The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-23
CHAP. CCLXXXVII.

An act to further regulate the Printing of Public
Documents, and the purchase of Paper for the
public Printing.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep
reseutatives of the United States of America in
Congress assembled, That hereafter it shall be
the duty of the superintedent of public printing
in place of the reports of the executive depart
ments ordered by the act of June twenty-five,
eighteen hundred and siXty-four to cause to be
printed and bound twenty-five hundred copies of
the annual reports of the executive departments,
with such accompanying documents as the heads
of those departments may respectively select, but
not to exceed three hundred pages for the use of
said departments, respectively.
Sec 2. And be it further enacted, That when
ever papers relating to foreign atfhIrs shall be
communicated to Congress, accompanying the
annual message of the President, it shall be the
duty of the superintendent of public printing to
cause to be printed and bound, in addition to the
usual number, two thousand copies tor the use
of the members OF the Senate, four thousand cop
les for the use of the House, and two thousand
five hungred copies for the use of the State De-
partment, in place of the numbers ordered by the
act of June twenty-five, eighteen hundred and
sixty four.
Sec. 8. And be it further enacted That in the
publication of the report of the Secretary of the
Navy the detailed statement of offers for supplies
and of articles embraced in each class under con-
tract be omitted and in lieu thereofthe Secretary
of the Navy shall prepare and submit with his re-
port schedule embracing the offers by classes,
indicating Sucl as nave Uecil dcCcptcu.
Sec f. And be it further enacted, That 1t shall
be the duty of the superintendent of public print
ing at the commencement of each session OF Con-
gress, to submit to the joint committee on print
ing estimates of the quantity of paper OF all de,
scrptions which will, in his opinion, be required
for the execution of the public printing during
the coming year. The joint committee on print
ing shall then fix upon standard OF paper 1or
the different descriptions of congressional and
executive printing, and it shall be the duty OF the
superintendent of public printing, under the dl-
rection of the joint committee on printing, to
advertise in only two newspapers published III
each of the cities of New York, Cincinnati, Bos-
ton. Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington,
for sealed proposals TO furnish the government OF
the United States with paper, of the quality and
in the quantity specified in the advertisements,
and it shall be the duty of the superintendent to
furnish samples of the standard papers adopted
by the committee to applicants therefor; the
said sealed proposals to be opened before and
the award of contracts to be made py tne Jolnt
committee on printing to the lowest and best
bidder for the interest of the government Fro
vidcd, That the advertisement for sealed propo-
sails for furnishing paper shall designate the min
imum portion of each particular quallty OF paper
required for either three months, six months, or
one year as the joint committee on printing may
determine; but when the minimum portion SO
specified shall exceed in any one case one tnou.
sand reams the advertisement Shall state that
proposals will be received for one thousand reams
or more And provided further, That no pro-
posals shall be considered by the joint committee
on printing, unless accompanied by satisfactory
evidence that the person or persons making saiu
proposals are manufacturers or dealers in the de-
scription of paper which they propose to furn-
ish And provided further, That, in awarding
contracts, an equitable period OF time for filling
the same shall be designated and allowed by the
joint committee on printing, without whose ap-
proval no contract shall be valid: And prov-
ded That it shall be the duty of the superntend-
ent of public printing to incnde in his annual re-
port to Congress detailed statement of all pro-
posals made and contracts entered into for the
purchase of paper.
shall be the duty of the superintendent of public
printing to compare every lot OF paper delivered
by any contractor with the standard of quality,
and also to see that it is OF the weight contracted
for, and to refuse to accept any paper from any
contractor which does not conform to the stand-
ard of quality and is not of the stipulated weight
And in case of difference OF opinion betWeen the
tractor for paper with respect to its quality the
matter of difference shall be determined by the
Joint committee on printing: PROVIDED, Inat In
default OF any contaetor @ TO for in
the proper time, and OF proper quarty and
weight, it shall be the duty of the superintendent
of public printing to report the same to the JOINT
committee on printing il Congress is in session,
or to the Secretary OF the Interior it during re-
cess of Congress, and he shall, under the dlrec-
tion of the Joint committee on printing or OF the
Secretary of the INTERIOR as the case may DC, en-.
ter into a new contract with the lowest and best
bidder for the interest oft government, amongst
those whose proposals were rejected at the last
opeEing of bids, or advertise for new proposals
under the regulations before established; and
during the interval which may thus he created,
be shall, under the direction of the joint commit
tee on printing or of the Secretary of the Interior
as above provided, purchase in open market, at
the lowest market price, all such paper necessary
for the public service. For any increase OF cost
to tile government in procuring supply of pa
per for the use of the government, the contract
or or contractors in default and his or their secu-
rites shall be charged with and held responsible