The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-05

the legislature especially when We find In
section 2g12, II. g., an express prohibition
against printing any such reports In the State
paper. Moreover, this same volume OF
Legislative Documen has been printed In
the very same kind Of type used by me, In the
same style and measurement by every State
Printer who has preceded me since the pas
sage Of the act OF 1856. The State Library to-
day contains large number Of These volumes
for the different years. will produce, WHEEL
ever so desired the volume for 1857, printed
Just after tho passage Of said act OF 1856,
which act the then State Printer carried out
while serving as State Printer under the gen.
eral printing law OF 1866, which In Its pro-
visions and even in Its language Is Identical
with act No. 40 Of 1877, under which l, as
State Printer, printed the Legislative Docu-
ments, Session OF 1873"
The charge. therefore, that ! substituted
long primer for minion type. so rs to make
the volume contain more pages, Is based on
the grossest Misrepresentation ON the part
Of the experts OF the grand jury, and on the
mislnterpretation OF the law Itself. The
words manner and FORM" which occur In
section 26t3, Il. ST. were evidently construed
by my accusers to mean that l should have
printed all the documents contained In that
book Of 2ts7 pages In minion type and In dou-
BILE columns OF newspaper measurement. This
proposition Is simply absurd 1t was to pre-
vent this costly work that the Act OF 1856 was
passed, which specifically prohibits Its execu-
ton. (See section 2612, II. 81
nr-oF THE ovERCBAHaE OF rs CENTS, AND
OF Z CENTS PER PAGE.
The Printing Board In It's contract with me
In December, 1877. reduced, In several par
tlculars, the maximum rates established In
act No. 40 OF 1877. In the matter Of the print
ing OF the Journal In book form, the board re-
duced the rates fixed by law full 30 per cent,
for two reasons First, because In the con-
tract then being entered into, tho rate Of
compensation was computed ON strict cash
basis--as the minutes Of the meeting OF the
board December 1, 1877, will show. Second,
because the State Printer was to be paid for
this same Journal matter when published In
the State paper at the full legal maximum OF
seventy cents per square, which Is equal to q
little over SIG per column.
Now, In charging for these Legislative
Documents" had to select that section OF
act No. 40 Of 1877, which came the nearest to
covering that particular description OF work.
Nowhere In act No. 40 Is such work speci-
fically provided for as to the price thereof
Paragraph Q, section 10, reads as follows:
"For all description Of ,oork not herein spesi-
fed the State Printer shdH be atlowed not
more than the lo,Dest customary rates"
found this section too indefinite might
M oh s,ad ha ho v,ar
graph OF act No. 40. But finally deter
mined to bring my bill under paragraph 2,
because It applies to the compensation for
the printing OF the Journals In book form, and
the language OF section 2613, In my opinion,
clearly warrants that construction when it
says: "Al1 executive messages commune
Gated, etc. shall be printed and bound In q
separate volume In manner and form pre-
scribed for the printing and publishing the
Journals. and shall be designated .Docu-
ments, etc, and there shall be two thousand
volumes Of the same delivered with tho Jour-
nals.'" THAT Is, within sixty days after the
adjournment OF the Legislature). The same
grounds for the 30 per cent reduction In the
maximum price fixed by law for printing the
Journals do not exist, however, In the case Of
the printing Of these two Thousand volumes
Of documents moreover, the contract with
the Printing Board does not cover this work.
except In so far as the general provisions Of
act No. 40 itself Is made part CT said con-
tract-and said act No. 40 was In fact made a
part OF the printing contract; hence charged
the full maximum OF the law per page.
Iv.-THE ovERcHARaE IN THE ITEM OF EXTRA
RULE AND FIGURE WORK.
As to this charge. have submitted to you
my detailed measurement the so-called ex-
pert, H. W. Green, who appeared against
me before the grand jury. has furnished his
measurement. You have, as I understand
referred both calculations and measurements
to an umpire, Col. Gerard Stith, foreman
OF the Daily Picayune Therefore, l have
nauRht to do but to wait l trust / have
atisfactorily shown:
1. That sections 1857, 1853, 1859, 26if, 2612,
2613, are not repealed. Hence, I have law
full authority to print the work in dispute.
2. That this work was done, and properly
done, under paragraphs 2 and 8, section 10
Of act No. 40, 1877.
8. That have not overcharged the State.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE w. DUPRE,
State Printer.