, 1863-12-05

Il will be seen from the letter Of our Olym
pia correspondent, published in this issue, that
the Secretary Of the Territory, in addition tC
bis other responsible duties, is prepared to dc
the printing for the Legislative Assembly, albeit
that potential body has heretofore assumed the
small privilege Of selecting and appointing It.
own Printer. We learn that the material for.
merly used in the North Rest establishment
has been removed to Olympia, and that the
Secretary has actually contracted with 7. r,
McElroy Of that place to do the printing. The
programme is to keep the appointment Of Nc.
Elroy profoundly secret, and, by skillful wire
pulling, to secure his election by the Legisla.
ture, snd thus avoid the appearance Of an un.
warrantable interference with the privileges oI
that body. But to use homelY phrase, " the
cat is out Of the bag," " and the adroit coup d
stat Of the Secretary is destined to be nipped
in the bud. +
Its stated that the Secretary Is in receipt Of
instructions from the Department at Washing.
ton authorizing the course which he has taken
but VIC have simply to say that We will believe
this statement when we see those instructions,
and the correspondence and representation.
which have drawn them forth. While strict
construction Of the Organic Act Of the Terri.
tory may place the printing under tho exclu.
sive control Of the Treasury Department and
the Secretary Of the Territory, and would jus
tiy the latter in contracting for the performance
Of NE work, - 80 hssaL that - the cOnGury
practice has prevailed since the organization d
the Territory, aprecedent has been established,
as binding as law, and one which the Depart.
ment would not set aside except in very ex.
treme case, such as the election Of man
k1ovR to b opposed to all the pay measures d
the GOrnnmsnt, and sho would propose TO IA.
tts patronage Of that Government for The cup.
Pof Of a Partisan and hostile prss& The next
Legislature viii have majority Of sound Union
men; therefore the Secretary could not rea.
sonably fear that they would select as Printer
man Of questionable loyalty. II the design
was to save money to the Government, BY hay.
ing the work done at rates less tan those
usually paid. why have not bids been invited,
and the work given to the lowest responsible
bidder, subject to the approval Of the Legisla-
turei H-e
Tho Department has, at least on one occasion,
recognized the legal right Of the Legislature tC
elect their own Printer. Al one Of the earlier
sessions, Col. Wallace was elected Printer, bul
the then Secretary (Aiascn) declined to give him
the printing on the ground Of some iDformality
in the mode Of election. The matter was re-
fsrred to the Treasury Department. and ths
views Of the Secretary sustained, and thai
ofheer was instructed to give the work to th.
Printer elected at the last preceding session
until bis successor should be duly elected.
We have, perhaps, devoted more space b
this subject than It's Importance win warrant
but we hold L 70 be the duty Of . public jour
nalist % expose and hold up % cepsure al sucl
unwaTranted assumptions Of authority Is thai
Of which We now complain, and We trust thai
the matter win be thoroughly siitsd By u,
representative Of the people. We haven,
fear that the Legislature WIN tamely Surrender
privilege sanctioned BY long usage, and re
cOgnized BY the Department, or that they vii
be eajOlsd or forced TO accept ibe individua
whom the Secretary has detefmined shah b
their Printer, however bis rejection may inter
fere with the political aspirations Of any mar
or set Of men.