Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-02-24
FROM WASHINGTON.

me NJ phdut- Uhdt shdt thc 40 "'" ii'"
The Republicans Of the House are in great
trouble about the election Of printer To
begin with, and make the case as easy as pos
sible, they have agreed that the printer shall
be bound to accept any modification Of prices,
or other reform, which Congress may adopt,
and have also ordered a committee for the
purpose of making this reform. Still it is
doubtful whether anything can be done, and
VIC are to take printer with, at least, pos
sibility that he will have compensation
double that of the President Of the United
States This, then, is big business; we have
got the elephant-what shall we do with him
Il will not do to turn him over to the Dcmoc
racy again, for then we know that the i'm
mense income Of thls Office will be used to
support party presses, and intcierc with cleo
tons So il has been used To use it our
selves in the same way would be a severe
shock TO Republican virtue what shall we
do with the elephant To give this immense
income 10 any one man, however yirtuous or
mcritorious. is also Objectionable. Ne man
ought to be so pampcrcd what shall we do
publicaus labored in caucus, and they were
nearly equally divided upon two candidates,
who stood about thus One was to establish
a daily Republican paper in this city, after
buying out the Fra and the Republic,
and also TO give assistance TO u gentleman OF
the press in Boston aud another in Pounsyl-
yania while the other candidate would sub
nit himself to the control of the Republican
II - & 4 4 IT,
peated ballots, the latter candidate Mr. De
frees of Indiana, was nominated by one ma
iority-his proposition thus being considered
the least Objectionable Of the two. In the
House several ballots have been taken, and
the last brought Mr. Deirees within one vote
of an election with one Republican Mr.. Adj
ans of Mass Withholding his vote. There
fore Defrces can be elected if Mr.. Adams will
support him Since the baloting was COM
menced, the Republican Executive Committee
of Congress has unanimously resolved that
they viii not take or use single dollar from
"the printing plumber to use for political
purposes. 1t is hard to decide whether this
clears or complicates the case, and still the
cry is-what shall we do with the elephant
Tie Printing Question and the FrdHtmg Prir-
iege
The Senate sent down the mail contrac-
tors bill with two amendments the first re-
quring the Superintendent of Printing to let
the post office blank printing to the lowest
bidder, and the second abolishing the frank
ing privilege.
There was but brief debate in the House,
running through two sittings Of the Commit
tee OF the Whole, and for the most part lin
tied by the five minutes rule: nevertheless,
there was very striking revelation in re-
spect to the public printing, The Committee
of Ways and Means House reported unan-
imously against the practice, by the Senate,
of attaching to appropriation bills, in the
form of amendments, matters properly requir-
ing distinct and special legislation. The pro-
prety of this censure may be appreciated when
say that sometimes fifty or more amend
ments have been attached to bill in the last
| days or hours Of a session, and referred ultl-
mately to Committee o, Conference, who
reported them in lump half perhaps to be
adopted, and half to be reiected-and both
Houses have agreed 90 such propositions in
the lump. The consequence was that pro-
visions were enacted Wt1y iDitbom the kHoCi-
| edge Of majority Of beth Houses, upon the
/ authority of a committee Of three mombers
of each House so entirely without the
knowledge of members that they could not
tell, until the laws had been printed, what
were enacted. But while the Committee of
! Ways and Means unanimously condemned
/ this practice, two of its members supported
/ the Senate amendment respecting post Office
/ blanks, on the ground that the abuse to be rem
| edied is so extraordinary as to warrant this
/ irregular mode of action. In word, it was
said that the Government has been been pay
ing (since 1852, think at the rate of one
hundred dollars for work that the contractor
| procured done for thirty dollars. That is to
say, on contracts amounting to many thou
sands of dollars in the aggregate the Gov
eminent has been cheated serenity per cent
| aud this shave, it appears, has been submit
ted to for something like eight years As q
printer, know that the post Office work is
peculiarly adapted for cheap production, b!
the multiplication of stereotypes : but still
the enormous margin of seventy per cent
over reasonable profit on this printing ind
Gates that all the printing, under the rate
authorized by law, is too high. Moreoye
it is by no means certain that the bidding
system will cure the evil, since the wors
, frauds have been perpotrated under that sys
ten. ] endoayored, therefore, to get al
amendment fixing absolutely the compensa
} ton, by law, at the present rates, dedactiH
hcrefrom serenity per cent This would cut Of
all discretion in the Superintendent, all com
binatons of bidders, and all cheating in tn
price of the work. The House rose well I
I vote in this amendment, but on the sugges
f ton Of Mr.. Stevens of Pa, that the Sonat
would disagree to it, and thus defeat entrei
the project Of retrenchmont, my amondmer
was rejected, and the proposition Of the Ser
g ate was agreed to almost unanimously,
this connection | ought to add that on MOI
y day morning, before the action have name'
a the House ordered select committee to e.
c anime the whole matter Of printing, and r
T. port a reform bill.
= The debate on the proposition of the Sci
z ate to abolish the ranking privilege was all
n instructive. The ranking - privilege
h Privilege indeed | can think of nothing
n much like it as the privilege of froeholde
), in New York, many years ago. They had Il
d privilege" of sitting as jurors, and wheth
n the case occupied three minutes or thr
i months they conld receive as compensate,
the monstrous sum Of precisely twelve al
half cents. SO Of this Congressional pri
m liam IL coets IN aVprv mem hpr WIN trpa