Weekly Minnesotian and times., 1859-12-24
The Printing Question.

Our nelShbOr OF the kt07teer don't ike the
action of what he styles the Black Repub
lican Legislature" because that body cut of
the fingers that were stealing from the Public
Treasury! AS matter of course, he don't
like it Why should he like it, He cannot
bask any longer in the sunlight of party pat
ronage, and so the Black Republicans are ras-
Gals of the most vilanous stamp! But the
people are the gamers.
We do not propose at this time, to insult
the intelligence Of our readers by recapitula'
ting all the facts in case with which they
are so familiar, but we call attention to the
able document of the majority of the Com
mittce who reported against the protest OF
NEwsoN, MOORE, FOSTER & Co., incidental
printers to the House. By careful perusal
Of this report, the public will be able to see
by what process the contract was awarded to
Mr.. GOODRICH, and how far the letter and
spirit of the law was complied with in the let
ting.
The members of the House, after having
given the subject a thorough and careful in
vestigation, arrived at this conclusion:
l. That Acting Governor Chase, while a
Territorial officer, signed the Printing Bill
passed by State Legislature. Having no
power to do this, the law was not valid
one.
2. The bill itself contemplated the letting
Of various items specified, to the lo,oest bid
der or bidders. GOODRICH bid for the whole
of the printing or none, consequently, those
printers who bid much below GOODRICH on
specified items, were thrown out. Had these
bids been received by the Auditor, as was the
meaning and intent Of the law, and the bids
of Mr.. Goodrich which were the lowest, also
received, seven thousand dollars would
have been saved to the State. Because the
law Of law was not complied with in this
respect, therefore the contract was void.
8. That one Legislature has no power to
bind the actions of another. Sec. 5, of Art.
II, of the Constitution, provides that
The House of Representatives shall elect
its presiding officer, and the Senate shall elect
such other officers as may be provided for by
law. They shall keep journals of their pro-
ceedings and from tune to time publish the
same, and the yeas and nays when taken on
any question shall be entered on such jour-
nal.
4. The contract of Mr.. GOODRICH with the
State Auditor, was for silver and gold, or its
equivalent Other bidders would have re-
ceived State Warrants at par, but Mr.. Coop
RICH, having bid highest on specified items,
contracts with the Auditor to receive his pay
in silver and gold or its equivalent
This last proposition throws open an av-
enue to villainy which should receive the Sc
rious consideration of the Legislature. Sup
pose, under this contract, Mr.. GooDRICH
makes arrangements with certain Bankers to
depreciate State Scrip! He puts in his bill
at $4,000. State Warrants are run down
to so cents on the dollar. Now the State is
obliged to pay GooDEIcH 500, 900 for printing
which other printers would have done for
$4,000. GooDRIcH, having received his
$4,000 in State Warrants at so cents on the
dollar, in connection with his Banking friend,
runs them up to 80 cents on the dollar and
makes out of the operation $4,000! very
snug little sum carved out of very shrewd
little trick
1t was for these considerations and others,
that the Republican members of the House
paid no regard to the pretended claims of Mr..
Goodrich, but proceeded to dispose of the
printing in such way as to meet with their
own appreciation and the wishes of the people,
In connection with this subject, we copy
the following article from the Winona Demo-
crat. The ST. Anthony Erpress Oem.) has
similar article on the subject, but we have
misaid it:
We have never believed that tone Legisla-
ture had the right to control the action of
another" We fully agree with the Times
that ''the State Printer is State officer, Gre
ated by the Legislature, for a specific pur-
pose," and as such his powers cannot consist
emily 60 beyond the Legislature that elected
him. A Legislature has the same right to
elect Speaker, Clerk, or Doorkeeper for its
successor as it has to elect Printer.
We do not believe Earle S. Goodrich has
particle of legal right to the State Printing,
under the law of last session. That law says
expressly that the State Auditor shall let the
printing to the lOacest bidder, Instead of do
ing so, the State Auditor let the printing to
his .tauorite Eear, S. Goodrich, who was
the highest bidder. The State Auditor vio-
lated the law in letting the contract, and that
violation of law is sufficient of ITSELF or
should be, to vitiate and break up the con-
tract now exising between the State and Earl
S. Goodrich.
We hope the Legislature will look into this
matter. The bids of Moore, of the Minneso-
tim, Van Vorhees, of the Saltwater Messen-
ger, Newson, of the Times, johnson of the st.
Anthony Erpress. and Cotton of The Demo-
crat, are doubtless on file in the Auditors Of
fee, or should be and if they are not, copies
of them can be furnished. The State of Min
nesota is now paying double as much for her
Printing as she should pay-paying it, too, in
violation of the law for the letting of the State
Printing. Let the matter be examined into
by the present Legislature. Wanona Demo-
crat, Dec. 11th.