The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-04-21
SPECIAL SESSION OF TIKI SENATE
SATURDAY, April 9.
NATIONAL TNTELLIGEYcEB


/ Resolved, That the Secretary Of the Senate
be authorized TO procure and publish in the
1 National Intelligencer 40 much of the debates
! Of the Senate during the last session Of Con-
gress, rs have not already been published in
that paper, and pay for such publication. and
also for the publication Of speeches Of that ses-
sion already made in the National Intelligen-
Ger, the sum of 81 per column
MIR. CHASE said: hardly suppose that the
Senate feels inclined 10 debate this resolution
at this time and for the purpose Of testing tho
sense OF the Senate in regard to it, move to
lay the resolution upon the table
The question being taken upon the motion
to lay the resolution upon the table. upon d.
vision no quorum voted as follows-ayes ~,
noes 10.
After the lapse of some minutes, the question
was again taken, and resulted Us follows-ayes
9, noes ls no quorum voting
The Sergeant-atArms was directed 10 re.
quest the attendance in the Senate Chamber of
those Senators in the Capitol building.
That duty having been performed the ques-
ton was again taken upon the motion to Law
upon the table, and upon. division it was not
agreed TO- as follows-ayes l6, noes To-
The question then required upon the adOp-
ton Of the resolution.
Mr.. CHASE. think it very desirable that
the Senate and the country should understand
something about the character of this publish
ing 1t is with very great reluctance that
offer any remarks upon this subject at this
stage of the session, and nothing but sense Of
duty would constrain me to do So have
looked into the history of this subject of report
ing, and | want to Justify to the Senate and
the country the vote | shall give against this
1 raoolnf,op IS ~ no brOuoht IA q vota
IL is now some five years since the practice of
publishing reports of our debates and proceed
ings in the Union and Intelligencer commenced.
1t originated in resolution adopted on the
| 18th of August lS4S, and originated under the
following circumstances At that time, as is
! well known, the public printing was disposed
| of by contract The contractors were not pub
fishers of either Of the party papers at the seat
| of Government they were not connected with
the press in any form. suppose that the mo-
tive which prompted the passage of the resolu-
ton Of the 18th Of August, lS4S, was to give
some support to the presses of the two political
| parties at the seat of the National Government
The resolution then adopted, provided for the
printing of the proceedings and debates of the
Senate alone, in the National lntellgencer and
Union, at the rate of $3.50 per column 1t did
not prescribe the quantity of matter to be con-
tanned in a column, but left that matter to the
discretion of the respective publishers Of those
papers. All the duty that was devolved upon
the Secretary of the Senate in regard to the
matter was to ascertain how many columns of
matter had been published, and to pay for that
publication at the rate of $3.50 per column.
This state of things continued until the CON-
mencement of the first session of the last Con-
gress. At that time the publishers of the Ma
tional Intelligencer notified the Senate that
they found this contract for publishing the re-
ports, &C., of this body n losing one, and there
fore they desired to discontinue it, The reason
assigned was, that the publication of the de-
bates of the Senate, together with an abstract
that they published of the debates Of the other
House. so numbered up their columns as to in
jure the circulation of thoir daily paper. This
REIMBURSEMENT of the contract was a voluntary
act upon their part 1t was not called for by
any action Of the Senate, but was dictated
solely by considerations of private interest
Their paper was thereby left free to advocate
the doctrines of the party to which the editors
belonged, and to publish such matter, and suoh
matter only, as they thought would conduce tc
the prosperity of that party. Now, sir, nobody
: can complain Of that it was all right ant
proper that they should do so, if they saw fit
The Senate acquiesced ut once in the wishes o
= the publishers Of the National Intelgencer
and relieved them from the contract.
At the first session of the last Congress, tn
I Senate-or rather both Houses of Congress
, elected the publisher of tho Union as thu
, Printer of Congress, and they provided yer,
literally for the payment of the work to b,
done by him. The provision made was, in m,
judgment not merely ample, but very liberia
indeed, and think any printer will sustain MI
in the assertion that under the provisions o.
that law the publisher of the Union can make
not merely an ordinary profit but an ample
estate, out of the profits of the public printing
The case then, stands thus at the present
moment The editors of the National Inteli-
gencer voluntarily declined to continue the
printing of the debates of this body under the
contract The publisher of the Union has re-
ceved the public printing The reason, then,
providing for the publishing of the reports of
the proceedings and debates of this body in
those two papers has entirely ceased. There
is no reason of party policy, or of public ma
| ture 10 far as am advised, which requires the
| printing of our debates in full in those two
papers
Alter the printing of the debates and pro-
ceedings of the Senate in the National Intell-
gencer had been discontinued q resolution was
offered here by the honorable Senator from
| New Hampshire, Mr.. NoRRIs, requiring the
| Secretary of the Senate to audit and settle the
accounts of John c. Riyes for publishing those
reports in the Daily Globe, at the rate of 81 so
per column That resolution passed the SEN
| ate, and is still in force We have, as BEFORE
two papers in this city which publish the re-
ports Of the proceedings and debates of the
Senate at the price ! have stated. Now, is
there any reason to justify the Senate in pro-
viding for more than one set Of Reporters
| There is no reason of party character, 10 far
as the Union is concerned, for it has now
sufficient support, if such considerations are at
all proper in the public printing. There is no
reason Of party character, 30 far as tho Ma
tional IntelLgencer is concerned, TOR that paper
declined 10 continue the contract, for the very
purpose of being left at greater liberty to pro-
mote its party purposes
Now. desire to ask the attention of the Sem
ate and the country to the expense Of publish
ing these reports Before this contract was
entered into with the Union and National In
tellgencer, the printing Of the debates of Con-
gress was'a matter Of private enterprise. There
was nothing necessary 10 stimulate private en-
terprise in that respect; the fact that that pub
location gave additional circulation to their
paper was sufficient stimulus. There was
experienced no difficulty in getting before the
country, through the means Of private enter.
prise, all the speeches Of members Of Congress
that the country desired TO read
The first encouragement by Congress of this
private system Of reporting, after it had con-
tinued in existence for several years, was by an
order of the Senate, in 1916, authorizing each
of its members to subscribe for twelve copies of
the Congressional Globe, at the rate Of So per
copy for the long session, and SO per copy for
the short session. This was followed up the
next year by an order Of the House Of Repre-
sentatives authorizing each Of its members to
subscribe for the Same number Of copies, and
on the same terms, az the Senate by its resolu-