, 1874-04-17
THE PRINTING FRAUDS.
Alt0rncy-Gcnc Etisali's Opinion
OIL tho Points Submitted.
The Contract Void at the Option Of the
State by Reason Of Frauds
in Obtaining 1t.

Pressworl1 Charged for Mt Dol-
blo tho Legal ltate.
Spteial Dfspateh to Tht Chfcaao Tribune.
srn1Nor1ELp, ILL.,, April 10.-The following ia
tho opinion OF tho Attorney General on the
printing contract:
GENTLEMEN: Your communication Of tho 3tst utt
was duly received With the slated Enclosures of docu
n1onts. whereby, In pursuance Of tho resolution
ndolacd by tic uouHo Of Representatives OIL tho 97
Of March 1ast YOU request my opinion on tho follow
Ing qucstions i. Whethor, by reason Of tho alleged
ffnd In obtaining the contract for public printing
tho State would be Justified in vodtng the eamo.
II aueh contract is yolabe at tho election Of the
ths Interests " q liz sase " woaia 10 1stes NV
tic hitter conclusion ~ bo ''rsx roachoj, you thon
direct my atention to the elns In thu report Of tho
thu contractors for pnbo printing aloyo tic naxt-
mum rates prescribed by law, aud request my advice
The facts found by the Committee on Public Print
lug upon which tue question Of fraud in procuring tho
contrse. IL prodicatc briefly as follows There
thu public printing at various rates less thnn tho
respectively aavo ito requisite bond approved
tssst.a tfsst in sssa l. Sas awsraoa t. hin: IL
out n 3 bid for e sast tSe s
md, to prevent competition. paid each Of tic other
anng s sssregao sns e aS to ths
not to put in tic bids They had Boycrally mato out
ny this means composition was avoided, and but ono
The Constitution, Art. SEQ. 2 well tho statutes
10 p fSaa Saer 70 %
That combination Of tho character above indicated
Is 50 coarly IN conflict with tue policy Of the law, a
dera acquired thereby no right to tho CONTRACT is too
plain proposition TO admit Of asgomont, ! story,
Sfss ss hs M Maae oh i e
Wooten '. I1inkle, - No., zoo.
Had Tic Commissioner Of Public Printing then boon
lad sesosteS to 10 scS u means poa''r to proyont w
tho atato lad lilo right to elect whether ii would treat
tho award Of the contract as void ratfy tho aac
aud hold the contractors bound thereby IT. nftor tho
discovery Of tho neans uFel to prevent competitions
tho 9tase, through tta Legislative and Executive de-
parmouts treated tho contract hnving valid exist
ence, and ordered public printing to 10 done therc
undor, this, III my judgment, would constitute
.... WAIVER OF THE HIGHT,
on rart Of tho state to dGnro the contract void md
The biddug took place August 20. ls72 aud tie con-
tract was awarded OIL tho 7th Of September following
dnto tho parties to whom the contract awarded
their assignccs, have 1ocn recognized tho rublio
printers, anu hIve received mud executed tho orders
for public printing issued from bo branches Of tho
Tho contract will expire BY Its own limitation in
tho law is doubtful at least whe,hcr tie riet haa
not been waived bY tho State To declare thu contract
void The now revision Of ntatucs IL required to ho
tako effect. 1n view Of al tho cireumstanceB think
II e not atviAobe to attempt to deelare Tho contract
Upon the matter Of charges above the maximum
rates prescribed III tho Inv, two questions nrRc, viz :
Era ho M number of pages constituting 9n "lmpEes-
MUM rsto If any, prescribed for prcss-work for tho
ah elasa of printing. Tleso qucstious viii bo
Tho second acctton Of tho "Act to provide for and
regulate tho Public Printing, approved April D. 1879
.ss. dws Of M 1s7 ol dvides saS r.ang int ye
= Frtias sa Ss.%ssa ID % .y 5ay IL
salno period, CAUSE 10 bs .published in at At
o spPsee oieiasp peora aucE III isa ' oa;ro ssis
and Quincy an advertisement, which advertisement
shall continue two weeks from thu date Of its rst
received ut Tho Office Of tho Secretary Of sato for the
execution of the sovosa classes Of public printing. IN
IT,. @ for tho ., Of two and
sud proposals to ho died in the olco Of tho Bccrctary
Of state or before the fourth Monday Of August
distinctly and specifically state tho price per 1000
sace f IN The for nmy or 81 Of sae
all prcss-work embraced in tho Arst second,
third, and fourth caases and tho prieo per Is ~.
Glass; at which tho bidder will do tho work embraced
In the class or caases Of thu printing covered by his
proposals."
Tho tlfth section Of tho act provides that "the
maximum rates Of printing done under THIS act shall
be na follows: pluin composition. 60 cena per l,000
sl20: presswork, 25 cents per 100 impressions Pro
pca That no job shall DO counted ut less than 200"
preston is not delned III tlia net.
Tla fifth section OF tho act OF March o. 1867 relative
to tho public printing 1es tue maximum ratSs there
Ing aliall bo a. follows to-wit: For plan work, TO
cents per 1000 ea: for agure or ro work, $lo5 Per
GsS and and ses % ees xs1 nr @ ca ' 1 I
tssa tEss s hss 'sas q r sny
blanks ordered at tho sao tme 81 por quire. ozeopt
ting When sald hanka ara larger thar sheet Of at-cup
or eons 80 ' p g. psrS
prices above slecl6ea for printing bianls. yhc1 said
authorized to aotto Printers accounta as heretofore
5 eross s9to tat ~ 1892 &c.,
Z ss ssssn !;
tSS of peoF to hs vocation e o
printers: II Wobater's Unabridged Dictionary We lind
the word token, ns used IN printing defined thus:
" In printing ten quirea Of paper in extra qro ls
added usually to every other token wlen countud out
Webster'a Dictionary wo find tho definition ot tho
word ns used by printers modified thus: "Teu
q.trea Of paper; white token a $50 shoots Of paper
printed on both Bilcs about ten and half quiros
OF tWcnty-fou Sheets"
III Tho prntors' prtcc-lss, !" which purports to boa
manual for the ege Of clerks an1 bookkeopera in job
printing Offices, by Theodore L. Doyinuo, und pull
llRhcd In Now York by Francs Hurt l. Co., In 1871 1t
Ia thus stated ~ AL kinds OF book and pamphlet and
prcss-work computed by tokens, steaa Ut thou
SANDS; prces are consequently ao for tokens ollly
the tuken az hero used is $50 Impressions Ay frac
tim thereof" As variouHy defined by Webster, u
token would consist Of aie or $50 shcets Of paper
printed OIL both sides, which is eQua! to twIeo thut
number Of Impressions. According to DoYinuc.
Il eonsista Of 25u ELECTS Of paper printed OH ono
adc 125 sleets Of paper, printed both Hjlos III
other words, $50 "imrrcsstona' II the word
"token" III regarded rs representing certain
her Of aleets OF paper printed oil both sides,
"token Of sixteen ragca must refer to Huch mum.
ber Of sheets. having eight pages on each eide OF OIL
each impression. OH tho contrary. II tho tes9-
mates certain number Of IMPRESSIONS then tho woria
"per token Of sixteen pages refer to such number
8j1tcnn Tho l1lilitfUu