New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-05-22
WASHINGTON.
GOVERNMENT ADVERTISING.
DIFFERENT RULINGS OF Az OLD LAw-THE RIDICU-
LOUSY LOW RATES NOW OFFERED.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSEl

lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSEl
WAsHNGToN, May 21.-It has been reported
at several Of the departments within the last two or
three days that IN accordance with an opinion given by
solicorGeneral Phillips in August last and approved
by Attorney Taft the Government VIII not be
authorized TO pay commercial rates for advertising in
the newspapers either during the current fiscal year or
in that which begins the first OF July next The sec
tons Of the law which it is now held fixes the price to
be paid for advertising passed Feb 26, 1888, and
formed part Of an act regulating the fees Of officers OF
courts etc. These sections rcGnacted in the Re
vised Statutes ia the following words:
SEC s53. For publishing any notice or order required
hv law, the lawful order Of court department,
mentioned in sections 5,523, 3s2i, and 1873 title
Public printing advertisements, and pubic Nqca,
mcuts' 40 cents per folio for the first insertion aud 20
resaiou herein provided shall include the furnishing II
lawful evidence under oath OF publication 20 lie made
and furnished by the printer or publisher making such
SIC sd. The term folio in this ciapcr shall mean
100 words. counting each figure as word When there
are over 80 aud under 100 words they shall be counted
folio; but less number than 30 words shall not
be counted except when the whole statute notice OF
order contains less than 30 words
On the 81 Of June, 1854, AtorneyGeneral Cushing
having been requested by the Secretary OF State to give
him opinion touching the application OF this law to
the publication Of laws and treaties, made decision,
found in Volume 6, 502, Opinions OF AtorneysGen
eia OF which the following the syllabus The pro-
visions Of the OF Feb 90 1853 regulating the fees Of
officers which provides, among other things price for
publishing any statute notice order required by law
Of any court, department, bureau other person. or
any newspaper applies only to such publication in the
case OF judicial proceedings and not to the publication Of
laws and treaties by the Secretary Of State"
Taking this opinion the proper interprcia-
ton of the law, officers OF the Government
have been accustomed to pay commercial rates
for an Government advertising in tho newspapers.
In addition TO this, act passed in 1867 con-
tanned the following clause, which has been construed to
give 10 Government officers specific authority to pay
ordinary commercial rates for advertising ordered in ac
cordauco with law: The charges for such publications
cll! advertisement notices and proposals for con-
tracts for all the Executive departments Of tie
Government and the laws passed by Congress- ana
Executive proclmatlons and treaties shall not be
higher than such paid by individuals for advers-
ing in said papers, and the same publications shall be
made in each OF said papers equally as TO frequency"
In SIS the XLlId Congress- desiring to repeal 80 much
Of the act last quoted as required the unnecessary odycr-
t,amcat OF mail letting in the District Of Columbia,
added the following: And so much of Section 3o26 Of
the Revised statutes of the United states as refers TO adj
ycItiscmcns in newspapers be- and the same i, hereby
repealed"
The terms Of this act having been brough; to the at
tcution OF s,citorGeuer Phillips he decided that the
rcpnal of the act OF 1867 leaves authority for the pub
LEGATION Of Government advertisements IN newspapers,
except that conferred by Sections oj3 and SOL, quoted
above ana that the rates therein named 40 cents per
folio Of 100 words for the first insertion and 20 crnsper
folio for each subsequent insertion are the only rates
,vlcIr the Government authorized t. pay. This
oruiou IL will be seen. is in direct conflict with that
given hy Attorney General Gushing IN June lo5l four
months after The passage of the act In accordance with
soicitorGcncral Pups- opinion, approved by At''I-
GENERAL Tail a bills for advertising IN tc Interior
Department after August H. 1876, were suspended,
and none OF them have yet been paid at higher
rates than 40 and 20 cents per folio except
by special authority OF Congress. II is now un-
drs-tood that accounting officers OF the Treasury,
fu,yirc the opinion OF Attorncy-Gencra Taft propose
70 pl.s bills for advertising I'm an the departments only
on lc basis and %. The fixed in Section 1913 of the
I, spo statutes, except those of tine luitu Hul'1u'
which by special provision oi the act making aIP.-
rr4.isus for th, support Uf thc Indians iof thc next
-cl wear aUrr1.d The Secretary @! the treasury 10
nav thr expense OF purchasing goods ana supI'. ui-
flr contract the Indian service, including inc ihti-
Using, a. Iaics not exceeding commercial rates me
an o of this IUluE, unless % Is reversed $50" DE 10 close
The columns of AN respectable newspapers against NoF
rrumont .iyrr using, since no paper can aIoid To u
notices for auv Cf tho departments for thc iGc ou-l
iaaruiitc compensation OF 10 and 20 cent, loHo OF
400 vi,is. Tine amount of reduction IRON coinH.ICl"
RACES may hc better understood when d is cNpdlh l
ur condensation fixed uy Section ~@3 is only an"ul hNe
pcr cent Of tc OCULAR price charged by the leading New
| York Journals.