peared before a competent military board, and if on examination were found to possess the requisite military knowledge, and by a suitable medical board they were found to possess the necessary physical strength for the performance of the duties assigned them, they were mustered into the service.

erous people will recognize their services and
provide for and maintain them in their mili-
tary pride and glory as a part of the United
States Army.

I deny that the Veteran Reserve corps are
inadequate to discharge the duties of any ordi-
nary post or garrison of any branch of the ser-
vice while the country is at peace. I beg the
country and this House not to disregard the
claims-yes, sir, the claims of these noble
soldiers. Let us maintain this organization
as an independent organization of the Army,
whether it consist of five or ten regiments. I
am not satisfied we need fifty thousand or sixty
thousand men in a time of peace to maintain the
dignity of this country. When I am convinced
that we do I shall vote for such number of
men, but not until I am. I shall want to hear
further from the Committee on Military Af-
fairs or those who have carefully investigated
the subject. But whether the Army shall
consist of twenty-five thousand men or fifty
thousand men, I insist that the Veteran Re-
serve corps, men who have nobly won renown
upon the field of battle, shall have their place
in the Army and shall not be overslaughed by
any opposition from any quarter, whether it
be under the guise of pretended economy or
by the regular Army or by any other interest
whatever.

Sir, those of this Veteran Reserve corps who now remain in service-many of them have been mustered out-are No. 1 men. They have been tested on the field of battle, and not found wanting. They are men of courage and experience; and I say it is a.slander upon a noble organization to say that these men cannot do half the service that can be rendered by men who have never seen service in the field. I say that a man with a cork leg and with only one arm, if he has ordinary ability in other respects, is as capable of doing duty at a fort or a military rendezvous in time of peace as any man.

I hold, sir, that this nation has some interest in caring for the men who constitute this Veteran Reserve corps. We have no right to muster them summarily out of the service, saying to them, "We are willing to give you a pension of $100 or $200 a year, and with this, you can, if you exercise ordinary prudence and economy, make your living.'

11

Mr. CONKLING. Will the gentleman permit me to ask him a question?

Mr. INGERSOLL. Yes, sir.

Mr. CONKLING. The gentleman has stated that, when this corps was organized, there was an understanding, in some way, or on the part of somebody, that it was to be a permanent organization. Will the gentleman be kind enough to state to the House on what he relies on making that assertion?

Mr. ELDRIDGE. As it is a glorious thing to belong to the Army, I ask why it is the gentleman was not heard of in the war?

Yes, Mr. Speaker, the Veteran Reserve corps can be pointed to with pride and glory by American citizens, for they have proved the defenders of the Republic against a wicked, inhuman, and atrocious rebellion. And a gen

Mr. INGERSOLL. Itell you I was required at home to take care of just such contemptible "copperheads" as that gentleman. [Laughter.] My services were required at home. If all the patriotic and honest men like myself had gone to the front such "copperheads" as you would have taken the country, and it would have gone to eternal ruin. [Applause on the floor and in the galleries.]

Mr. ELDRIDGE. I desire to know from the gentleman why he has not taken care of the copperheads?

Mr. INGERSOLL. I say that we have. [Renewed applause.]

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Applause in the galleries and upon the floor is out of order. Mr. INGERSOLL. I say that we have taken good care of the copperheads."

66

Mr. ROGERS. I rise to a point of order. Is it in order, in public debate to go to the country, for one member to abuse his fellowmember of the house by calling him a contemptible copperhead?

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair thinks it is not in order.

Mr. INGERSOLL. Yes, sir; if it is a matter of any importance, I will do so. Istate from my recollection that, at the time of the organization of this corps, it was so understood. I remember that I spoke with reference to it myself. I recollect that an officer of my own State consulted me with reference to the question whether he had better give up the business by which he could make a livelihood at home for the purpose of going into the Veteran Reserve corps. I remember that I told him that I supposed it would be a permanent organization, and that therefore it would be advisable for him to go into it as a lieutenant, the pay of which position would be sufficient, under ordinary circumstances to support him and his family.

Mr. ELDRIDGE. I wish the decision had been that it was in order, as he has not more contempt for me than I have for him.

