The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-11
Another Job.

After various previous attempts. job for
a round hundred thousand dollars was sad
-illnd on ms n rider to the Sunday Civil Service
Appropriav'~. act at the last session of Con-
gress in the follUwlns words
THAT the sum OF one hundred thousand dollars /,
hereby appropriated TO purchase OF the present owners
and proprioors the following property wit Twenty
I'VE thousand bound volumes Of the Congressional Gti.
forty thousand unbound volumes OF the o,,.,i,aa' CHR
forty sx thousand metal plates fr printing the Comma,
''"r Gf5s, twenty -four thousand composition plates Tor
printing tie Congressional Gte, the twostory nrel roof
brick building situate In the rear Of the GGls building
on Pennsylvania avenue and tr copvright Tor the com
plee work; Proriiei That the Public Printer the Score
tAry OF the Senate. and the Clerk the House Of Rep
TesentauNes shall examine the said property and shall
teruy to the Secretary OF the Treasury that Il In good
order and In accordance with the schedule submitted
before any Of the said money shall be paid p,ori,d
hoHor That said property, when purchased by the
United States, shall be placed IN the custody OF the Public
Printer, under the direction OF the Joint Committee on
Public Printing and that title said property shall be
approved by the Attorncy.GenoraL"
This formidable array OF words was evil
IDENTIFY prepared by an expert in legislation,
10 make the impression that valuable
property was 10 be conveyed for the large
sum stipulated TO be paid for a lot Of worth
less and Incomplete volumes Of the old GioJo,
tons Of which can be bought in the second
hand book shops of Washington and else
where for little more than the value Of
waste paper
or course the amendment originated in
the Senate; and when II was introduced.
Mr. HoAR appropriately suggested: 81
should like TO ask the Chairman of the
Committee If that is not rather an expcn-
Slye luxury in these hard times 500, 900 for
old GlObes?" Mr.. WINDOW was prepared
with his answer:
1T is endorsed by the Committee on Printing; but In
he second place informed and believe the iact
be, that uncss this property be purchased It can
never be otaned and there is large amount of very
valuable property for the Government which can never
BE- replaced wiou, cost many time, than that
which 1t Will take To make the purchase now"
The Committee on Printing consists Of
Mr.. ANTHONY, Mr. SARGENT, and Mr.. WHITE
Tho first two are pretty well known by their
operations in the Senate. The last is an
honorable man, who may be deceived, ms he
was In this case, but who cannot be bought
at any price. The real engineer Of the
scheme soon appeared after Mr.. WINDOW
had played his part EFFIGY SARGENT came
forward with what he called "a very con.
denscd statement of the whole natter"
eight volumes, eighty three Of which, together with
Index volume have been stereotyped upou 30o plates
leaving twenty Ave volumes without stereotype plates
hut rh pfiatoi oiis 0fdR either bound unbound
The volumes comprise o,pts s,r, with various surplus
numbers, but anreg saaHt reprint would cqualze the
numbers ami portis hudtsn hu,dred complete ,ef'
Mr.. HoAR alone demonstrated against this
extravaganza; but his colleague, DAWES, of
Credit Mobilier fame, said 81 cannot but
be impressed with the idea that this is a
very rare opportunity, and hope the SEN
ate will adopt the amendment" 1t went
through without division, and the House
disagreed TO the added millions Of the SEN
ate In lump Two conference committees
settled tho business, and the House never
had direct vote on this job, which was
thus fastened on 20 the bill
After it was all over, story leaked ont
that S2I500 had been paid 10 carry the
scheme through, of which Boss SHEPHERD
and ono of his associates, it is said, received
$4,000 each, while the remainder was put
whore It would do the most good. Now.