Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-02-20
SPEECH OF hon. JOHN IETCHER,
ii Ou4Ifa Printing Deficiency Biu.

Tie MNOlt on inc Slitc ~ slHC ClliOn, ant
having under consideration the Printing
Deficiency Bill
z Mr.. LETCHER okterincsl'sAc floor,
! 11dr. TAILOR, Of New York ! should
like, with the consent Of the gentleman
| from Virginia, to ask one question before
he commences his remarks
NJ. I.ETCHIEIs Z have Off thirty
five sislini,tcs, and | must decline to give
war
Mr.. Chairman, this s.sh;;cet IS ono Of very
great interest and Importance; but it GER
tain]yrcye. sse+.ld have occurred to sr,y
man, who had Uttered tits EfaTl 1t any
time since the close Of the speech Of my
colleague on the committee Mr.. PuELrs
up to this morning, that anybody felt the
slightest intctes. III ft, Ii eeEat'7t related in
any way to the interests Of the tax paying
people Of this country. When PROPOSE
ti5a comcstti-p - appropriate $3.50, 554 n
TO pay contracts which Fave beet the rest II
Of the legislation Of this House, instead Of
discussing thai matter, investigating the
items, examining them, and presenting
them in such shape as would make an i'm
preston upon the mind ofthc country. VIC
have been entertained with speeches on
Kansas, on Norm onism, and every other
conceivable subject, until the time for de-
Bate has almost expired, Sa.fa there II ksrd
" enough left even to notice the prominent
points which arc the subject OF controversy
iii the aellatla55' which I rr&pose to sub
NIT, shall coillnc myself to the legitimate
business before the committee. And, in
The first place, ~ order to make inyse1f Ia,
teligiblc nraivsasa to T;c!!tr % tie duties OF
the Committee # irinting, as laid down in
the rules Of tic 14oaSe, 50 that the d;shne-
ron between their duties aSHa tie f;ltios
whi'A iegitinnately belong to the Committee
Of Ways and Means may he asccrtaincd
and appreciated Accordtnm te tic rule in
regard to the paF'sic printing, you have q
committee here, acting in conjunction with
the committee Of the Senate, whose duty It
is 70 look into this matter, to regulate con
tracts and to present their views in the
sfiai55 Of reports n r5gard to all books and
documents shToh are proposed to be prin-
ted by tffs5 tstouse is ortler. shat tic s1o,isc
may pass an enligAtes::.e led Judgment upon the
report 50 presented; and until that report
COMES in and the Judgment IL Che Hose is
pronounced u.,~as it. not Que dollar for
pris*s,ffsy, This faphiiig: engraving Or any
thing else connected With tbs fallect cali
be expended not $ dollar. .st'bat is tic
business Of the ffoinnittce IN irintssins,,, as
the rue 81 tie subject clearly shows.
This is the rule, and to il Invite the 81
tcnton Of gentlemen. ssi e
''2 %. !. committee 0 f til,iTsce incnIocrs Of
the Senate $Sid three members Of the House
Of Representatives, SFdtl be appointed by
the President of the Senate and S'reaI C., 81 81
the House, to be called the Joint Commit
tee on the Public printing, which commit
tee shall have 4 right to decide between tie
Superintendent cfsfe +.ublie Plfnt;si;r aud
the Public Printer il any dispute which
may arise as to the prppricty of the dccis-
ions OF the Superintendent making deduss-
TONS eA as3cliint Of Ssork NficE lie Super
ilitenlent may refuse 70 receive, or which,
in his opinion RAY til be done with prop
CT di<f;rat, as required BY law; and tie
said committee Shall pass upon tle accounts
Of the Superintendent ;af ~ 7Gblic prin-
ting. Said +4;cSiimittec shall have power TO
adopt such measures as may be deemed ne
cessary to remedy any neglect er dc.sJ in
sha execution Of The publ s'riiisting prori-
dtdfhm 10 ;@ro3fus1. .S9pcrmcM, o. a.
roay~srcnt c,l.errd tntphy tbs committee,
shuW fuhe eject eta tie Sume shall hire
been ,a4pa4a'sored - The House Of Congress
to which the printing belongs, and, when
the printing delayed relates b the business
of both Houses, *sist;;l a,.A'i Ilo;lscs sh;fll
have approved Of such contract or arrange
mcnt. 4sll motions 10 pril.it cztfa copies Of
any bill, report, or other document, shall
be referred to the members Of the Commit
tee on Printing from the House in Witch
the same may be made
Vow, sir, Ill '24 Is tic business Of our
conn'ittec tic Committee Of WAYS and
Means7 We are to take the estimates
which arc sent to US from the Departments
at the other end Of The avenue. to take the
estimates which are sent to Us frori tie sub
cft'aIlatcs Jude. t!;oSc IfepialtI!jents and UNI
der the House Of Representatives., to ascer-
tain what contracts they have made under
the law, what sum Of money is necessary to
meet those coiti#xts, and thor It is cur dts-
II to report a bill 50 tie [,ousc for the pur-
pose Of discharging the obligations which
the Government has incurred through those
duly constituted agents.
New, sir. that, ] take It, IS the true dis
t,nction between their dutef and ours That
they arc 20 report - rs what contracts ti<cy
have made, and it Is then dur duty to re-
port to this House the amount of mou< y
which is necessary to meet those contracts.
and to pay the obligations which have been
incurred by the Government under shcm
But, sir, the gentleman from KeEtuck J
Mr.. BURNETT and other gentlemen il ttniit
House, have undertaken to say that this is
not the duty of the f'ois''!'mfttee Of Ways and
Means ; that it should not pursue this line
Of conduct; but that they must come here
and proposelegisation that it is their bus
mess to recommend where these publications
shall stop, and then that the House should
act upon their recommendation.
Sir, it will be recellecte'i that, during sc
last Congress, When the Committee 4
Ways and Means to TX charge Of a subject
which was legitimately brought to their at
teftfohi III the report of the Secretary of Tic
Treasury, and Wick report vsss rcfefeed e
tkem for their Consideration, III regard Il
marine Hospitals snd when tfhat ,eentmitt@s
introduced proposition into this House
they were punished for their attempt to leg-