Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-05-04

P'NNhSSA oy tuciI puUllcdLlOQ ana advertisement here have died away. have to answer some four or five hundred demands for them. Of course 1 am obliged to say to four fifths of the applicants that my supply being a very small amount for an extraordinarily large constituency, is exhausted. Tam losing ground with my correspondents. I am now excusipo myself Tor not circulating the Japan expedition, my supply of w hich was exhausted bv the cir cuiatlon ot the first volume two years ago. It IS the same case with several others of these at tractive works If the honorable Senator in tenderness of us all. will take care not to excite expectations by his speech, which we cannot iulhll, he will save us from a world of trouble.
 Mr. BROWN. It is the first time 1 have ever known that it has been any disadvantage to the Senator from New York. I think shall go for these books hereafter Laughter. l shall have to change my policy because it is gong to injure him in public estimation. I am so well satisfied that he ought to be injured that l am not sure that it would not be good speculation to publish the.books. Laughter l
 MT. MASON. 1 wish to say very few words on thls subject think there can be no Sena- tor who will go further to restrain the exorbi. tant expense in public printing than will, and yet 1 cannot but be aware that to refuse all ex. PN1't'ruiC 10 Hp SOIl OI tCOIptllN. improper. lmprovident, and wastefu expenditure is that which is to be checked by the exercise of econo- my These books, one of which has been pro- duced here by the Senator from Mississippi, in- volve. in my judgment, proper expenditure provided that expenditure Is under proper guards. We send abroad exploring parties through the country, and necessarily so, in the discharge of the great duties to the public that devolve upon the government, exploring for the Pacific railroad, the Mexican boundary, and ex- porations by officers of the army for military purposes They are required, and properly re- qured, to make a journal; and when they make their report to the head of the department, the work Is done; but it would seem to me to follow, as necessary incident to that work, that it should be published by Congress and dffused and yet do not know where the proper restraint Is, as am not at all conversant with the details: whether 1t Is in the committee on public print Ing, or whether 1t rests with the executive de- partments, but 1t should rest some ewhere to check this truly unnecessary expenditure in em- bellishing these books Take the painted h. dlans, the scenes, the landscapes that are given Tn them, or the matters of scientific discovery in philosophy which are exhibited and they seem to me to be entirely out of place; and 1 am in- formed, and l think correctly informed that they make one half the expenditure of these publications, or perhaps more than that. They are utterly out of place, and derogatory to the character of the government. To print the re- ports alone, which would diffllse the information contained in them I shoul think is not all i'm provident use of the public money.
 Then as to this particular source of expendi- tures why, sir, we know very well that it has been the usage of the Senate to pay very great honor to the memory of those who have served their country long and faithfully, and who have been called from this world while serving here Committees have been sent home with them to very distant parts of the confederacv Honors have been rendered to them all the way while their remains were passing through the country. and great honors have been paid tu them and to their memories when they arrived at their homes. For what? Not only as a grateful ac- knowedgment for their public services but with view to impress, thjnk, upon the rising gene. ration, the character, the services, and the mer- it's of those men. It has been customary, also to pay tributes to their memories upon this floor and upon the floor of the House That is usage with which am satisfied DO Senator will be disposed in the slightest degree to interfere "a very proper usage And then 1 should think it would follow as an incident. tha. we should, in plain way, without ostentation or expense, diifuse those tributes after they are thus given. Therefore, with every desire in the world to unite with the honorable Senator who is at the head of the printing committee to check improvident expenditure, cannot agree to this report
 Sir, if there he no means of checking improvi- dent expenditure, but by denying all expendi- lures, we shall have come to very unfortunate pass in the country l confess, with the very great respect l bear to the eminent and distin- guished gentleman who conducted the Mexican boundary survey, it was with concern and regret that 1 saw that his book also was the subject of unnecessary aud improvideut embellishments can see no reason for it, nor proprietv in it. l think 1t is derogatory to the character of the government that it should send abroad books that are really interesting for their matter, and for the information they contain. with all these embellishments that are worthy only of the humblest picture shops. That Is an improyi dent expenditure; but to print the books and to diliuse them, should not consider extravagaut. These are my views; and sp feeling, with every regret not to have 1t in my power to follow the honorable chairman, 1 shall feel required to vote for printing these eulo5 es
 MT, JOHNSON, of Arkansas. The resou tion Of the Senator from Texas was offered as substitute for the report of the committee on printing which is now up for consideration.- The clerk does not seem to understand its posi- tion. Ii 1t were offered now as an independent resolution, 1t would necessarily be referred to the committee on printing, which has already reported on the subject
 The PRESIDENT pro tempore The chair will remark 10 the Senator from Arkansas that the Senator from Texas submitted his resolu. tol, and said he designed 10 offer it as a substi- ute for the report of the committee on printing The chair Intended to state to the Senator from Texas, when the discussion was through, that .he only mode by which he could accomplish hIs object, would be to move to proceed 10 the consideration of the report of the committee on printing, and when that was up offer this as substitute.
 Mir. JOHNSON, of Arkansas. hope that will be regaried by unanimous consent as hay ing been done, so that we may have d vote on the question.
 The PRESIDENT pro tempoye. The chair will say to tine Senator from Texas. that his only mode of accomplishing what is desired by him, IS to move to take up for consideration the report of the committee on printing on the same subject.
 Mr. HOUSTON. l suppose that may be considered as mp by the consent of the Senate; but make that motion.
 Mr. JOHNSON, of Arkansas. 1 wish now to make no reply to anything that has been sad in regard to this matter. The action of the committee is understood by the Senate, and trust we shall have the vote.
 Mr. BIGGS. understand the motion of the Senator from Texas, is to proceed now to the consideration of the report of the committee; and then, after proceeding to the consideration of the report, he will move his substitute It is now up, l understand, by the decision of the Senate.
 The PRESIDENT pro tempore put the ques. tiOn, and there Were calls for adivison.
 Mr. STUART. Is the division called for upon the motion to take up the report?
 The PRESIDENT pro tempore That is the question pending.
 Mir. KING. N, division is required on that.
 Mir. STUART. There is no objection to the report coming up.
 The PRESIDENT pro tenpore Then the report will be considered as before the Senate