The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-05-26
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
The House met at IL o'clock,
Prayer by the chaplain Of the House
The journal of yesterday was read and approved.
AMENDMENT OF THE POSTAL
The SPEAKER said the business in order during the
morning hour the consideration OF the bill to amend
Mr. ODDS offered substitute for that bill, which
ordered to be printed This substitute proposes to con
nue the threecent postage and to abolish the ranking
privilege In other respects IL resembles the bill reported
from the Committee the Post Office and Post Roads
Mr. PHELPS asked leave to introduce resolution post
ponng the debate the Pacihc-raroad bin IN Commit
tee of the Whole until tomorrow.
p Mr.. McDOUGALL stated he would only consent on con-
dion that attempts be made to postpone it,
He thought he had postponed this special order long
enough.
Mr. PHELPS believed they could get through with Sem
amendments the deficiency bill by the usual time Of
adjourning to-day.
Mr. STANTON, of Kentucky offered resolution for
printing 1900 extra copies Of the annual report OF the Sec
rotary Of the Treasury the condition Of banks in the
United States for the Of the Treasury Department: re-
ferred to the Committee on Printing
THE DEFICIENCY BILL.
On motion of Mr.. PHELPS, the House went into COM
mitteo and proceeded r CHANDLER in the chair to the
consideration of the special ordebeng the Pacc-raroad
bill.
Mr. PHELPS moved that the special order be postponed
until Tomorrow.
Mr. McDoUGALL said he consented to this notion with
the express understanding that tomorrow the special
order shall be taken up.
The motion agreed to---ayes 81 noes 80.
The committee thereupon proceeded to the consideration
OF the Senate amendments to the deficiency bill.
PUBLIC PRINTING
After acting sundry amendments the following (be-
ing the fifty first amendment) was considered
SEC And be further enacted That the portion of the
seventh section of the act Of twenty August eighteen
hundred two entitled provide for
ting the public printing and establishing the prices thereof
and for other purposes which provides hat when any
ha nv
Congress the entire printing Of such documents shall be done
by the printer of that house which first ordered the same
the respective houses each shall do the printing which
hereafter be ordered by the house ectng him and much
he qorcrnmeni as is ordered By the said be done by tie
public printer, shall be equally dioded 6e'seen the printers Of
the t,eo houses
Mr.. PHELPS said the Committee of Ways and Means
recommended that all the words after the words eectng
him" [printed in ialics be stricken out
Mr. p said in his opinion there necessity for con-
curing in the forepar of this amendment
sy had taken place between the two public printers in
lation the ordering of certain documents but the
object Of the latter portion could not be carried out it
should be rejected.
Mr. BAYLY said a controversy was now going on with
regard the printing of the agricultural part of the Patent
Office report in respect to which there could be but one
opinion The Joint Committee Printing had, however
decided they had jurisdiction in the premises His
friendship for the of friend, and the grandson Of
friend of his grandfather concerned in this matter had in
duced him Mr. b TO advise him Mr. Tucker, the
Senate printer to ask mandamus of the circuit court
The circuit decided that the Joint Committee
Printing was the proper tribunal, and as that com
mittee had decided that it had jurisdiction in
the matter the bad gone TO the Supreme Court and
there was knowing when decision would be rem
dered. All lawyers knew the difficulty of obtaining q
mandsmus employee of the government 1.-THE Superin-
tendent of the Public Printing! not responsible TO body
should not be intrusted decide Of right wtho
appeal, as in the present instance, That giving bin
of patronage, with respect the press and
large jobs which ought not TO be ntrusted respons
BILE individual unless the House wished open the food
gates Of corruption They had better give little for
the printing than that such state OF things should
tinue to exist.
Mr. advocated that part of the section which proposed
TO divide the executive printing between the printers of the
House and the Senate Was not that right2 Was not
equality equiy2 In country which depended more on
the purity and intelligence Of the press than anything
else why should they put into the power Of the heads Of
the departments to foster the printer Of House at the
expense Of that of the other? When the two houses
choose for political other reasons to elect different
printers they give the heads Of departments the
power TO crush and build up the other and hold rod
OF terror over both presses
Mr.. PRATT could propriety in having this
section in the deficiency bill than providing in IL for
whole regiment of Dragons lie hoped that the good
sense Of the committee would induce them to reject IL
trely.
Mr. HAVEN was opposed entirely to the election Of two
different printers TO increase their pay 1.-THE Senate
had fit get up crusade for additional compensa-
ton, let them provide hospital for their offspring
1t sufficient for him to know that the last Congress
through much ribulaton passed bill providing for the
execution o. the public printing which had worked we'll
The printing well performed and good paper and
there necessity alter the law put money into
the hands of somebody appointed for that purpose
Mr.. BAfLY Put money into the hands Of somebody
Into whose hands was money to be putt He amazed
at the argument Of the gentleman Although he friendly
the Executive he would place in the hands Of the
executive department. Of appoinee Of the President
by his ownw and power to build up officer oonC
branch of Congress at the expense of officer of the other
Taking into consideration the relations Of the houses
eecng It's printer and editor and the other eectng
is printer and editorwhat the Of 800 in
comparison with the power and terror put into the hands
Of the Executive controlling the presses Was II better
that the printing Of the executive department should he
divided between the two printers7
he thought he understood why his friend from New
York opposed TO the section He Mr. HAyEs antici-
pacd that the next House would be whg but he would
be mistaken, in all probability The gentleman reck
onipg without his host but that was his drift.
Mr. ORR CONQUERED in the opinion expressed by the gen
teman from Connecticut Mr. PRATT and opposed TO
the whole section being in the present bill II would In
volve the additional expenditure Of $4,000. Was II to
prevent quarrcllng among the contractors Way then
Independence and its hostility to this system Of legislation
of Incorporating eyeryt thing in this deficiency bill
Mr. STANTON, Of Kentucky said that some difficulty
mad arisen TO the progress Of the public printing arising
out OF different constructions OF the law He complained
that temporary injunction having been granted by the
circuit court in the case the matter was now tied up
neither party doing the work
Mr. BARRY opposed the section the ground that IL
looked like special legislation settle squabble between
the two printers.
Mr., PHELPS said Il was 10 prevent litigation in flu
ture
Mr. BARRY was understood to say that he did not know
how the matter could be stopped except by the two par
ties expending much in II become poor for fur
Their litigation.
After further debate the latter part Of the section was