessive zeal against coalitions Of all kinds
Mr. FITCH Thank you do not wish the place |
have no disposition TO manage matter which you have
made offensive to the House and the country.
Mr.. STANTON. should like 10 know. sir, how the
gentleman with all his accomplishments and qualihca-
tons, could perform the paradoxlcal duty oil obeyng
the law and the instructions OF the House at the same
tune Perhaps his ingenious mind is equal TO the task OF
devsing some plan by which such Ting might be ac-
self OF his services.
The Committee on Printing are charged by the gentle
man with having usurped the power which belongs to
the House in the selection Of public printers, and tram
Piled the law Of the land under their feet This grave
and serious CHARGE but serves no other purpose than TO
show how extremely ignorant is the gentleman OF the
very law upon which he has commented should like
much to know from the honorable gentleman in what
particular we have tramped upon the law! He will
obge and no doubt the House by engh,ening us on
Mr.. FITCH II the gentleman desires it, win state
particular, and strong one. think upon inquiry, IT
will be found that, about the time the gen,lemans COM
mittee reported the House proposition 10 order the
printing OF fifty sixty thousand copies OF the Patent
Office report, and the House declined to order them
printed until il was known who was to do IL and at
what prices the committee in disregard OF law, directed
that document to be sent TO Donelson Armstrong to be
printed. Subsequently, however, seeing the difficulty in
which il was lkeyto involve them. they reraced their
steps. =4.
Mr. STANTON. That's matter about which know
nothing.
Mr.. FITCH. tits, however, fact
Mr.. STANTON | knew nothing OF il; and ii il was
done, IL was by others than myself
Mr.. GORMAN. The Committee on Printing before
instructions passed by the House, supposing that
the regular number OF the Patent Office report had been
ordered among certain other documents, sent down to
the printers the gentleman has named TO be printed,
the even, Mr. Hamilton not able 10 execute it. I'm
nediaiely upon the passage Of the resolution by the
House sent order, the Clerk who sits at the desk
well knows, for IL TO be returned
MIR STANTON. That was matter in which bad
no participation but have doubt that the statement Of
my colleague in the committee is strictly correct. But
admitting the example presented by the gentlemen from
Indiana Mr. FITcH TO be uue Just as he has stated it,
that the Patent Onice report sent 10 Donelson Il
Armstrong TO be printed after the instructions Of he House
pers passed-t no violation OF the law, and the
committee had full power 10 do II the public printer
had never aeen line OF the manuscrptif he had
been called upon TO execute the jobunder all the
circumstances the power conferred upon the committee
by the Joint resolution OF 1916 sufficient TO justify
them in giving the work TO Doneson & Armstrong, or
any other printer with whom they thought proper
tract II was known to the committee, and to every
other person who chose to be informed upon the subject
that your public printer bad been in default with the pub
lie printing from the fret day he commenced making
impression upon paper until that very moment In no