, 1860-03-30
Tttaa Urih111tr,
Report on the Public Printing.
Who Got 11ic Money, and who Spent 1t

Report Oh the Public Printing.
Who E6t a1ic Money, and who Spent 1t
CURIOUS REVELATIONS.
The Committee on Public Expenditures j,
ine House Of Representatives, Of which Mr
Haskin Of New York is Chairman. have uearl,
completed their Investigation into tue munue
nan IN Which Tue public printing has hitherto bee,
conducted, and from the testimony before then
nc gather the following facts:
Cornelius Wendell testifies thut he was tbt
printer de -Jdcto Of the Last Cnncrcss: tha
!an1es H. Stcadman was elected Prlntefof tbt
House, Int nerer performed the duties of Iii
onice, Wendell doing The work, and cctsine
s,xtY tour cents ont Of each dollar received by
Stcadman. who consequently pocketcd sc cent?
on a dtllar Of the money paaid by Conrress
without troubling himself to do more than i,
| receive the pay. This WIS the Arrangement al
trst, but af1eFward 1t was xct aside, and Stead.
man being very ANXIOUS for money" Wendell
oouShs h'm out entirely, five months after bis
election, and paid lin the round sun, of s34 .0D{
as o. bonus. about year later, tcstities Mr,
| Wendell, "ratter than nave row in the House
ABOUT the matter, paid him Il 500. 1t was Q
! black mail operation with him; he threatened
| 10 resign and make inuss generally"
ton Mclean, Judge Walker, and two or three
others, held minor interests in the profits Of the
otnce to which Mr. Steadmau had been elected
ar. banks to the amount Of onc-half. Sir. Nc.
Lean onc.ta!rd, aud Judge Walker quarter in.
tefest. Ait. Stcadman at The time Of his election
to the House had no facilities -''nonc whuteycr'
-1or doing the work which the public printer
would be compelled to do.
INC amount paid for printing rost:ofEice blanks
Averages about 10000 year Tic profit On
this ls s20, 900. This fat job Mr. Wendell saya
49, s!nce 1872, in tue disposal Of the s.,periptcn
cert Of public printing. aod he has gven it ito
"or&an Of the Pres,deat"-tLat is to the printer
o. o. 1ht 0*.sn newspaper, or as it is now calle i
Tie tonstitution. s!ojor Harris, Of Niysour;
was pslnter of tl:ls "organ," and 3ir. Wendell
bought him out, rs be did also Steadmau, for
The Chairman Of the Committee hay;or n.ted
hF. Wendell as to bis motives in becominc
owner Of tue "organ2" tile following testImo
ny was elected: '''1''''
Answer. The editor of the organ is generally
supposed to command the patronage Of The Pres
iasnt. There y good deal Of this work ut the
disposal Of the Fresideut-say an aggregate Of
100000 per year, more or l:sz.
Question. At tie disposal Of the President?
Z. les, sir. That patronage the organ has
commanded for years, it being imppssible to
Keep paper up here without Goycrnmcpt sup
~ r. ,,,, nm ~
era.,- - sa's a1oU:VVo worth OF Patronage you
sonal'y: L. The law provides that it shall bc
Nndes ice control OF the Heads Of tue Depart
mcnts; but if the President signifies to bis Cab
1ne' toat ne would be pleased to see 4, Il, or
ges.a ~ matter OF course tley will obey his
nsaa;d, ~ nas oeen mater Of custom for the
daea, ~ d ~ a'slose OF II. Mr. buchanan has
gone II. ana h1s predecessor, Mr. Pierce, did it.
! i, never lad any intercourse With the Csbinetiu
Ms s naa'sa ~ aneercoefse has been direct with
elE; o9Snanan, anu was so " 'th Mr. Pierce.
.he r.,;ss ou sas tne aggregate amount paid for
EAeeosne - sn & pa'nl1nE PER year IS 500 900:
An a. rrom So2;VVo a 70 *llo'eoo. think tha. it
w. ~ GraEc *4eo.uVu.
cav. 10 Tue profits on that printing average
t,,s'aa .y Ssa's ~ Tue ool'ar a. portion Of it
s.haiss a1eiises !n1ca more put the average on the
Ja1i"e IGs " ~ 10 aoou1 thlr'S'hvc Gents On the
n ,r.s t, ..
~ ,.1;, - ~ ane1e eEer any understanding with
wv "hne you haa that printing that portion
" .ue l'1osts snonld ne used toward sustaining
tae organ: A. les, SIT; 1t vas given for the
purpose OF sustaining the organ.
~. vas tneIe evef any understanding be-
sou ana me L1esiaent as to what portion
=! LUG pron.s saonla 70 towards sustaining the
there vas d9es. aas1s,ao} sanot
Y. Ihere wasno distinct sum fixed upon out
OH o. ths , psohtss A: 10, Sir; the understanding
was taat Tue paper should 80 on.
y; and that that patronage should supportit:
a; Icy, s''' never hao anythinS to say about
eort'nS II.
IRON. written statement submitted to tile
COMMITTEE " DIT: Wendell, it appears that the
aee'esate amount paid tor printing, binding,
ETC., " congress. IN tic last six years, was
S4Gs,G55.l9. or yearly average Of nearly
S.oo.UV: IN ?dditlon to ths, the printing done
ElNHEnY1Fa 1anAFffHats@ IF In
men. aa uul'ng Tue saa1e s1x years, amounted to
so'4'..S 20. Inc Proht On this work ranges
from 81 70 'oper cent, averaging SO per cent.
a. least; tlsat Is to say, the work done for those
si1 Years mas cost tue Gosernment just 81, ,91s,-
'!y:'o more fhan It should hare done.
tor FIX years past, states, under oath: With
snch "a establishment as Mr Wendel's, I could
take the PRINTING aud do it for fifty eents on the
aollar: anu make money; as an evidence Of that
iact, ar. !:afcombc and myself have offered to
10 II LOT a1r. Wendell, IN case be got the whole
o. o. u, 10. % so.is eea.s On INC dollar, and at taat
Iate We "oula nave neen aole to make feW
eo!arS.
Mr- Leteomoc, also practical printer, states:
~ snou'a oe very glad 10 have the opportunity
to 90 Tue Government work at so percent"
un thc prices now pad:'
es: sif.
Coala you not GO 1t at 80 per cent. on the
priee now pa'i!
hf; hnsnsn md myself offered to do it for
"enaelt lot %l'at:
at, GcorSe ~ bowman, late Superlntcnd-
cut OF Tue Public Printing: thus explains to the
eo11aaN1fe one source Of theseitnmeusc profits:
', nnen was appointed superintendent Of the
lnolie lr1ntng, discovered that about 900
year were na'a LOT what Is called double
co1nposllton; that is 10 say, 4 Primer was
e;ectcd Tor the Senate, and Il Printer for tic
monse: ana " power o. attorney their rights