The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1854-07-13
RgThe most extensive publishing con

H&7S Ne InOSt tAteHsltC PuOAiSnhS WI
Germ in America is, beyond all doubt, the
Congress of the United States. Its print
ing bills are enormous, and the amount
of printed matter which it sends forth
from the press annaully is beyond alb
computation. Reports of the most vol
luminous and unreadable character, mes
sages, documents of every description
drafts of bills, ETC., all these Congress
spares no expense in order to see in print
or to know that they are in print without
taking the trouble to see them. But the
most singular feature Of this congression-
al publishing business is the distribution
Of miscellaneous books among the men,
bers which each House never fails to
vote A recent number of the Washing
ton Star stated that the amount voted by
the House of Representatives to pay for
the books ordered to be distributed among
the present members of that body was
.sl99, 500 81, and if to this be added the
1ount requisite to pay for the books or
fred for the eighteen new members Of
Ehe Senate, the total amount will be
1921 ,OOOl
The books thus ordered are not official
reports or documents connected with the
present Congress, but works got up by
private indiviuals on a variety of subjects,
and deemed by the members useful for
reference. The same paper furnishes the
following Interesting statistics in refer
ence to the cost Of one of these books =
The B00A. RCSOl4iu-As more or less
of the members may not be well aware
of the effect of the action Of the House,
yesterday, upon the book-distribution
proposition which they passed, and that
it may be generally understood, We pro-
ceed to say that the cost of Hickey's Con-
stitution-l6O copies of which was thus
voted to every member of the House-is
not, at most, more than 40 cents. As 81
per copy is to be paid for them from the
Treasury, the tax upon it, on this account,
is to be 33G, 500, Of which S22 ,0S0 is clear
profit. The resolution, as it passed. Sc
cures to Col. Hickey, worthy employee
(clericaD of the Senate, diennially, here
after, profit of S96, (aboye and beyond
the actual cost Of the books he is to fur
nish under it, for each new member of
the House of Representatives; which can
not fail to amount hereafter to biennial
salary of SlO,G at the lowest figure,
in addition to his handsome regular cler-
ical pay.
This legislation, further, makes the a.
mount taken from the treasury on account
of books for new members equal, per
Congress, to 81 ,043 65 to each one of
them, or, in other words, to 4 sum QUE
third greater than their whole per diem
for the short session. The resolution, as
enacted, further provides that in ease the
Clerk cannot hereafter procure the books
usually distributed thus, he shall expend
the amount (Sl.O43 So in the purchase
of such books of similar character for
each new member, as the member may
himself select:
If anybody can consider such al ex-
hibit as this as aught else than deeply dis
graceful to every member guilty of
participation in such a fraud upon the
national treasury, it must be By means of
some process of reasoning of which we
are ignorant. A copy of the constitution
may be deemed necessary to every mem
Der, in order that he may properly ap-
preciate his position. But in what light
can the gift of one hundred and sixty
copies of this book to each member be
justified The truth is, that no one at
tempts to justify it; and that it never
would have been committed, but that the
offence has gradually grown up to its
present enormity, because of the silence
of the public press and voice on the sub
ect. Members of Congress who pride
themselves as being considered gentlemen
If fortune, of honor, and of Lig Oh position
n society, stoop to the commission of
uch offences because of the impunity
which has always attended them. AS
ong as the press generally, and political
'odies remain silent and neg lect to re-
luke these things, they will continue to
xist, however we may stigmatize them
North american.