Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-12-25
The Public Printing Piunder-Start-
ling Facts Revealed in the Report
OF the superintendent of Public
Printing.

ling Facts Revealed in the Report
of the Superintendent of Public
Printing.
The Union disinterestedly argues that it is
''fully committed TO the broadcast system of
publication, 80 far as the acts Of Government
concern the people. That agents should re-
port their acts. and their principles should all
know what they have dome"
Ii the Union writer is honestin this declara-
ton, how does it come that he has never de-
manded that ''all'' the acis of the Superinten-
dent of Public Printing should be laid before
the D .Ople, us an accompaniment to the other
reports? Notwithstanding that nearly a
million of dollars are annually expended in
this department of the Government. and that
constant charges of corruption have been
preferred against il. the JBiOR has never once
asked that the operations of the Office should
be laid before the country
Indeed, it is quite the reverse with the
Union; for now, when the Superintendent
inakes full statement of its atfars-show
ing. among other things, that during the
recess of Congress the author of the 9th, vol.
of the Pacific Railroad X ports has exceeded
Ills own estimate by So 900 for printing aud
paper alone; that an attempt is being made
- have it bound in two instead of one
volume at an additional cost of so, 900.
making the book cost SIPS 900 Instead of
$4,000 that So 900 have been saved,
, rincipally Ivy Congress striking the silly
colored pictures from the Patent Office
agri cultural report; that at least ifty per
cent has been saved to the government, over
our former prices. on all the engraving aud
Photographic printing executed for the last
session of Congress aud contracted for by the
Superintendent; that about $4,000 has been
saved on two contracts for white printing
paper; that paper amounting To hundreds Of
thousands of dollars previous to General
BOwman's taking charge of the Office, had
been received from the contractors. and
delivered TO the public printers. by persons
not employed by. and wholly irresponsible
TO. the Government for the proper perform
ance of this important duty; that the Exvcu-
tive paper shows discrrpance between the
amount entered on the book and the quantity
used iui printing. Of several thousand dollars:
that nearly three thousand dollars were found
in the hand, Of the binders which they had
drawn from the Treasury for waste leaves,
d. and 10 which they were not entitled: that one
Of the hindyrs presents, d receipts for several
thousand dollars for waste leaves. for which
he bad received no credit on the books; that
ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, and up
wards, have been drawn by the public printer
FROM the Treasury, in the last toar years, for
which he rendered no more service than any
other printer in the city OF Washington; that
composition has sometimes been paid for
four times; that about forty thousand dol
lars, at least, can be saved, annually, by
striking from the extra numbers OF the
message aud documents those stale portions
which are never read. We say, when the
Superintendent has revealed ali thes. start
ling facts, the U,aoa does not as much as
condesend to say that such ''lucumenti
has ever made its appearance. So Ear from
giving these important items the -broa,lcsi
publication" the Ulaioa 'conceal>p them
from the eyes Of its readers. Hs4hu,gto,.
STATES. . ..k Az r