Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-04-13

l.o deciaratlon. he calls for an increase of this nrnt ing over and above whatit ever has been bereto- lote; Tor hold that there has never heretofore oeeh any enlightened Intelligent disl ributon of more than one thousand copies of this document out of the hve thousand given to the members of the senate. Let us have the same amount now that heretofore has been distributed inteliyentlv --namelv, the five thousand delivered So the coast survey office, and the one thousand distr- outed properly by this body; and that will ha SIX thousand copies. The Senator from Mary. land wishes to add four thousand copies to that number. l want to cnt off those four thousand. That IS precisely the difference between him and myself on that point.
 Now, as to the utility of the work; it is not for the committee on printing to take mp that aneStlon. That is question which belongs to the Senate, and should be brought before the body by some other committee. Whenever the utility of the work shall be debated here. on proper occ ,son, I shall express my doubts as to It's great utility. I am satisfied that an insti- tuition, bureau, has been growing from the mo- ment ofits establishment until it has become a concern that think ought to be looked into. to speak frankly about it. It has grown ncessant- " and constantly. From the inquiry I can make--t IS true. it is not ficial or not of that character upon which can plare great reliance -l learn that it has been growing steadily from year to year, and I can see no period when there will be a cessation of the survey nf the waters along the coast of the United States; no period at which the information will all have been ob tained and the work completed
 The Ser ator from Maine sneaks of the necrs sitv of the distribution. believe have said enough about the distribution bv the members of the Senate. Twill speak now as to the man. ner or distribution, whe,ein the committee pro- posed to confer tho power on the secretary of the treasury. The Senator from Maine says we propose to take it away from the gentleman at the head of the hnrean. the object of whose life 1t has been to perfect this system, and to whom itis very dear. shond like to know whether because particular branches of the pnblic service are dear to the hearts of the gentlemen who have them in charge the Senator will ask us to base our action on that ground? What have We to do with that? That is not a legitimate matter to be presented here Whatever may he the affection of any public officer for any particular work, 1 see no occasion for us to pav any respect or regard to it in our action. The public service is the subject to be considered by us. and nothing else
 The Senator from Maine dwells upon the fact that we propose to take this distribution from the office containing, in such an eminent degree. the intelligence and capacity of which he spoke. and put it into the hands of some clerk under the secretary of the treasury as he said r would ask if the secretaries of the treasury, who have held that position under any admnstra- ton m this government, are justly entitled to a criticism of that chara"ter especially in connec- tion with branch of service deemed by the hAI l, ,ln (
 public imrortance? What would ho the course that would be taken in this matter? I submit to Senator's that the secretary of the treasury wonld proceed at once naturally tonprform this public service in the very best and most cffec tive manner possible. What setp womb he take, in the first place in or1or to do SO? His very first step would he to call on that bureau to inform him as to the manner in which they have hitherto distributed these documents. his next step take it, would be to request the head of the hufeau tO submit some regrIar system mon which the distribution should be conducted SO that rules and regulations might be made in re- gard tO it. and so that if would not be left dis cr"tlOnarv with a subordinate head of a hureau. Those regulations of necessity would allow the whole distribution to % into the hands of that subordinate head of a bureau The secretary. as wise officer would take that course, and there would exist some responsibility over that officer; for, with all his pride in and regard for the service, Professor Barhe may not live al- ways. We are not legSlating for men. but for the service The service would at once % into the hands of the subordinate subject to responsi- hilitv to the head of the denartment, who is responsible to us and who can be made accom- table for the discharge of his duties. The fact 's that what we propose is nothing more than m additional accountability, on the part of a subordinate heal of a bureau, to hiS sunerior officer, the secretary of the treasury; and the secretary of the treasury is responsible here- Through him the government is made rpsponsi- ble. If Congress- keeps it in the hand, of hnrean, every administration may reply: five are not responsible for that bureau; von have 10 given us charge of that business; vou have chosen to give 1t to a hureau that is beneath us. t IS true, in point of dignity but you leave it 10 their discretion entirev'' The system is vi- cions, ard there is an absence of that reSponsi- bilitv which und ,nbtedlv ought to exist.
 really speak of this subject from some calm consideration. and from conversation with those in whose judgment I have very great conli- lence The distribution iii this instance, am sure, will not he taken from Professor Bache not that the secretary of the tre ,surv has ever ex- picHSPH SHCll d WiSI D cdllSc nave never nelrQ of his doing sn; bat the natural course of thing, is that the secretary of the treasury would adopt system for him to carry out. Then. if the present head of that bureau, or any future one hat may be appointed, shall f,il to comply with that system of distribution, the department will he the first to find it out and rectlfv it, and it will mo depend on the uncertain watchfulness of Congress to ascertain what abuses may be there. l believe 1t Is absolutely essential that we should put all these officers in a position to be as early, as immediately, and as precisely held to rigid responsibility as it is possible by the legislation that may be had here to render them, on this subject as well as ou all others
 Mr FESSENDEN. Before the Senator from Arkansas closes his remarks, 1 wish to ask him a question or two, with his permission.
 Mir JOHNSON of ArkalstS. Certainly.
 Mr FESSENDEN. The first question is, what is the whole amount that the printing of these ten thousand copies wi cost?
 Mr. JOHNSON, of Arkansas shall not state the sum to cent but 1 think it is over forty four thousand dollars.
 Mr. FESSENDEN Then suppose you de- duct one half-hye thou>and--how much will that deduct from the whole amount?
 Mir JOHNSON, Of Arkansas. cam ot give you the exset sum, but 1t costs about one third less
 Mr. FESSENDEN. As much as that?
 Mr. JOlNSON of Arkansas. My belief is about ose third less; but 1 cannot state pre- ciselv
 Mr. KING. What is the cost of the five thousand?
 Mr. JOHNSON. of Ark The cost of the printing of what Is called inc usual number, m which all the heavy expense Is included, will be S7 ,425 90. We are not acting upon the propriety of printing extra numbers. It is estimated that each thousand extra copies after wards will cost S3, 452; multiplying that by ten would i've S34,520; one half of S34, ,52O is precisely the amount that will be saved by cut ting off the extra five thousand copies. Seven- teen thousand two hundred and sixty dollars is the amount W hich will be >avcd by the adoption of the resolution reported by the commltee on printing
 shall not detain the Senate longer on this matter I will only say that the committee sincerely believe that the action which they propose, not only in this but in similar ones, Is the best policy which can be adopted. They