The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-26
THE PRINTING INQUIRY.
REPORT or THE SPECIAL JOINT COM.
MITTEE APPOINTED To HIVES.
TIGATE THE ACCOUNTS OF
THE STATE PRINTER.

ImE , TATE E8hNIEhs
A Complete vindication Of that OnIciai
ON the Charges MADE Against Min
The Committee Find the work Faith
fully and Correctly Performed. and
DriBg In . Eli for Relief.
The following report was presented In the
Senate and In the House Of Representatives
during yesterdays session:
Rooms OF SPECIAL JOINT COMMITTEE TO
Investigate ACCOUNTS OF the state Printer.
New Orleans, January Is, 1879.
To the Honorables the President Of the Senate,
the Speaker Of the House Of Representa-
tives. and Members OF the General As
sembly:
Your Special Joint Committee, appointed to
investigate the accounts Of the State Prin-
ter, under the following concurrent resolu-
ton Of your respective bodies, to wit:
"Resolued, That special joint committee
OF the House and Senate be appointed by
the presiding officer Of each body, to be
composed OF five members OF the House and
three members Of the Senate, whose duties
1t shall be to investigate the accounts Of
the State Printer for the year 1878. and to
ascertain what exact amount is due to said
State Printer; said Joint committee to have
power to send for persons and papers, and
to that end they are hereby vested with
the power Of compulsory process"
Beg leave to report that, after close
examination OF witnesses, most Of whom
were experts in printing and job book
printing work, to wit: Col. Gerard Stlth,
foreman Of the New Orleans Pcay,,ne
news Office, and J. s. Walker, Of the New
Orleans Picawne Office, practical job
printer OF thirty years experience, have
come to the following conclusions:
That the State Of Louisiana, through the
Printing Board organized under act No. 40 Of
1877, and composed Of the Governor, Lieuten-
ant Governor, Speaker Of the House Of Repre-
sentatives, two members OF the House OF Re-
representatives. and two members Of the Senate,
did, on the third day of December, 1877 enter
into written contract before w. J. Castell,
notary public In this city, with George W.
Dupre, OF the New Orleans DEMOCRAT, said
G. w. Dupre having been elected State
Printer by said Printing Board, as provided
for by said act No. 40 of 1877.
This contract, under section Of said act
No. 40, was for period Of one year, or until
another contract could go into effect.
The Printing Board, at meeting held on
or about the thirtieth of November, 1877,
received and adopted the following report
made by committee OF two members of
said board (which committee had been ap-
pointed by said board, as follows, to wit:
NEW ORLEANS. November 30, 1877.
Mr.. President and Members State Printing
Board:
Gentlemen Your committee on prices
beg leave to submit for your consideration
the accompanying exhibit, showing the prices
allowed the Public Printer under former adj
illustrations, as well as those allowed by
existing laws, the figures kindly furnished
by several able and experienced job printers,
together with the deductions Of your commit
tee in the matter.
In submitting their report your committee
desire to say that their estimate Is calculated
on strict cash basis, and an advance on the
prices 80 fixed, which may be proper to make
In the event that the State should be unable to
pay In cash, they prefer to leave to the judy
ment and discretion OF the board as a whole.
Your committee in closing their report,
desire to return thanks to Mr.. F. Limet, OF
the Bee, and Messrs V. Mauberret, Lewis
Graham, F. F. Hansell and William J. Ham,
mond, practical printers, for the valuable in
formation and assistance 80 cheerfuily ex-
tended by these gentlemen to them.
Respectfully submitted,
LOUIS LEoNHARD.
J. M. LAMARB.
Your committee find that the State Of Lou
isiana, through Its agents, "the Printing
Board" has not complied with the plain con-
dition Of the contract entered into with the
said State Printer, to wit: the strict cash
basis.
Your committee find that instead Of $4,000
cash, which he should have received under
the contract at various times as the work
was delivered, the State Printer has received
only nineteen hundred dollars In cash, and has
now in his possession s4O,1O Of Auditors
warrants, issued to him from the twenty
fifth of March, 1878, to the last day of October,
1873.
Your committee find that of all the bills
rendered by the State Printer for work duly
ordered by the various heads Of the Executive
Department and by both branches OF the Gen.
eral Assembly. only one was at all questioned,
that one being bill for printing and binding