It was my understanding, and I think it
was the general understanding, that that corps
should be a permanent organization. I know
that there are now in that corps men who aban-
doned their ordinary pursuits and professions
to enter this corps, believing in good faith that Mr. INGERSOLL. I do not care about
they could by the services which they would anything he says. It matters nothing to me.
render compensate the Government for its out- [Laughter.] I have been used to hearing their
lay in maintaining that organization. Does slang and their slanders for several years. I
any gentleman believe that those men would wish to say I did not personally call him con-
have entered that corps if they had understood || temptible, but his political party which has
that they were to remain only a year or eigh-embarrassed the Union party, which has en-
teen months, and were then to be turned off
that their places might be filled by able-bodied
men?

couraged the rebellion, which has done all it
could to defeat the Government in its great
struggle with the rebellion. I do call them
contemptible.

Mr. CONKLING. Does the gentleman put that question for the purpose of having it answered?

Mr. INGERSOLL. No, sir; I do not care to be interupted just now.

Mr. CONKLING. If the gentleman desires an answer, I would be glad to give it.

Mr. INGERSOLL. But I can answer for myself. It is a plain and real answer. They did not dream of such a thing. They supposed they were part of the Army of the United States, and that we would take a pride in them for the services they had rendered; that their|| organization should have the dignity and something of the éclat of the Old Guard."

rupting the proceedings of the House without the consent of the House.

Mr. ROGERS. Is that in order?
Mr. INGERSOLL. I think it is in order.
Mr. ROGERS. On what ground?

Mr. INGERSOLL. Because it is the truth.
[Laughter.]

Mr. ROGERS. Is it in order for a member to stand here and abuse another party? If it is, I am willing to have this out. [Cries of "Order!"] If there are traitors anywhere they are in the other party. [Continued cries of "Order!"] They are the disunionists today, and we are the only real Union men in the country.

Mr. ELDRIDGE. What is the ruling of
the Chair?

The SPEAKER pro tempore. That the gen-
tleman from Wisconsin is out of order.
Mr. ELDRIDGE. Why?

The SPEAKER pro tempore. For inter

Mr. INGERSOLL. I rise to a point of order. The Chair has decided a moment ago that

Mr. ROGERS. One point at a time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Illinois [Mr. INGERSOLL] will suspend. The gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. ELDRIDGE] raises the point of order that the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. INGERSOLL] was held by the Chair to have been out of order. That was so.

Mr. INGERSOLL. I do not doubt that. [Laughter.]

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The remark of the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. INGERSOLL] as applied to the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. ELDRIDGE] was out of order.

Mr. ELDRIDGE. The question of order goes further.

Mr. INGERSOLL. I rise to a point of order. Mr. ELDRIDGE. I insist that the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. INGERSOLL] shall take his seat until the House permits him to pro

ceed.

Mr. INGERSOLL. My time has not expired yet, I believe.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman's time has not yet expired. The gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. ELDRIDGE] insists that the rule shall be enforced, that the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. INGERSOLL] having been declared out of order shall take his seat until he is permitted to proceed.

Mr. BLAINE. I move that he be permitted to proceed in order.

Mr. ELDRIDGE. I insist that he has not yet taken his seat.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentle man from Illinois [Mr. INGERSOLL] will be seated. [Laughter.]

The motion that the gentleman be allowed to proceed in order was agreed to.

Mr. INGERSOLL. Suppose Jeff. Davis should call me a traitor, should I pay any attention to it?

Mr. ROGERS. I rise to a point of order. The gentleman is not speaking to the question before the House. Jeff, Davis has nothing to do with it. [Laughter.]

Mr. INGERSOLL. He may have, from present indications. If this copperhead party ever gets into power Jeff. may be one of their leaders.

Mr. ROGERS. I insist that the gentleman should confine himself to the question before the House or take his seat. He is not talking upon the question at all.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair sustains the point of order.

Mr. ELDRIDGE. I raise another question of order. The gentleman from Illinois [Mr. INGERSOLL] has no right to charge upon this side of the House that they are followers of Jeff. Davis, or that he is their leader. It is an

smith, and others, dealers in leaf tobacco and manu-
facturers of cigars in the city of Detroit, praying for
relief touching the tariff on imported cigars.

By Mr. CONKLING: The petition of Milton H.
Thompson, and others, of Utica, New York, praying
the passage of laws regulating inter-State insurances.
Also, the petition of several flax mills, praying that
a duty of at least fifty per cent. ad valorem may be laid
on coarse flax yarns, coarse linens, hemp, and jute
goods, and no duty upon foreign flax for fine fabrics.
By Mr. DAVIS: The petition of S. C. Gardner, Syl-
vester Gardner, and 34 others, citizens of Onondaga
county, New York, praying increased protection on
American wool.

abuse of the privileges of this House. I ask the Chair to decide that question.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair has decided the point of order raised by the gentleman from New Jersey, that the gentleman was not in order in the line of his remarks.

