Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.

DEBATES OF CONGRESS. 251 JANUARY, 1834.] Appropriation Bill-Origin of Book Purchases for.Members. [SENATE. were too large, or too small, he did not pretend had subsequently crept in, one of which was to to say. He had no doubt that they were large bestow the patronage of Congress on a variety enough, and he should be content with any or- of works, political and otherwise. A man who der which the Senate might take concerning had on hand a large stock of copies of a book them. But he wished to call the attention of which he could not throw in the market, could the Senate to the clause which had been stricken come here, and through the influence of a friend out by the Senate, and which he asked the Sec- in one of the Houses, ask for a subscription, retary now to read. [The clause having been the advantage of which was exclusively to himread, Mr. WEBSTER resumed.] If the Senate self. And thus Congress were made the puragreed to retain this clause, so let it be. His chasers of a great many bad books, which were disposition was, to adhere to the amendment by thus thrust upon the public. Another abuse which it had been stricken out. A similar pro- was the application of this fund to enable pubvision to this had been in the bill for some lishers to get up new works, which could not years, and such was its inconvenience, and the be published without the aid of Congress. He impracticability of carrying it into effect, that recollected at the first session in which he was the officers of the two Houses had been cornm- in Congress, a large appropriation for the pubpelled to disobey the restriction. It excepted lication of Seybert's Statistics. This patronage works which were printed by order of the encouraged Mr. Pitkin afterwards to get up his House of Representatives, but not those which Statistics. Another subscription was made by were printed by order of the Senate. He ob- the House of Representatives to Gales & Seajected to the principle involved in the clause, ton's Register of Debates, by which an annual and desired to know why the Senate were not appropriation of $2,500 was made to sustain that to be trusted with the regulation and applica- work. This course of expenditure continued tion of their own contingent fund? If they for some years; until, finally, in consequence of were allowed to purchase what fuel they chose, doubts which had arisen as to the merits of the they ought to be also allowed to order the print- work on which this patronage was conferred, ing of such works as they desired. The clause this clause was attached to the appropriation excepted such works as were executed by the bill. He was of opinion that the clause was a public printer. He knew no such officer as the very proper one, and he hoped the Senate public printer. Each House made a contract would agree to retain it. He should vote with a printer, but there is no such officer as pub- against the motion to adhere. lic printer. The House ordered books with as Mr KANE admitted that it might be all true much liberality as did the Senate, but the House that the Senate had acted unwisely in ordering might pay for the books which they ordered, works. But he did not view that as the quesunder this construction, while the Senate could tion now before the Senate. The Senate has do no such thing. A member near him (Mr. ordered a number of new books, and the quesWILIINS) had recently moved for an additional tion was, whether the works which had been number of a work which had been ordered by so ordered, and which were in use by the Sena previous Congress, for the supply of new ate, were to be paid for, or not. He thought members. But if this clause were to be retain- that the faith of the Senate was pledged for the ed, the Senate could not pay for these books. payment of the works they had ordered, and So the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. PoIN- he could not see any other mode by which this DEXTER) had, at the instance of two of the could be effected, than by striking out this reCommittee of the Senate-the Committee on striction. There appeared to him to be no Public Lands, and the Committee on Private other mode than to hold on to the clause, by Land Claims —introduced a resolution, under agreeing to the motion of the Senator from which a compilation of the land laws was or- Massachusetts. The Senate had made up their dered. But the Senate, with this clause stand- minds that certain books were useful, and had ing in the bill, could not pay for them. Even ordered these works. On the faith of this prothe little map of Narragansett Bay, of which cedure, the contractors had gone on with the the printing had been asked, could not be paid publication of the works, and the Senate were for, and the gentleman from Georgia might bound to fulfil their obligation to pay for them. have spared himself the labor of opposing the He should therefore vote in favor of the motion order. to adhere. He moved that the Senate do adhere to their MIr. KING said, that he had for some time amendment. seen a disposition to squander the contingent Mr. FoRsYTH called for the reading of the fund of Congress, and it was this disposition clause which had been stricken out by the which had led to the introduction of this clause Senate. After the clause had been read, he into the bill. He objected to the motion of the stated that this subject had been before Con- Senator from Massachusetts, because it risked gress formerly, and he thought that the House the loss of the bill. It was not usual to make was in the right. Their object was to check such a motion at so early a stage of the proceedthe abuses which had been practised on the ings, and he regarded it as disrespectful to the contingent fund. That fund was created for House of Representatives. The earliest motion the payment of the necessary expenses of Con- ought to have been to insist: then, in case of gress, while the Houses were in session. Abuses disagreement on the part of the House, it was

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Title: Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.
Author: United States. Congress.
Canvas: Page 251
Publication: New York, [etc.]: D. Appleton and company [etc.]; 1857-61.
Subject terms: United States -- Politics and government

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Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.

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