The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-04-13
IN THE SENATE OF THE U. STATES.
SP ECIAL SEs SION j.
SATURDAY, APRIL 0, 1853.
NATIONAL ISTELLIGENcER.

SATURDAY, APRIL 0, 1858.
NATIONAL ikTELLIGEHcER.
The Senate having proceeded to consider the follow
ing resolution, submitted by MIR. SEWARD
Rsoosd That Secretary of the Senate be authorized
TO procure and publish in the National ln.elli2ence SO
Congress have already been published in that paper
and pay for such publication, and also Tor me pupeaoh
speeches tina: session already made In tue Natona
nteigencer, the sum of VA per column
Mr. CHASE said : | hardly suppose that the Senate
feels inclined 10 debate this resolution at THIS me ana
for the purpose OF testing the sense OF The Senate IN re-
gard TO it. move lay the resolution upon The table.
Mr. BRODHEAD. Before the vote is taken upon that
notion would like to inquire OF the honorable sena
tor from New York [Mr. SEwARpl whether he intends
this publication 20 back to the first session OF the last
Congress- 10 conhne il merely to the last session. IL
be confined the last session OF the last Congress-
MIR. SEWARD. It's to be confined to the last session
OF the last Congress.
Mr BRODHEAD. Then. I would ask to have this
resolution modified so to read in that way.
Mr.. SEWARD. II could not be palmer than il now
is. However, am willing to have the resolution mod-
fed suggested by the honorable senator from Penn
sylvania, Mr.. BRoDHEAD
The resolution was accordingly modified so as read
"during the last session of the last Congress"
The question being then taken upon The motion TO lay
the resolution upon the table, upon division no quorum
voted as follows-ayes l2 noes 10.
Alter the lapse OF some minutes the question was again
taken, and resulted folowsayes 9, noes 49, no quo
rum voting
The Sergeant at arms was directed TO request the al
tendance in the Senate chamber OF those senators IN the
Capitol building
That duty having been performed, the question was
again taken upon the motion 10 lay upon the table, and
upon division It was not agreedo, as folloWsayes TO-
noes l6
The question then recurred upon the adoption of the
resolution.
Mr CHASE I think it very desirable that the Senate
and the country should understand something about the
character fhs publishing 1t is with very great reluctance
that offer any remarks upon this subject al this stage Of
the session, and nothing but sense OF duty would con-
TO do have looked into the history OF this
subject OF reporting and want 10 justify 10 the Senate
and the country the shall give against this resolu
ton il it be brought TO vote.
1t is five years since the practice of publish
ing reports OF debates and proceedings in the Union
and nelligencer commenced 1t originated In resolu-
lion adopted on the llth OF August lS4S and originated
under the following circumstances Al that time' as is
well known, the public printing disposed OF by con-
tract The contractors were not publishers OF either OF
the party papers at the seat OF governments they were
not connected with the press 10 any form suppose
luton OF the 1lth OF August ls4S was TO give some sup
port 10 the presses of the two political parties at The
sea, of the national government The resolution then
adopted provided for The printing OF the proceedings and
debates OF The Senate alone IN the National lnelgencer
and Union, at the tate OF 81 so per column II did not
prescribe the qeanii,y OF matter TO be contained in
column but lett that matter to the discretion OF the
spective publishers OF those papers All the duty that
was devolved upon the Secretary Of the Senate IN regard
10 the matter WAS, TO ascertain how many columns OF
matter had been published and TO pay for that publication
al the rate OF 81 50 per column.
This state OF things continued until the commencement
of the first of the last Congress- Al that lime
the publishers of the Ma onal lnleligencer notified the
Senate that they found this contract or publishing the
reports &C. OF this body losing one, and therefore they
desired discontinue it, The assigned was that
the publication OF the debates of the Senate, together with
abstract that they published OF the debates OF the
other House, numbered up their columns as to njure
the circulation OF their daily paper This REIMBURSEMENT
of the contract a voluntary act upon their part 1t
not called for by any action OF the Senate, but was
dictated solely by considerations OF private interest
l.it {r.at ads
times OF the party TO which the editors belonged, and 10
publish such matter, and such matter only, as they
thought would conduce to the prosperity o that party
Now, sir, nobody can complain oil that; II was all right
and proper that they should do so If they saw ht The
Senate acquiesced in the wishes of The publish
ers of the National slegencer, and relieved them from
the contract
AT the first session OF The last Congress- the Senate
rather both houses Of Congress-eeced the publisher
OF the Union as the printer OF Congress and they pro-
yided very literally for the payment OF the work TO be
done by him The provision made was, IN my Judgment
merely ample. but very liberal, indeed, and think
any printer will sustain in the assertion, that under
the provisions OF that law the publisher OF the Union
make, not merely ordinary profit, but an ample estate
out OF The profits OF the public printing
The sd;,a5s ~ bs Na,iona In,eaencsr yoan,arv DE-
clmed 10 continue the printing OF the debates OF tbis body
under the contract The publisher OF the Union has
eeved ss m public pnns % ans re- ,oyo Gen o wnSs m
publishing Of the reports OF the proceedings and debates
OF this body in those two papers has entirely ceased
ihere 10 no reason ol party poncy OF Oh puoC nature
far advised which requires the printing Of our
debates in full in those two papers.
After the printing OF the debates and proceedings OF the
Senate in the National lnelligenee bad been dscon
lnued, resolution offered here by the honorable
senator from New Hampshire. Mr. NoRRs1 requiring
The Secretary of the Senate to audit and settle the
Of John c. Rves for publishing those reports
the Daily Globe, the oil 81 so per column. That
resolution passed the Senate, and is still IN force We
have before papers in this city which publish the
reports of the proceedings and debates of the Senate al
the price have stated. Now, is there any reason To JUS
uy the Senate IN providing Tor more than one set OF
porters There of party character so far
support If such considerations are at all proper in the
public printing There Is of party character
far the National lntegencer is concerned for that
paper declined TO continue the contract for the very pur
pose Of being left at greater liberty TO promote It's party
purposes
Now, desire TO ask the attention Of the Senate and
the country TO the expense OF publishing these reports
Before this entered INTO with the Union and
National nellgencer the printing OF The debates of Con-
gress a matter OF private enterprise. There
nothing necessary stimulate private enterprise in that
respect the fact that that publication gave additional
experienced no difficulty in getting before the
try through the means OF private enterprise all the
speeches OF members of Congress that the country de-
sired to read.
The frs, encouragement by Congress of this private
system of reporting alter had continued in existence
several years. by order Of the Senate in ls46,
authorizing each OF lis members to subscribe for twelve
copies of the Congressional Globe at rate of S6 per
copy for the long session, and 80 copy for the short
session This was followed up the next year by an or
der Of the House Of Representatives authorizing each OF
s members 10 subscribe for the number OF copies,
and on the same terms as the senae py 's
had supplied to its members This was shl further
foowed nv further order the part of the