Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-12-08
Investigation.

BILE standing, and addressed to the Superintend
ent of the Public Printing, who, under the exist
ing laws, has control of the binding as well as
the experimenting Of the public printing. We
doubt not that the letter referred to will arrest
attention, and that the matter therein mention
cd will be Investigated. We are upon the eve
Of a contest for the Presidency. The acts Of
the present administration -of its agents and
subordnates, are fit and proper subjects for
examination and scrutiny. No man belonging
to the corps of officials under this administra-
ton can expect to avoid or eyade scrutiny
into his conduct MS public officer.
The administration must be brought to trinl
before jury Of the whole people Of the United
States, upon whatever charges affecting their
political action may be preferred. The two
Houses Of Congress are the "grand inquest Of
the nation to take the initiative steps MS
grand jurors--to inquire whether the laws
have been violated; and, if 50, to frame bills
Of indictment against the accused. No public
officer is too high, and none too low, to defy
the searching powers Of Congressional com
mittees when his public conduct has made
him liable to reasonable suspicion. II is the
duty Of this grand inquest to inquire into all
political abuses which have been practised,
and more especially where the subject matter
of such abuses has direct connexion with
that body.
The extravaganza Of Congress in relation TO
the public printing, binding Of books, ~
lithographing and engraving, has been sub
ject Of no little complaint on the part of the
people. If it should turn out that this alleged
extravaganza is chargeable TO those who have
the management and control of these subjects,
and not properly chargeable to Congress, it is
due to that body that this fact should be made
apparent, and that their own yindication should
go forth to their constituency. IL on the other
hand, this extravagance in these matters is the
legitimate consequence Of Congressional legis-
lation, 1t is due to those under whose manage
,nent and control the Congressional work has
been done, tina. Congress- should assume its
just responsibility to the people therefor.
No honest public officer or contractor will
shrink from thorough inquiry into his off,
cial action, and no dishonest one should be
permitted to escape that inquiry. If this posi-
ton be true, and we think it is, then those
who have performed the work required by
Congress, and those who have had the agency
and control thereof, II honest, will thank us for
bringing this subject before the legitimate tri-
bunal--if dishonest, we shall have only dis
chargedn duty which we owe to the American
party, that has been so ruthlessly assailed by
the cohorts of Forney and Pierce, and we shall
have done the. country service in bringing
about an exposure. We have heard good
many rumors of official improperly in relation
to the subjects referred to, and we are prepared
to furnish hints to any committee which may
be raised for the investigation herein suggested
Among other things, il has been stated to us
that, ia an account Of the public printer, for
printing ost-bills, Or Postmaster's accounts Of
mails, (Mr Nicholson, Of the Union,) the COM
position was charged seUenty-one times, for the
same work, contrary to the express words OF the
law of Congress--that said account was CERT
fled by the Superintendent Of Public Printing
that II was supported 10y the testimony OF the
foreman Of the public printing, who is now the
administration candidate for the position of
printer to the House Of Representatives that
said account was suspended by the First Comp
troller, who refused to pay it--that the Presi.
dent ofthe United States applied to the Comp
troller to know why the account was not paid,
and on ascertaining the facts and the law, ex,
pressed his astonishment at the course taken
BY the parties
We give the above run,ors as we have heard
them, and we are informed that the account,
certificate, and testimony named, are in the Of
fee Of the First Comptroller Of the Treasury.
If these rumors be untrue, they are easily dis
proved by an appeal to the Hon. Elisha Whit
uesey,--if true, we presume an official applica-
ton to him viii bring out the facts. We sim
ply state them as rumors.
Again: We have heard that a charge was
made by the same party, Of twenty eight dol
lars per volume for medium seven quire books
for the Land Ofice-that IL was certified by
the Superintendent-tha the price paid 70,
such books under contract was usually four.
teen dollars per volume-that the department
refused TO pay the amount, although certified
by the Superintendent (the guardian of The
public interest0 and that spirited correspon.
dence was hxd on the subject, the result o.
which has not transpired, so far as we are in
formed.
Knowing nothing personally upon this mat
ter we have only to add, that we suppose ar
application to the proper Department. win brini
out the facts, and relieve the parties from cen
sure, or confirm the truth Of the rumors.
We have also been informed that the Wash
iagton Union combination have in truth had