Mr. ELDRIDGE. Then I insist that the rule shall be enforced, and he shall sit down.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair has decided that he was not in order in the remarks he was proceeding to make. The gentleman can proceed in order.

Mr. ELDRIDGE. I insist that he cannot go on, when the Chair has decided him out of order, until the House again allows him to proceed.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman was not in order, was not speaking to the amendment. If he shall speak to the amendment before the House he is in order.

Mr. ELDRIDGE. Then my point is not allowed. I desire now to make another question of order of some importance. He has applied to this side of the House the epithet that they are followers of Jeff. Davis. I'insist that that is not a proper remark to make against members of Congress.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman raises another point of order, that the application of the remark to the side of the House to which the gentleman belongs, that they are followers of Jefferson Davis, is not in order. The Chair cannot decide whether that is in order or not. [Laughter.]

Mr. ROGERS. I rise to a point of order: that we will withdraw all objection and allow the gentlemen on the other side to proceed if they will allow us to answer.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Illinois [Mr. INGERSOLL] has the floor.

Mr. NIBLACK. I insist on knowing what the amendment under consideration is.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the amendment.

The Clerk read the amendment, namely,

to strike out the following from section four:

Of ten regiments, to be raised and officered as hereafter provided for, to be called the Veteran Reserve

corps.

Mr. INGERSOLL. I will do so.

Mr. McKEE. I only wish to make a single statement. So far as this side of the House is concerned there is a part of us at least who do not take any exception whatever to being called followers of Jeff. Davis, because we have never been considered as being in that line. A number of us at least have a record by which the country at large will not put us in that category. As to the gentlemen who are a little further over, that seem to have fears of such charges, there may be some ground for those fears. [Laughter.]

Also, the petition of Drs. John G. Shipman, Theodore Bradford, and 18 others, practicing physicians of Syracuse, New York, asking for a change in the internal duty affecting medicines.

By Mr. ECKLEY: The petition of 175 wool-growers of Island Creek township, Jefferson county, Ohio, asking an additional duty on wool.

By Mr. FINCK: The petition of Thomas P. Skinner, and others, citizens of Perry county, Ohio, praying for an increase of duty on all foreign wool imported into the United States.

By Mr. HARDING, of Illinois: The memorial of citizens of Rock Island county, Illinois, protesting against the permitting of disloyal men to hold office. and against the repeal or modification of the "test" oaths.

Mr. WARD. I move that the House adjourn. The motion was agreed to; and accordingly (at four o'clock and twenty minutes p. m.) the House adjourned.

Also, the petition of citizens of Mercer county,

Illinois, for a post route, &c.

Also, the petition of Joanna Winans, for a pension. By Mr. HUBBELL, of New York: The petition of brewers of the United States, praying for reduction of duty on barley imported from Canada.

By Mr. HULBURD: The petition of sundry inhabitants of St. Lawrence county, New York, asking a general insurance law.

Also, the petition of sundry other citizens of St. Lawrence county, New York, praying reduction of imports on certain articles that are used in compounding medicines, &c.

PETITIONS, ETC.

The following petitions, &c., were presented under the rule and referred to the appropriate committees: By Mr. BEAMAN: The petition of Oliver Gold

By Mr. INGERSOLL: The petition of 100 citizens of Putnam county, Illinois, asking for an increase of duty on imported wool.

By Mr. MOULTON: The petition of Mrs. Imogene

Mr. McKEE. I ask the gentleman to yield Buckingham, praying for the allowance of a pension

to me a moment.

By Mr, KELSO: The petition of citizens of Barton county, Missouri, for the relief of William B. Smedley, late postmaster at Lamar, Missouri.

By Mr. KETCHAM: The concurrent resolutions of the Legislature of the State of New York, in regard to the adjudicated claims of the militia of that State who served in the war of 1812.

By Mr. LAWRENCE, of Pennsylvania: Several petitions from citizens of Lawrence and Washington counties, Pennsylvania, for an increase of duties on foreign wools.

