Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-01-04
she Public Printing.

If any doubt the charges of gross and wan
ton peculations in tho departments e public
printing. let them read the report of the pre-
sent superintendent. Mr.. Bowman. With a
measure of frankueSs and honesty unknown
at Washington since his Office was created. he
strips the veil from various proceedings for
the past six years and shows that neither
honesty nor order was INDUCED in the most
moderate degree by his predecessor II will
be remembered that this former Supcrinten-
tent of the Public Printing was arraigned at
the commencement of the last Congress. for
the peculatonS or mlsmanagement then chr
rently charged, and universally believed, by
those who ought to know. 4 committee of
the Senate took mp his case. and. after a sham
investigation, loaded him with white-wash and
Installed him for new term. From that
time. as indeed before, things went swimming
ly. Double payments for printing. double
payments for worthless paper. double pay
ments for engraving and sor binding. became
the standing rule. Percentages on contracts,
of every sort, added to the advantages of the
business /; and the superintendent di~creetly
resigned. ten days before Mr.. Buchanan took
on the insignia of office.
Now Gen. Bowman reports frankly some
part of the confusion he found in the books
and not recorded in the books. Probably the
Senate may pounce upon and punish him for
the exposure; but he has gone on with fair
show of courage SO far. Unlcarned as yet in
the labyrinthine modes of getting money from
the government and from contractors he is
almost brought tn stand bv the difficulties
in the case. He finds that the immense SUP
plies of paper purchased 10y his predecessor.
which business was to be the especial point
and purpose OF the creation Of the new office
have been. for n great length of time. re
ceived from the contractors aud delivered to
the puhlic printers by persons not employed
by aud wholly irresponsible to this Office
That is, the very duty which the office was
created 10 do has not been done at all by il.
aud the irresponsible person into whose hands
il fell kept no record Of their transactions
which has a particle of valne or liability
Aud though this was changed two or three
years ago. and is now proved TO have existed
almost from the foundation of the Office. the
immaculate Senate committee found nothing
To censure aud everything 10 praise ia the
mode OF doing business adopted 10y the form
or Incumbent.
The practice Of charging twice or more for
the type setting ordered by Congress. is q
point worthy of public attention. slthouch il
Is about on par with constructive mileage
Ii each House orders say ten thousand copies
II any document or hundred thousand
copies of that inimitable compilation known
Is the Agricultural Patent Office Report the
respective printers are not likely To commit
the folly OF setting il up twice, when, by both
employing th. same hands, oRce will answer.
so they pat binding of "A different tint on
House Doe from that labeled Senate
Doe" and charge their respective employers
according To the order given rather than the
work done. II each body employed printers
as asy man would Ia his private business,
Instead OF electing them, there would be no
danger that extra payments would be IN ID,
in this manner. As IL stands. there are many
worse things done al Washington. and WHEN
the two Houses dispeRse with constructive
mllags. this abase may go the same road and
b. iorgotten.- P..iLasisifahsa .yoFLA An.sioeg.