The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-24
Abuses of the Printing Privilege Which Have
Tendency to Bring the National Legis-
lature Into Popular Contempt.
DR.. Garnctt TGstificstha Jefferson Davis
Was Loyal to State Rights.
Denial of Charge that Gen. Pemberton Was
Guilty of TreGchery at Yicksburg-
Capital Notes and Gossip.
THE SENATE.
EIr. Vest Di9nourses Concerning Abus
the Printing Privilege

EIr Vest DiGnourses Concerning Abuse Of
the Printing Privilege.
WAsHEGToN, Dee. 90 Mr.. Jones presented
a memorial from the Joint Commercial Associa-
tion, of New Orleans, protesting against ratGea-
ton of the Spanish treaty.
Mr.. Vest submitted a concurrent resolution pro-
viding that congressional speeches shall be
printed as delivered, with the exception of YER
bal amendments, and when speeches are with
held for revision for more than one week they
shall be printed as delivered Referred
Mr. Vest said the record of what was said and
done in Congress should be what it purported
to be, instead of being caricature, as it
to-day, in effect. The untruthful represen-
tations made could not but have a most
injurious effect, especially the young men Of
the country, when they learned that,
instead of speech being delivered to
full house, and in the presence of crowded
galleries, and with loud applause and immense
bouquets to reward the orator that orator did not
deliver the speech at all, but at the time Of its
supposed delivery was taking lesurely lunch
con in the congressional restaurant or placdlv
smoking in the cerh-Ioom This was becoming
SO well understood that it was touching the
sense Of public humor, and the opinion of the
country was getting to be that Congress was
nothing but a variety show where there was
nothing real but the pay He cited as abuses of
Congress who delivered ten lines of remarks and
then printed, as a part of his speech complete
copy of tie Constitution of the United States,
and another who printed as part of his re-
marks poem of ninety pages, entitled "T0 the
lmmortals, > and dedicated to Congress; but an
even more scandalous abuse was shown last
session, when a member after delivering a few
sentences of a speech supplemented them
with all the chapters on the tariff contained in
Mr., Blaines book, and had them thus printed at
the public expense Copies of that speech, Mr..
Vest said, were sold by campaign committee
at 10 cents thousand and distributed. under
frank, through the mails. Another instance
cited by NJ. Vest was where identically tho
same speech appeared printed as having been
delivered by two members. Some member of the
literary lobby had sold a copy of the speech 10
two different men.
Mr.. Hawley remarked that any copies Of
speeches sentout by campaign committees were
paid for.
MIR. Vest asked whether it was not true that
they were franked through tile mails.
Mr.. Hawley replied that he believed it the
custom of both political parties in distributing
copies of congressional speeches, TO frank them.
MIR. Hale called up the naval appropriation
bill, as reported yesterday by him from the com
mittee on appropriations, and it was passed.
MIR. Morgan, from the committee public
lands, reported favorably substitute for the
bill to forfeit lands granted the New Orleans,
Baton Rouge 81 Vicksburg Railroad Company.
Placed ON the calendar.
Mr. Van Wyck moved to make a special order
for Jan, 0, next, the bill heretofore reported
from the judiciary committee declaring subject
to State taxation lands granted to aid in con-
struction of railroad and telegraph line from
the Missouri river to the Pacific ocean, and to
which lands the companies were TO have become
entitled on payment of the cost of surveying.
Agreed to.
After an executive session the Senate ad-
journed