New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-17
pcct that other members will be very careful to
preserve the integrity Of The Record
REFORMER BENEDICT COMES TO GRIEF.
cAusELEss AND vtxATIoUs DELAYs-AN INyEs-

"REFORMER BENEDICT COMES TO GRIEF.
cAusELEss AND vtxATIoUs DELAYs-AN INyEs-
TIGATIoN ORDERED.
WASHINGTON. Jan. l6 tNpecial)-Public Printer
Benedict's policy Of economy and reform has
begun to bear its natural fruit in the shape OF COM
plants from oil quarters OF veXatious ana unrca-
sonabe delays in the delivery of bills, reports ana
documents relating to the current work OF Con-
gress. The Committee on Printing to-day Drought
in its report in reply to General Grosvcnors reso-
luton to find out the reason why " The RECORD
is not delivered to members of the House until a
late hour in the day. MIR. Benedcts excuse In
brief was that there had been only three coses OF
failure to deliver 1.-The Record" two OF which
were due to the failure OF the Clerk Of the House to
furnish COPY" until q late hour and the third to
the fault of the Postmaster. The report Of the
Clerk showed that on one of the two occasions re-
fcrred all the copy was delivered to the Public
Printer at IL 80 p. H., and ON the other occasion
at 80 a. IN. In neither case therefore, was tho
delay in getting out rhe Record unavoidable
MIR. Benedicts predecessors found no difficulty IN
issuing the publication at the usual hour, even
when the sessions of the House did not end until
after 1 u. m. and a large amount OF copy was
necessarily withheld until u much later hour
..S inc greatest trouble is on account of the
delay in the matter Of bills, committee reports
and executive documents For example, the re-
port of the Commissioner of Navigation was sent tc
the Public Printer nearly Two months ago and not
line II Is yet III type, according ~ the state
ment OF Mr.. Hopkins, OF ILLINOIS, to-day. lie Is
member oi the Committee ou McfclahI Marine anu
Fisheries, which neeus the Information Contained III
that report Ino Committee Oh Kivers and liar
bors cannot proceed inteiiigenty with the prepara-
tlOn It's bill because ~ requires the report vi the
Chief of Engineers, and Oliy oneiourth OF 1T Is IN
type although the copV" was the Public
Chief Of Engineers for last year has not yet been
printed and bound. 50 Tar TINS session not SIN,
gle committee report on bill has been IN print ana
accessible To members when the bll to which IL
related was unuer consideration. VI about 5000
pubic bills already offered in the House. only about
1000 have been printed
1t came out in the debate to-day that Printer
Benedict. instead OF performing his plain duty by
printing the bills in the order III which they are
introduced has adopted the plan oil printing them
in the order required by certain lucky representa-
tives. General McCutcheon. of Mlchigan. SAID
that bill offered by him some time ago bearing =
number under 100 has not yet been printed,
while bills offered by certain other members and
bearing numbers above 5000 and 1000 have been
printed: When he asked for an exclamation he
was informed that the latter numbers were intro,
duced by members who had their Oils marked
special" This is another specimen of reform"
according to MIR. Benedict None OF his predcccs-
sors ever presumed TO take bill out OF its order
and make il special" at the request OF mem
Der. lie has no right to do So The best that nlr.
Benedcts apolocIsts could say in his behalf TODAY
was that his Office is overwhelmed with work. ana.
second that the appropriations do not Justify an
increase of force. In reply to this it was shown
that Congress appropriated all the money that Ben
edct asked for. and, second that the amount OF
current work is not large usual.
General Henderson. WHO is been for manv wears
q member Of the committee having charge Of the
River and HarbOr bill, stated that during his eXper
fence until Benedict became Public Printer the re-
port of the Chief of Engineers never had been de-
layed.
S. S. Cox said that Congress is to blame for
dering the printing of so manv reports and OF SO
much other unnecessary matter.
Mr. Faulkner declared that some of the docu-
ments now in the Government Print
ing Office the printing Of which was
ordered by the last Congress or its
predecessor, have become obsolete and worthless
The report of the Chief of Engineers for last year
was such document II promised last March
and has not yet been delivered. lie thought the
Committee on Printing ought to be empowered
to investigate the whole subject.
Mr.. Rogers, Of Arkansas became greatly excited
and denounced Republicans for attempting to
impcach the Administration" because they had
merely formulated and brought forward officially
complaints which are on the lips OF members OF
both parties.
Mr. Rogers's Indignation did not prove to be
contagious and his attempt to lug Benedict out
of the way under cover of the smoke OF partisan
yoey was a fiat failure. The result was the
adoption of Mr.. Hopkins's resolution broadening
the scope OF the original inquiry with an amend
ment directing the Committee on Printing to eX-
anime the pile of imprinted documents in the Gov
eminent Printing Office and report which, II any
of them, are not now worth printing