The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1874-03-19


We regret that the n0n-appeannce Of
the Senate journal Of Tuesday was con-
stEued By some Senators as an act Of dis
cOurtssy on cur part towards that body.
We feel confident that on rejection those
construing our intentions in that light win
become convinced that they are mistaken.
On Saturday last q resolution was intro
duced 10 the Senate allowing each Senator
to take ten copies Of any paper containing
fair synopsis Of the proceedings OF that
body. Under this resolution, the sergeant
at-arms notified Us that one hundred and
thirty copiesof the STATESMAN wererequired
by the Senate. We At once called the at
tention Of Senators 70 the fact that the lin
tied number ordered would prevent US from
copying the journals in fun, but that we
would give fair synopsis Of the proceedings
Of the Senate, asrequired by the resolution,
and We had no reason to believe that more
would be expected Of Us. The printing Of
daily journal Of both houses OF the Legis-
lature Is no easy matter. The type-setting,
proOf-reading, making up, press work and
folding Of papers, keep large number OF
persons busily engaged from the time the
journals come into our hands, usually about
dark, the whole night, and until about
eight O'Clock next morning. BY reference
to our paper, Senator's will see that some
days these proceedings are very lengthy,
and contain reports from various depart
ments, and that Notwithstanding the great
labor, we have cheerfully and voluntarily
published the official journals in the STATES
NAN each day, and have. never failed to lay
the copies upon the desks of Senators du-
ring the forenoon of the day of publication.
It is regarded by many of the Senators
that our failure to publish was breach of
trust, but no arrangement or promise has
ever been made that we would publish the
journals Of either house of the Legislature,
and hence we deemed the informal notice
we gave several Senators as sufficient to
prevent any misunderstanding. When the
resolution referred TO was passed, we de-
termined 70 conform to its provisions, since
any other course would have been detri-
mental to cur interest. The one hundred
and thirty copies of the STATESMAN would
bring us in specie about 81 so a day, and
we do not think, upon calm reflection, that
Senators will claim that from four to six,
sometimes even eight. or ten columns of the
paper, should be used for this amount of
compensation. We disclaim any evil inten-
ton, and simply refer to the resolution for
our course. Here it is in its original word
ing:
ResOtped, That the Committee on Con-
tingent Expenses be and they are hereby
instructed to audit the accounts for news
papers heretofore furnished Senators, and
that hereafter only ten copies of said papers
that contain a fair synopsis Of the LegisLGtice
proceedings BE- furnished to each Senator daily.
In addition to this we will state, that we
have been also publishing the journals in
book form up to date, so as to have those
of both houses ready in this form for the
members of the Legislature to take home
with them at the end of the session. On
Wednesday afternoon, after the discussion
upon our dlscOntinuing the journals of the
Senate in the columns of the STATESMAN,
we called upon the Secretary of the Senate
for the proceedings of the day to continue
said publication, and received the answer
that he had been instructed to deny us their
use. The journal Of the Senate, already, in
AL probability, more than half completed, is
thus stopped. In Justice to ourselves we
are competed To- give these facts. 40