By Mr. LONGYEAR: The remonstrance of Alexander Monroe, and 1,262 others, citizens of Ingham county, Michigan, against an extension of the Amboy, Lansing, and Traverse Bay railroad land grant to the company of that name.

Also, the petition of A. B. Gibson, and 23 others, citizens of Jackson, Michigan, asking for the establishment of a Bureau of Insurance.

PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS.

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Chair has received and been requested to present to the Senate a petition numerously signed from the sixth congressional district of Iowa, setting forth that certain persons in the interest of the Des Moines River Navigation Company, a corporation that the petitioners describe as a defunct corporation, are interfering with and making certain improper allegations in regard to the extension of the Dubuque and Sioux City railroad. They assert that the continuance and extension of that road is of great importance to that district and to the State of Iowa, and hope that these allegations will not be credited by Congress. This petition, if there be no objection, will be received and referred to the Committee on Public Lands.

Also, the petition of R. H. Bristol, and 90 others, citizens of Delavan, Walworth county, Wisconsin, for increased tariff on foreign wools.

Also, the petition of Alonzo Potter, and 51 others, citizens of Lyons, Walworth county, Wisconsin, for increase of tar ff on foreign wools.

Mr. HOWARD. I move that it be referred to the Committee on the Pacific Railroad. I think it more appropriately belongs to that committee.

Mr. INGERSOLL. I was showing the necessity of preserving the Veteran Reserve corps, and in order to do that I was showing that from present proceedings and present indications the rebel power is liable to be restored in this country, with Jeff. Davis at its head.

By Mr. RANDALL, of Kentucky: The petition of
Leonard Casey, of Whitley county, Kentucky, for
pension for disability received in the service of the
Government.

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. It will be referred to that committee if there be no objection.

Also, the petition of citizens of Somerset, Kentucky, for a post route from that town to Knoxville, East Tennessee. county,

Mr. POMEROY presented the petition of William A. Carter, praying that he may be

Mr. ROSS. I would inquire of my colleague if he has heard of the result of the municipal Kentucky, for a post route from Beatyville to Thomp: permitted to preempt certain sections of land election at Peoria, Illinois.

Also, petition of

in Utah Territory represented to contain deposits of iron ore and bituminous coal, upon the condition that he construct thereon a blast furnace and foundery; which was referred to the Committee on Public Lands.

Mr. INGERSOLL. Yes, sir. The copperheads have a majority there, I am sorry to say. [Laughter.] There are some who have been pardoned and restored to political power who are as deeply dyed in crime as Jeff. Davis, his Compeers, and coconspirators, and I want to protect the country against such men.

[Here the hammer fell.]

or an

By Mr. NIBLACK: The petition of Owen Fuller and Ulysses E. Fisher, contractors on mail route No. 10648, praying relief from the terms of their contract. Also, the claims of John J. McGrew and R. H. Hoffman, for property destroyed at Lexington, Missouri, by order of the military authorities of the United States.

By Mr. PAINE: The petition of Thomas Kershaw, and 30 others, citizens of Milwaukee, for the enactment of a law regulating insurance in the United States.

Also, the petition of Jacob Olp, and 33 others, citizens of Geneva, Wisconsin, for increase of duty on foreign wools.

sonville, in said county.

By Mr. RICE, of Massachusetts: The petition of
John Ridgway, of Boston, that the Secretary of the
Navy may be authorized to make trial of his "verti-
cal revolving battery."

By Mr. TROWBRIDGE: The petition of L. Wood-
ward, and 22 others, citizens of Avon, Michigan, ask-
ing for an increased duty on foreign wool.

Also, the petition of citizens of Michigan, asking for the passage of just and equitable laws to regulate inter-State insurances of all kinds.

By Mr. UPSON: The petition of Walton J. Barnes, and 81 others, citizens of Quincy, Branch county, Michigan, praying Congress for an increase of duties on foreign wools.

citizens of Matteson, in the same county and State, for the same purpose.

Also, the petition of Martin Kinsley, and 50 others, of Ovid, in the same county and State, for the same purpose.

Also, the petition of William Chase, and 36 others, citizens of Kinderhook, in the same county and State, for the same purpose.

Also, the petition of Z. G. Swan, and 66 others, citizens of the same place, for the same purpose.

Also, the petition of David Stephenson, and 27 others, citizens of Bethel, in the same county and State, for the same purpose.

Also, the petition of Asahel Brown, and 120 others, eitizens of Algansee, in the same county and State, for the same purpose.

