New-York tribune., 1877-07-11
PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.
FITZHUGH's COMPREHENSIVE METHOD or EsTTMAT-
ING THE NUMBER on HAND-NEw CoSGREssMEN
UNABLE To GET BOOKS.

FITZHUGHs COMPREHENSIVE METHOD or EsTTMAT-
ING THE NUMBER on HAND-NEw CONGRESSMAN
UNABLE To GET BOOKS.
lBY rELEGRArH To THE rRIBUSE.l
WAsHISGToN, July 1O.-1he publication of ex-
D,orkeeper Fitzhugh's invoice of goods in the
folding-rOOm of tine House of Representatives, re
Gently, las excited about much interest among
those concerned as his famous letter in which he
annornced that he was Bigger Man than Old
Grant" Mr.. Fletcher in charge of the documents
has lust completed an invoice which has been made
up by actual count of the volumes and not by
rough measurement of all the records of books
which tie vaults contain He reports all books
ever delivered to him as either on hand or pro
pcrly accounted for.
It's asserted by Mr.. Flet cher that the account
which fitzhugh Land before the committee as an
invoice, wa6 the result of a rough measurement OF
great piles Of documents and not actual count; II
is also asserted in regard to Fitzhugfs invoice and
the discrepancies which he reported to the commit
tee that in cases where the records of the folding
room represent each publication consisting of several
volumes rs "A single unit that il one set he entered
IN his invoice the number which represented all the
volumes IN the sets. By contrasting accounts thus
differently kept, wide apparent discrepancy was
easily SHOWN. IL is also repJ;tei that IN one ease
where Eitzhugh had estimated the number
~
the nunbsr of volumes in the length and heighth ot
one face of the pile which exposed, and multi
pl ing the product by the depti 1t turned out on
removing the pile that matter OF fact, the books
hal only been plcl Ip ia front Of ID, of loose re
construction reports and that the number of books
actually in t.e pile was very mucn smaller than
Ftzlugl', estimate. On the other hand, Fitzhugh
declares that he can make it lively all around, and
saws he intends to do 80. Ii mas not been asserted
that Speaker Randall was IN any se2se Responsible
for tue irregular shipment of books, but Ftzhugh
Asserts that books were shppcd off by employees, in
Mr Randalrs name Ths story tle officers at the
foding-room also deny. Fitzlugh is putting on his
war-uant.
several of tho new mombers of Congress elect have
written To the officers of rh" il0use, asking for COP
les of public docu uneuts, bIt have been in formed
tlat the members 0f ths last Congress. having an
eve to business in the matter, 50 arranged things
tat their successors could ct 10 books until thcy
should arrive re- organize the Congress and order
some printed. 1t has always been customary tor
members of each Congress to appropriate such doe
meuts as might be assigned to them, and they
wore willing TO distribute. prior To the
meeting of tho next Congress, leaving any
documents which might remain after that to be DIS
tributed by their SUCCESSORS The XLlVth Congress,
instead of limiting the foragng season of old
members in this way passed AN act providing that
all members of the XLlVth Congress should he ell
titled to all books printed, or to be printed prior to
JAN 1s. 1875 aud that these documents should pass
through the mails free. Members of the next Con-
gress, who were not members Of the last, therefore,
cannot obtain a single document as matter OF
right until they order printed and the order is
filled.