The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1858-12-18
Mr. nnett on the Prlnter,a e an

one Of the trainers Of the Revised Code,
and, as every body knows, one the ablest
and most high minded gentlemen in the
state, we copy the following remarks made
by him in his place in the Senate. on the
much talked of Printers Fee Bill We
think his explanation ought to besatisfac-
tory to the publishers Of newspapers
throughout the State. Mr.. Elicit report
ed the bill. which passed both Houses,
and is now the law, allowing them fair
prices for legal advertising, and with this,
we think, all ought to be content, and let
the matter drop:
Mr.. Elicit said-That in submitting the
report OF the committee on the Judiciary,
agreeing to aucrcaso Of the rates allotted
by law for publishing legal advertise
mants. he desired 10 offer few words OF
exclamation. He did not intend to reply
to personal assaults that had been made
upon himsolfin the newspapers, on aceount
Of his connection with the subject, but on
" to give the Senate a view Of the Legs
lation in regard to it,
Prior to 1871. our law required all sales
by public officers to be advertised IN the
newspapers, without any restriction as to
the cost. So great were the abuses that
grew up under this system, and 50 exor-
bitant had the charges made by newspa-
per- for publishing these advertisements
become, that in 1871 the legislature pass
ed IAN act to prevent unnecessary charges
against debtors whereby all laws REQUIRE
ing sheritis or other officers to advertise
sales in newspapers were swept nom
the statue books, and a notice for thirty
days in the case Of real estate, and ten
days in case of personal estate posted IN
five public places in the county was sub
stituted. He Mr.. L. had always disap-
proved Of that repeal. lie believed that
true pOhcy-the interest Of debtor and
credtor-requircd that official sales should
be advertised in the newspapers, and when
he first became a member OF this body, at
the January session, 1851 he had given
MS attention to the subject, and had aided
to procure the passage Of the act OF that
year which restored the old law with some
notifications, andrequirod sales to be adj
vertised in newspapers, but without any
regulation as 10 price,
The whole subject, afterwards, came be-
fore the commissioners appointed toreviso
and codify the laws. The policy of adver-
Using in newspapers met their decided APP
probation, and they desired 70 Tx 1t upon
basis that would prevent it from being
those that had already once led to its re-
peal. Influenced by these views. they
| proposed to establish by law uniform rates
such as would afford publishers of papers
a fair and reasonable compensation, and
at the same time protect unfortunate deb
| tors from opTfessiyeand unreasonable cX-
! actions. ltseemed to be to the iptags-t OF
al honest and fair men engaged IN the
! publication OF papers tLSt this should be
| done, to protect Ilrem from the consequent
ces OF the psrblic clamor that might be
raised~gainst the system by the conduct
Of such as might take advantage Of their
| position to exact unreasonable and exor-
hant prices. Sound principle too. demand
ed 1t. For, while every other item that
entered into taxed costs was fixed and
defined by law, far below what could be
regarded as reasonable compensation for
\ the particular service. as the fees of wit
nesses, jurors, clerks, sherifis, &c. this
item alone was left to the arbitrary will
OF the person rendering the service There
Is no reason for sneh an exception.
The propriety OF a regulation Of the
puce beng agreed upon, II remained only
to fix the amount.-ln the absence Of anv
knowledge of the value of such work. the
commissioners adopted. and proposed to
the Legislature. the rates paid to the Pub
lie Printer for similar work performed by
him. These rates were established by
law in 1916. and had been observed M to
this hour, without any complaint Of their
Inadequacy. The cost underwent a rigid
scrutiny in both branches of the Legisla-
ture.-lt was open to the examination Of
gentlemen interested, and this provision
was passed as reported. The code COM
lnissioneFs had no preference for any par
ticular sum. They desired that the com
pensations should be fair and reasonable,
and they recommended only the rates al
ready adopted and settled by law.
Shortly after the passage of the act the
press Of the State opened upon it in the
ioudest denunci0tions. as a fragrant usur-
patton Of power-dcnying the II ght of the
Legislature to fix the compensation to be
paid to printers for doing public work, and
demanding its repeal as an invasion of
their rights. In obedience to this demand
the other House last year passed bill to
repeal the obnoxious provision. but the
Senate believing that that the law emhod-
led correct principle, refused to yield it.
| and in pursuance of the general sense of
this body, as expressed at the time he Mr.
| E. drew upand offered q substitute for the
| House bill. providing for a different mode
81 giving the notices when the newspapers
! refused to publish them for the establish
! ed rates. This substitute was adopted by
| the Senate by q vote Of 3 yeas 10 t
| nays, and was promptly CJnCurcd IN u
the House. The legislature thus reaf-
hrmed its former action, and relieved the
publishers Of newspapers from even a
seeming compulsion to perform public
| service upon terms that were not agreeable
to them. Mr.. Z. said that for his part.
while he had always desired to make ade-
quate compensation for the service per-
formed, the principle involved in the law
10 Nit: that it was both the right and duty
| of the Legislature to fix the amount, was
one which he was not prepared to surren-
! der. No amOunt OF abuse or denunciation.
could drive him from a position which his
sense Of duty compelled him to take,
though such abuse might come from so in
iuentlal body OF men as the conductors
Of the public press
At the present session the subject had
come up again, and the House had again
passed a bill repeating Internationally.
the restrictions upon the cost OF legal
advertisements. The judiciary commit
ted to whom the subject had been re-
Tered, We're unanimously opposed 10
yielding the principle, hut they were
equally unanimous in their desire 10 do
justice and as intelligent gentlemen, and
ladies too. connected with the press, man
ltesting proper respect for locomotives Of
others had represented that the present
prices are not remunerative. the Commit
tee, though not entirely satisfied that this
was universally the case had agreed to re-
comend the allowance OF the rates OF adver-
Using that are published in probably all
the papers in the State, to wit one dollar
per square tten lines for the first inser-
ton, and fifty cents per square for each
subsequent insertion. This would certain
| ~ afford ample compensation, and would
remove all just cause Of complaint, if any
| such now exists.
| Mr. E. said he made this explanation
not tor those who had seen proper most
| uniustly to hold him responsible for the
action OF the entire legislature but for
all tair-minded men, who might other
wise be imposedupon by the nisrrpresen.
! tatlons that had been spread abroad hy a
few of the newspapers lie was clad ia
know that most of the editors had done
justice to the motives that PROMPTED the
action that had been had on this subject
His only desire now was to yindicate those
motives, and to repel from himself and
those with whom he had acted. the iniur
rious imputation that they had been enid
ed by any other considerations than the
public good and the protection as wen y
the publishers of newspapers as of those
| upon whom the burthen Of these charges
had to fall.
RATHER ENTneshsrIC.-The Golcouda
Herqld says the following story is acknow.
lodged TO bea good I'M, but we believe
1t has not found its way into thepapers tc
any great extent:
a few years ago some roguish bows in Z
town not thousand miles from the capi
tai of New Hampshire, persuaded JOSEPH
N-..,or as he was generally called
Joe, to attend sunday school. Joe was
an overgrown, half witted, proiane lad,
and the boys anticipated considerable fun;
put the various questions propounded to
INN were so readily and correctly answer,
Cd that no one could for moment sup
pose that he was not Versed in Theological