Also, the petition of John McNett, and 88 others,

By Mr. VAN HORN, of New York: Petitions from Niagara and Genesee counties, signed by 245 citizens, asking an increase of duty on wool.

By Mr. WARD: The resolution of the Legislature of the State of New York, asking an appropriation to pay the claims of the militia of New York for clothing, &c., who served in the war of 1812.

By Mr. WELKER: The petition of George C. Underhill, and 106 others, wool-growers of Lorain county, Ohio, asking protection on wool.

Also, the petition of D. A. Fenn, and 123 others, wool-growers of Ashland county, on the same subject. Also, the petition of Daniel Musser, and 99 others, wool-growers of Ashland county, Ohio, on the same subject.

Also, the petition of J. H. Dudley, and 55 others, wool-growers of Henrietta township, Lorain county, for the same purpose.

By Mr. WILSON, of Pennsylvania. The petition of the physicians of Tioga, Tioga county, Pennsylvania, praying to be released from tax on medicines, &c.

By Mr. WOODBRIDGE: The remonstrance of E. W. Stoughton, William M. Evarts, Daniel Lord, Charles O'Conor, James T. Brady, and 56 others, members of the bar, practicing in the Federal courts, against the passage of Senate bill No. 103, to reorganize the Federal judiciary.

IN SENATE.

TUESDAY, April 17, 1866.

Prayer by the Chaplain, Rev. E. H. GRAY. The Journal of yesterday was read and approved.

LIQUOR IN THE CAPITOL.

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. In com pliance with the order of the Senate directing the Chair to appoint a committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the concurrent resolution prohibiting the sale of spirituous liquors in the Capitol building and grounds, the Chair appointed Mr. WILSON, Mr. SHERMAN, and Mr. GUTHRIE.

Mr. HOWE presented the petition of Joseph W. J. Holmes, sr., praying for compensation for property destroyed in Columbia, South Carolina, by the United States forces under General Sherman; which was referred to the Committee on Claims.

Mr. WILLEY. I offer the petition of certain residents of the town of Martinsburg, Berkeley county, West Virginia, members of the German Evangelical church of that town, praying for relief for the destruction of the church belonging to that denomination by fire during the recent rebellion while occupied by

cost of printing is the increase of the cost of
paper, of labor, and of all the materials enter-
ing into printing. Paper has been two and a
half prices; I suppose paper is now about
double what it was before the war, and it has
been three times more than it was before the
war. The same is also true with all the mate-
rials for binding, although the Government has
not suffered so much as might have been ap-
prehended from this cause because the con-
tracts have been made at very low rates by the
Superintendent, and, as all his contracts have
been, made with men reliable and men of high
reputation, and they have fulfilled their con-
tracts in the most honorable manner at consid-
erable loss to themselves.

est economy should be used, and it is the determination of the committee to reduce this branch of public expenditure to the lowest point that is consistent with the public interest. If this resolution and the amendment shall be adopted, I am instructed by the same committee to offer another resolution reducing the number of these documents for 1863 and 1864 in like proportion. Those have not been printed owing to the great pressure on the public Printing Office. If the resolution shall pass as amended, and the other resolution which I shall offer shall pass, it will effect a reduction of sixty per cent., or of eighteen thousand in the whole number of copies.

Mr. President, in this connection I wish to say a few words for the correction of some mistakes into which the country and the Senate have fallen with regard to the expenditures for the public printing. The documents which are distributed are mainly the reports of the executive Departments that contain the history of the Government for the year. They are the reports which the trustees of the people render of their stewardship. They contain a large amount of statistical and historical information of very great value, such as all Governments have been accustomed to put into a permanent form. They must be printed. These great reports as they come to us in manuscript are of no use; they are not accessible; members of the two Houses of Congress must have them in type or they might as well not be presented to them. When they are once put in type it is comparatively little additional cost to strike off copies for the State archives and for public libraries; and the importance of that is very evident, that these documents may be accessible for reference, and that they may be in various places for preservation and security against fire. Then there is another temptation, when this is done, which is liable to considerable abuse, to print large numbers of copies for popular distribution; and the impression seems to prevail throughout the country that this practice is now carried to a greater extent than it has been heretofore; and it is to correct this error that I wish to call the attention of the Senate to the cost of public printing for the last year.

