The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-04-14
BLUFFS, SATURDAY, APRIL A. 1860.

4, 1860.
say and expect they dose it welll Ole
Gusset may be shop keeper, out Il b
expects to 20 ahead Of JopatAan Doubkios
hs INST get up pisgsey sight earlier i1
the morningsvs
REPORT on THE RunLlc rRINTiSG-cu-
RIOU8 REvELATlONs.
The Committee on Public Expenditures
in the House of Representatives, Of which
Mr.. Haskin Of New York, 10 Chairman,
have nearly completed their investigation
into the manner in which the public printing
has hitherto been conducted, and from the
Testimony before them, We gather the fol-
lowing facts:
Cornelius Wendell testifes that be was
the printer de facto Of the last Congress ;
that James B. Steadman was elected Printer
Of the House but never performed the du-
ties Of the Office. Wendell doing the work,
and getting sixty four cents OF each dollar
received by Steadman, who consequently
pocketed SO cents on the dollar OF the money
paid BY Congress, without troubling himself
to do more than to receive the pny. This
was the arrangement st first, but afterward
it vas set aside, and SteaanaD .heing very
asxioss for mosey," Wendell bought him
out entirely, 6ye months after his election,
and paid him the round sum Of $34, 600 40
q bonas. About year later, testi6es Mr.
Wendsll, seratheI than have . rev 10 the
Hosse about the matter, pssd MN ~, 500
1t was black mail operation with him be
threatened to resign and make muss gen.
erally.n
Mr. A.. D. Banks, Of Virginia, Mr.. Wash
ington Mclean, Judge Walker, and two or
three others, held minor shares in the ofice
to which MIR. Steadman had been elected,
Mr.. Banks to the amount Of one. half, Mr..
Mclean one-third, and Judge Walker .
quarter interest. Mr.. Steadman st the time
Of his election to the House had no facilities
-" none whatever "-for doing the work
which the public printer would be compelled
to do.
The anount PAL for printipg Post Office
blanks average about $40, 900 year. The
profit on this is $4,000. THIS fat job MIR.
Wendell says, is since 1852, in the disposal
of the Superintendent Of public printing,
and he has given it "to the printer most
generally connected with the organ of the
President "-that is to the printer Of The
Union newspaper, or as il 10 now called,
The Constitutions. Major Harris, of Mis-
souri, was printer of this "orgaD," and MIR.
Wendell bought hin, out, as he did also
Steadman, for 500, 600.
The Chairman Of the Committee having
asked Mr.. Wendell as to his motives in be-
coming owner of the "organ ?'' the follow
ing testimony was elected.
H.. of 10 -
orally supposed to command the patronage
of the President. There is q good deal Of
this work at the disposal of the President
say IN aggregate of 100000 per year,
more or less.
Question. At the disposal Of the Presi-
dent?
A. Yes, Sir. That patronage the organ
has commanded for years, it being impossi-
BILE to keep paper up here without Gov
ernment support.
Q. Is this $lOO, 900 worth of patronage
you speak Of at the disposal Of the President
personally
A. The law provides that it shall be
under the control Of the Heads Of the De-
partmen.s; but if the Presiden. signifies to
his Cabinet that he would be pleased to see
A, B, or G, get it, rs matter of course
they will obey his wishes. 1t has been a
matter of custom for the President to dis
pose Of it. Mr.. Buchanan has done it and
his predecessor, Mr.. Pierce, d,d it. Inerer
had ann intercourse nith the Cabsset in the
matter !; my intercourse has been direct uith
Mr.. Buchdndn, and ras so ,cith Mr..
Pierce.
@. You say the aggregate amount paid
Tor the executive printing per year is
A. From ss55, 900 to $4,000. think
that it will average 100000.
Q. Do the profits on that printing ave-
rare fifty cents on the dollar?
A. A portion of it averages much more;
but re ayerege on the whole Of it 10 about
IS cents sn the COLLAR.
@. Was there ever any understanding
with you while you had the printing that q
portion of the profits should be used toward
sustaining the organ? .--
A. Yes, sir, it was given for the purpose
Of sustaining the organ. :.
@. Was there ever m understanding
between you and the President as to what
portion of the profits should 60 toward
sustaining the Government organ?
A. No, Sir; cannot say there was
direct understanding; understood it, and
| suppose he did. a.-
@. There was no distinct sum fixed upon
out of the profits?
A. No, Sir; the understanding was that
the paper should 60 on.
@. And that that patronage should sup
port it?
A. Yes, Sir; never had anything tt
say about editing it.
From q written statement submitted II
the Committee by MIR. Wendell, j. appears
that the aggregate amount paid for print
ing, binding, &C., by Congress, In the las
six years, was So, ,462, ,655 IL, or yearly
average Of nearly $1,000! In addition e
this, the printing done for the Executive
Departments Of the Government, during thu
sume six wears, amounted to SO, ,747 ,722 80
The profit ON this work ranges from 80 t.
| 70 per cent. averaging go per cent. at least
| that is to say the work done for those eli
wears has cost the Government just 81 ,9lS,
| 7l3 10 more than it should have done.
Mr.. james English, Mr.. Wendel's fore
man, for Six years past, states under oath
with such an establishment as Mr.. WENDELL
could take the printing and do it for fift.
cents on the dollar, and make money; a
, an evidence Of that fact, Mr.. Larcombe ant
mvss'f have offered to do it for Mr.. Wen
dell, in case be got the whole Of it, for fort.
cents on the dollar, and at that rate W
| would have been nb!e to make Few dollars
Mr.. Larcombe, also a practical printer
states: 81 should be very glad to have tn
opportunity to do the Government work
SO per cent"
son the prices now paid 20