Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-07-02
MORE REPUBLICAN, SWINDILN0
- report On state Printing.

your committee, making of him the inqui-
ries embraced in said resolution.
Your committee, upon the Investigation
Of all the facts within their reach, End that
although the code, sec. %, requires the iaws
TO be printed and deposited in the office Of
the Secretary Of State by the first day Of
Nav following the session, that about the
Goth day Of August last, the State Printer
deposited in the office Of the Secretary Of
State, part of the laws, amounting to about
two volumes for each county. That the re
maipder Of said laws were deposited in the
office of secretary of State at snndry times
between the 10th Of August and October,
the delivery not being completed until Oc-
tober. Your committee were not able to
obtain any more definite dates than those
given above.
Yo.r committee further find that the bill
Of said printer has been audited and paid in
full.
Your committee further find that the last
session Of the General Assembly passed q
law reducing the compensation tor the pub
lie printing, which was approved Jan. 2sth.
1857, Said law was to take effect from and
after its publication in the Iowa City RepuJ
lican and Maquoketa Excelsior, the paper
published by said state l%'rinter. Said law
was published in the lows City Republican
on thu 2lst Of February. but was not pub
..ished in the Maquot eta Excelsior until the
10th of June. 1857, aud thus preventing said
law from taking effect at the time contem-
plated by the General Assembly. the said
state Printer obtained compensation for
most of the public printing at the rates pro-
vided by the former law, which the Cen
eral Assembly expressly designed to repeal,
which repeal was only prevented from tax
ing effect by the neglect Of said printer to
perform his duty and publish said law at the
time it was passed. thereby Increasing his
compensation and the pride of State print-
ing to u large amount.
Your committee further find that the Au-
d.tor of State employed CIum d Boye, OF
Iowa City, to print the Census Reports, by
contract, at Ace per thousand ems.
The said Census Reports were printed
and nearly ready for distribution in June,
1857, but were not distributed up to the
time of the commencement of the present
session OF the General Assembly, although
the law provided that 30 soon az said Cen
sus Returns are printed and ready for distri-
button, it shall be the duty Of the 81 id Au-
| ditor to distribute the same, DC" The law
| all provides that said Auditor should have
f.r III lexing and making said distribution,
three hundred dollars one hundred and
fifty dollars of which was dra WI on the 3lst
of January, and the remaining one hundred
aud fifty dollars on the 10th day of Februa-
rs, 1893.
Your committe further find that said
| State Printer has printed and received com
pensation for two large volumes Of 734
pages each, both of which contain the same
matter, the only difference being in the I'll
| tie page, one being entitled "Senate Docu-
men,s," and the other House Documents"
Your committee has not been atle to find
any law or precedent authorizing the print
ing of said books. We find in the Senate
journal of the last General Assembly, p.
AGO. that a resolution was adopted provid-
ing that no documents as an appendix to
Senate Journal should be printed, except
the report of the Des Moines River Cammis.
investigate the affairs Of the Superintendent
| of Public Instruction, and other State of
ficers, none of which are printed in the
books referred to 1t is also worthy of re-
mark that the Census Returns complete,
comprise All pages,nore than of said books
although the general assembly had provided
ny u " HIiutAuS uuu VI ooIO
returns in a separate book.
Your CO mittee is informed that after
Brum 4 Boye had the form set up, and
had printed said Census Reports as per cen
tract before refe red to, that said State
Printer procured them to work off, oil pa
per furnished by the State, the Census Re-
ports embraced in said books, which would
cost but a small sun, as the form was already
set up, which was thereupon bound in said
State Printer charged the State, and was
allowed 70 cts. per 1000 ems, (although
u um d. Boye set up the form and printed
the same for the State under contract at 40
cts. per 1000 ernst all Of which was paid for
at the rates fixed by the former law, as
said State Printer did not publish the law
reducing the rates Of printing, until after
the aforesaid work was done.
Your committe find that said Stase Prin-
ter received the sum of S5,4S5,70 for print
ing the two new bOoAs before referred to,
tor which we can find no authority by law
The p. hitting has also involved the State in
the expense of paper and binding. But
even admitting that 1t was proper to print
the documents Of the General Assembly, but
omeset should have been printed, and ". ich
should not have embraced the Census Re
ports.
We are clearly of the opinion that the
evasion Of the law by said State Printer in
neglecting to publish the same, tn neglect
to publish the laws by the time prescribed
by law, the publication OF two books unau-
thorized by law. under merely different
names. embracing improper matter, are pro-
per subjects for judicial investigation. We
therefore recommend the adoption Of the
following resolution:
JAEIUs f.. NEAL,
II. II. TRIMbLE,
SAMUEL REINEa. "
Committee.