Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-05-17
FORTY-FOURrH CONGKESs.
Cz0sing PROCEEDINGS Yssfer6o.,

nr. sargents Chinese immigration bil
Affairs. - -
The doors were then closed. and tho sena,e
pIoceedeo 70 the consideration of the Belknap
The Senate remained with closet doors nm.
I'll 5;lo p. m, when 10 adjourned.
aOUsE-After our report Closed
Mr. Vance lOhiol explained the
REPORT ON THE GovERNMKNT PRIMITIVE
and said the committee had examined n larye
number OF witnesses, and had discovered the
In the matter Of purchase Of material the
public money was deliberately sQuandereI.
and no effort was made 10 ascertain where
me material could be purchased cheaply.
Even when manufacturer was found who
would sell cheaply the Congressional printer
would not avail himself OF the Information
In regard TO the purchase OF paper, he said
that the evidence showed that he paid the
highest rates when he could have got AZ
cheaper in the market One reason OF the
great cost was on account OF the purchase
through middle men.
Mr.. Vance then proceeded 10 explain the
provisions of the bill recommended by the
committee, and said the object OF vesting
the appointment in the President was 10
make the government printer responsible TO
the House as well as 10 the Senate, for he
low claimed that he was not amenRble to
the House, as he was an officer OF the Senate.
lie wanted TO say, In conclusion, that In the
last seven years The sum OF Sill 90l 5000 had
been appropriated for the government print
ing office, and II bad cost the government
over S5o0. eco a year more than IL should have
cost. In conclusion, Mr.. Vance said that the
committee had called all the witnesses sug-
gested by Mr.. Clapp, except one class, and
called, because IL they mad exposed the fraud
their dismissal would have followed.
Mr.. Ballou Or. -, from tie minority OF
committee, submitted
MINORITY REPORT,
10 the effect that the House had no jlrisdic-
tl0n, as the Congressional Printer was an
ofhcer OF the Senate, and the constitution
officers. The inquiry ordered by the House
had not in view the Impeachment or punish
ment OF the Congressional Printer, but was
simply 10 inquire In relation TO the cost of
the work done by him. He felt bound TO dis
sent from the views of the majority, SO far
as any censorious criticism was concerned
DE denied that there was anything 10 show
OF dollar. Congress made specific appro-
prtations for the printing OF each depart
ment, and when that was exhausted the
printing for that department ceased. As to
the extravaganza in the purchase OF mate
rial, that was question on which there was
difference OF opinion. He could not divest
his mind Of the fact that the object of the
majority was 70 give the profitable printing
OF the Record again TO Franklin Rives at an
advanced price, and that, too, without COM
petition. He therefore felt bound TO differ
from the conclusions of the majority OF the
committee. He denied that the Congression-
al printer was responsible for the charges for
extra work. AS TO the charge OF incompe-
tency, that was disproven by the character
he then took up the other charges OF the m a.
Ior1ty ser1atim, and denied that any absolute
fraud had been proven. He could not come
TO any other conclusion than that Mr.. Clapp
was an honest, upright public servant, and
one who deserves the support and encourage
ment OF the House rather than its censure;
and one OF the worst evils that could occur
would be to abolish the Government once
Mr.. Singleton lMiss.l said the committee
had met with difficulty at every step on ac-
count OF the chaotic condition OF the govern
ment once. There was no system of book
keeping there and conseq uently the accounts
could not be properly examined. The duty
the committee had TO perform was by no
means pleasant one. He, as q matter OF
duty, had gone into this investigation, and
as a result he felt bound TO prefer the fol-
lowing charges against the Congressional
Printer, viz: First. Want OF proper qualifi-
cation and total tncompetency. Second.
Gross and objectionable malfeasance In Of
nee, which resulted In great and serious Loss
TO the government. Third. EmbezZ lement
Of the funds OF the United States. For the
first charge he should be summarily dis
missed; for the second suit should be brought
on his official bond, and the money OF which
the United States had been defrauded should
be recovered, and for the third he should be
impeached by The Senate and subjected TO
criminal Indictment, and Mr.. Singleton then
proceeded to argue from the testimony that
his charges were well founded, and asserted
that Mr.. Clapp. among other wrong doings,
bad, in violation OF law, sold books 10 out
side parties without requiring payment
therefor at the time OF delivery, and that
some of these accounts had not yet been col
Iected.
Mr.. Ballou Or. - said that IL was well
Known that the chairman of the Committee
on Printing OF the Senate, after consultation
with gentlemen OF both political parties, had
authorized Mr.. Clapp 10 dispose of docu-
ments without immediate payment
Mr.. Vance (Ohio) said that applied only TO
EneGChaG N hsar
of Congress.
Mr.. Singleton was going on to say that Mr.
Anthony, the Senator from Rhode Island,
had given that permission, when Mr.. Gar
field (Ohio) raised the point OF order that IL
was not In order TO allude to Senator by
Mr. Singleton said that the name was first
mentioned by the member from Rhode Is
land.
Mr.. Garfield said Mr.. Ballou had not al
luded TO him by name.
Mr.. Singleton said that was untrue.
This caused great deal OF confusion; the
Speaker raped with his gavel; members on
se5 sds 20 tneiG Meet and MT Gar
what he uttered was untrue, and would not
submit to 1t. The little scene caused a good
deal Of excitement for a moment, but was
At the conclusion OF Mr.. Singleton's re-
marks, the previous question was ordered.
The question was first taken on the reso-
evidence in the case to the Criminal Court Of
the District, with view of Mr.. Clapp's In
dictment; which was agreed to-ayes 137,
nays "A; strict party vote, except that Mr..
Ainsworth (Tenn.) and Mr. Potter (Mich.),
democrats, voted no.
The next resolution, which directed the
Committee on the Judiciary TO inquire
whether Mr.. Clapp is an officer who could be
impeached under the constitution, was also
adopted, without division.
The next resolution proposed to change
existing law by tnstructing the Committee
on Appropriations to insert clauses in the
sundry civil appropriation bill vesting the
appointment OF printer in the President,
regulating the manner in which work shall
be done for the departments, and authoriz-
ing a contract of six years TO be made with
Franklin Rives for the prirtin OF the Re
cord.
Mr.. Holman wanted to have the resolu-
ton modified so as to request the commit
tee, and not instruct them; but objection
was made.
Several gentlemen objected to them on the
ground that they proposed To make direct
contract with an Individual.
The result was, that the last resolution
was recommitted to the Committee on
Printing.
Mr. Piper (Cal.) introduced a bill to re-
strict the emigration OF Chinese into the
United States. Referred.
The House then went into Committee of
the Whole on the Post Office Appropriation