The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1874-03-12
Va read lho State Journal more close

y than any one Of our exchanges because
itisgeucralIy regarded as the organ Of the
Radical party 10 this State. We fnl its
editorials, as we'll as selections from Other
papers 10 use mild EXPRESSION aJcunliug
10 inaccuracies, and while wO do not wish
to court controversy, justice 10 the party
which We represcf, aud desire to keeE
our readers correclg informed, make it I
duty that VIC should notice some Of its mis-
representations. NoloDger than last weel
We called attention to q mis- statement con
corning the houeseadHaw, and in this ar
ticlo We shall show that the journal, il
dealing with the subject Of awarding The
Public Printing, has again oTcrreached
itself. The assertion i, boldly made that
the Governor has been stripped Of bi,
power, the constitution violated, and lhc
duty Of accepting or rejecting the propo
sails bns been taken from bis EzcclleDcy
and conferred upon the Attorney General
By reference to the law it will be seen that
10 the case Of un original letting the Gov.
ornor has been deprived Of no power, but
upon 70 letting, the Commissioners
Of Public Printing may award the
contrac. without tue Governors apprO.
val, aud the only condition precedent to
its taking effect is that the bond Of the
contractor, or contractors, shall be npPro.
we'd as sufficient by the At,Orncy.Geueral,
This is the only requirement made Of that
officer, He has nothing whatever to do
with the proposals
Tho Legislature seemed very unwilling
q! frst 10 amend the law Of the FIRST sess.
ion, and as evidence that there was no dis.
position merely to strip the executive Of
his authority, au opportunity was afforded
him after the commencement Of the scss-
ion to re-et tic contract, but he failed to
do so, aud that too, without sufficient
making it apparent, that The interests Of
the State in the matter Of the Public
Printing would suffer unless the Lcgsla.
ture should enact law giving vitality to
that provision Of tho constitution requiring
lbstsartrsal shouldlbn lSt to- the low
eli Responsible bidder.
twill be borne in mind that these com
missioners, whose duty it is to receive pro
posals, are no less pcrsonages than the
Auditor, Treasurer, and State Superin.
tendent Of Free Schools, gentlemen who
we're elected to their respective positions
by majority Of the voters Of this State,
and yet, they are not to be trusted with
the simple duty Of awarding contract,
without the assistance Of the Governor =
To show how difficult i! is under the pres.
cut law to commit fraud, when contract
has been awarded, it is made the duty Of
the Superintendent of Public Printing,
who is the Secretary Of the State ito ex.
anime, estimate, and determine the value
Of oil work done by the contractor" aud
no bill is to be paid unless accompanied by
the official certificate Of the Superintendent.
He is also required to make report in
writing, sustained by bis affidavit, to the
Auditor. The contractor for printing has
also to verify his bills or accounts by his
own affidavit, and any contractor "who shall
falsely swear to the correctness Of aOy bill
or account shall be guilty Of perjury, and
punished accordingly, aud shall moreover
be liable upon his bond for any money be
may have unlawfully drawn from the
treasury" 1t will be seen that every
conceivable safeguard has been thrown
around the law. We hold that the only
material points for the Governor to have
considered we're, whether the bond given
was sufficient, and whether the contnc;
had been fairly awarded The trainers OIL
'the constitution seem to have appreheudcd
that some embarrassment might grow ouI
Of this power lodged in the Governor eth
er from captiousuess on bis part or some
other cause, and they acted wisely in
adopting the following: "but all such con
tracts shall be subject to tue approval o.
the Governor, and in case Of his disappro,
val Of any such contract, there shall be Q
re.lc,tiug Of the same in such manner a.
may be prescribed BY lav." This would
seem clearly to leave the manner of the re
letting entirely within tho power of til,
Legislature: but to rive more latitude, ",