The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-10-31
Mr.. q. G. o'BRIEN EXPLAINS.

Mr.. q. G. o'BRIEN EXPLAINS.
In answer to Q short communication
from Secretary Owinss, Mr.. O'Brien
sends US . communication which would
gil two and half columns of our pa
per. With every desire to extend equal
aud exact justice to all. this is more
than we.can reasonably coacede or Mr..
OBrien has right to expect. The
communication of Col. Owings had this
extent, no more: He is the custodian of
the public archives, is the only official
responsible for the safe keeping of the
same, and has the sole experimenting
Of the publication Of such documents us
are authorized by law to be published.
Nine months after the adjournment of
the Legislature. there was no copy Of
the Journal of the House deposited
with the Secretary Of the Territory, nor
any publication of the same, and Col
Owings had been subjected to public
censure for neglect of duty in relation
thereto. In self defsnsev he addressed
. brief note to the editor Of this paper.
stating . fact (which has not been
denied. Mr.. O'Brien. the Chief Clerk
Of the House. whose duty it is under
the law, to write up the journal and
file the same with the Secretary, sums
up his answer to that statement as fol-
lows:
LIST. 1t was determined long ago that
the House Journal war not to be print.
Cd.
I'd. 1t could have been printed be-
fore the Council Journal had Mr.. Sec
tary Owings desired it.
Sd. 1t was not finally determined to
print the same until July last. and
since that time the public printer has
been constantly at work on it, and Mr..
Owings knows It,
Ath. Tho public psiutc, commenced
work on the House Journal as soon as
the Council Journal vas completed, ,
aud could not have done so sooner,
under the old arrangement. This Mr..
Owiags knows.
9Th. That the responsibility of it not
being printed attached to me is false,
and Mr.. Owings knew that ais, when
he cast it upon me.
The number Of paragr. phs above are
in the language Of Mr.. O'Brien, and
We are sorry be could not make out o
better case.
lst. With the determination If the
question Is to whether the Journal was
to be printed or not printed, Mr..
O'Brien had nothing whatever to do.
Cd. The Secretary who alone had any
control over or direction in the print.
ing could not have it had printed before
it came into his hands.
Sd. 1t was not for the Clerk of the
House to know when the public print.
er commenced the work or when it
would be finished. That wss none Of
his busluess. and he was in no manner
responsible for the time or manner in
which the printing was done.
4th. Mr.. Owings bad no official
knowledge Of the progress Of the work
by the public printer, because the copy
had never come into his hands.
5th. Hths responsibility Of the Jour.
nal not being printed does not attach
to the Clerk Of the House. il attaches
to nobody. His responsibility would
end when be deposited his copy with
the Secretary. which he was required
to do within reasonable
time; ct most within two weeks after
the adjournment. - eli his predecessors
have dooe; and his delinquency. for
which he offers no valid excuse. WAS in
withholding.it for nearly year upon
the pretsnce that the public printer,
with whom he had no official relations
in that connection. was not ready 70
proceed with the printing. If he had
completed his Journal and deposited il
In the Secretary's Office. where it be-
loaged. within . reasonable time, that
officer would have been censurabls for
allowing the public printer to delay
the publication for all this time. Now
nobody il responsible for that delay
but the Clerk himself. and in the mean
time The public have hssn deprived Of
acosss 70 the records Of he Legislature
belonging 70 the Territorial archives,
solely because the Clerk Of tbs last
House neglected his duty. Mr..
O'Brien's case voald have stood much
better in public estimation had hs NOT
attempted to cast upon others Official
1 Sn1sunwa.>~- ..sAk -ks>h H. 4. 49,