The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-03-04

except two of whom were produced by
the prosecution. The testimony was in
many particulars conflicting. Scarcely
any two agreeing as to what would
have been proper compensation to the
Public Printer for this work, many
witnesses claiming that it should be
paid for at book or pamphlet rates
others, and perhaps the best informed,
claimed that the Public Printer
could charge therefor at custom:
airy job rates. which would
be higher than book or pamphlet work.
The evidence failed to satisfy me that
there are any customary job rates for
prioting in Charleston, or if so to show
what they are. 1t was in proof by the
former Public Printer and Others, that
the class of work named in the specifi'
cations to the charges had always, since
the formation Of this State, been pail
for as job work, and at a rate char. led
Tor similar work done at the same offic",
for individuals and corporations. 1t
was also in proof that Mr.. Walker s
charges for work done for the State was
according to his rates for job printing at
the same office for individuals. The
investigation OF this subject has con-
WINGED every member OF this committee
that the law is vague and uncertain,
and it should be amended. In my
opinion the committee could come 10
no other conclusion than that these
charges were not sustained, that book
and pamphlet prices should not control
the rates for printing the nineteen bills
named in the charges; finding at the
same time that Mr.. Walkers charges
for this work exceeded the price paid
his predecessor for similar work, and
recommending that a committee be
appointed to sit in vacation and exam
inc all OF the accounts and vouchers OF
the Public Printer.
The gentleman from Monongalia by
implication, if not in 90 many words.
charges that the majority of the Judi
ciary committee shirked the investi.
CATION of the charges against the Pub.
lie Printer. Sir, | here reply that, to
say the very least, be is mistaken. The
resolution submitted by us with our
report provides for an investigation OF
the whole subsection full, thorough
and fair investigation-not OF these
charges simply, but of all matters con-
nected with the public printing OF this
State.
Mr.. Speaker, the Judiciary commit
tee for the last two weeks, and since
these charges were referred, has been in
session all Of the time, day and night,
when its members were not detained
upon the floor of this House; and the
committee has given this subject prefer
ence over other and important matters
referred to it; and it was unanimously
agreed to first take up and investigate
the specific charges, reserviug the right
to 20 outside the specific charges in case
it deemed it necessary to do so, after
these charges had been fully investi-
gated, provided, however, there re.
manned sufficient time before the close
Of the session.
The committee has made full in
ves.igation OF such charges, concluding
the same this very morning, and only
the second day previous to the day OF
adjournment, as fixed by law. No time
was left to further investigate, and we
presume that no person in this House,
or acquainted with the ]abors OF this
committee, and what we have gone
through with. the time and labor be-
slowed upon this investigation, will
claim that the committee has idled
away any time, or could have concluded
and reported at an earlier day. The
gentleman from the county Of Monon-
gala, who has made the minority
report, must admit this; none know it
better than he. This gentleman, only
this morning, moved the committee to
proceed further and investigate matters
outside of the specifications to the
charges. He, at the time, well knew
the committee could not do it; that so
TO do would result in a failure to make
any report OF have any action taken
this session. Could this have been his
ohject2 Twill ascr,be to him no impro-
per motives, neither charge him with a
desire to make political capital.
No further investigation could have
been made this session, or can be, unless
the session be extended for the purpose
at an enormous expense to the people.
To have extended The range OF our in,
vestigation so that we would have been
unable to report, or 10 have extended
the session, would have placed US under
the plum Of not having done our duty;
or il an extended session. not for one
week only, as the gentleman claims
would be sufficient, but tor perhaps
month. Noperson knows better than
he how tedious such an investigation is.
don't desire to be understood as
taking the part OF Mr.. Walker. l don't
know that he needs or desires any as
sistauce from me. am onl y trying to
do my duty to him and the people as
one Of the humblest representatives Of
the people, not in partisan sense, for
l scorn the idea of being influenced in
the least in this matter from party or
personal considerations.
| do not desire to be understood as OF
posing a further and full investigation
of the matters referred TO in the minority
report, or as desiring to shift the respon-
sibility and have it done BY another
committee or the Legislature itself |
say distinctly, and challenge eontradic.
ton, that this committee would have
gone outside Of the specific charges had
there been time so to do. The minority
report scarcely touches upon the matter
contained in the charges and investi-
gated by the committee, but covers
ground entirely different from that over
which we travelled, and treats princip-
ally Of what might be the result Of an
investigation wholly different from that
made by us and referred to in the