I saw it stated the other day, in a paper of very large circulation, and of very high character, that Pub. Doc." cost, last year, $2,000,000. The idea intended to be conveyed, and doubtless entertained by the editor, was that we distribute annually $2,000,000 worth of books among the people; and my friend from Indiana [Mr. HENDRICKS] the other day stated that the public printing had in some way risen from $200,000 to $2,000,000, and he seemed to call upon us for some explanation. This, coming from a Senator generally so accurate as my friend from Indiana is on all matters unless when he is talking on politics, is calculated to produce some impression on the Senate.

The cost of the public printing is undoubtedly a great deal larger than it was, and the reasons for it are too palpable to require more than enumeration. In the first place the country has increased. The same increase that the growth and progress of the country require in all other departments is naturally to be expected to be required in the department of printing, and rather more perhaps with a progressing and enterprising people like ours, because printing may be regarded almost as a type of civilization, and the more progressive a people are the more printing they will require. Then the war has enormously increased the amount of public printing. The printing that would answer for an army of ten or twenty thousand men that were lying around in barracks would be manifestly but a very small percentage of that required for a million men engaged in active operations all over the country, and very often in a large degree officered by inexperienced men who would naturally waste more blanks than an instructed officer would require for his use. A still greater cause of the increase in the

The Senator from Indiana spoke of a time
when the printing was $200,000 a year.
I do
not know when that was. The average cost
of the printing of the Thirty-Third, Thirty-
Fourth, and Thirty-Fifth Congresses, the three
last Congresses under the contract system, was
$374,000 a year. That was for the Senate and
House of Representatives alone-the printing,
paper, and binding. The whole printing now
for the Senate and House of Representatives
and for all the Executive Departments is not
$2,000,000; in round numbers it is $1,750,000
-a little less than that. Now, sir, let us see
how much of that is the printing of Congress.
The first item is for the War Department,
$484,000. That is something more than a
quarter of the whole.

Mr. CONNESS. Of course that belongs to
this period of the country.

Mr. ANTHONY. Certainly, it will not be continued; but for the present year it will cost a great deal on account of the mustering out of so many men. It is not an annual expenditure but it goes in to make up the $1,750,000 which is called two millions.

Houses of Congress, leaving out the paper and the binding, the printing alone is $125,311 46, against $192,782 49 under the old system, when everything was a great deal cheaper than it is now, showing a saving of over twenty-five per cent.

Take the printing alone, leaving out the paper and the binding, of which the prices have risen enormously-the amount now paid for the Senate is $50,000, against $67,000 six years ago, and the amount for the House of Representatives is $75,000, against $125,000 six years ago, the average of the six years preceding the establishment of the Government Printing Office. The whole printing now of both

No such documents are printed now as the Pacific Railroad Reports, the Japan Expedition, and the Mexican Boundary Survey. The Mexican Boundary Survey Report cost $80,000, and the Pacific railroad publication cost three quarters of a million. I do not know what the Japan expedition volumes cost, but the money that was expended on these three publications would have placed a good library in every congressional district in the United States.

||

The Treasury blanks, which are printed at the public Printing Office, I think might be printed more economically elsewhere, for printing is very high here, but there is a particular reason for having them all printed here. It is very desirable that the blanks should be identical; it is very desirable for the detection of errors and frauds that the returns which are made to the Treasury Department should be precisely the same, such as the clerks are familiar with looking over, all over the country, and many of them are printed in duplicate, one set being bound in the Department and the other set sent out, and when the returns come in it requires less clerical labor for the examination, and the examination can be conducted with a great deal more accuracy, and gives much better opportunities for authenticaring the returns.

I have made these remarks, Mr. President, because I did not wish to see Congress laboring under the imputation of great extravagance where it has really induced important economy. I need not say after these remarks that I consider the establishment of a Government Printing Office as a very economical arrangement for the Government. I tremble to think what would be the bills brought in upon us if all printing was done now by contract, if we were at the mercy of contractors for the printing of the various blanks and forms that have been made necessary during the war, the prices of which could not be stipulated for in advance; and I should not do justice to my own feelings and to a very faithful officer if I did not say that I think the Superintendent of Public Printing is one of the most economical, careful, and faithful officers that I ever came in contact with. His whole object is to reduce the expenditures of his department as much as possible, and to reduce the amount of printing ordered by Congress, constantly persuading us to do it, and also to print the executive work at the lowest price that is compatible with its accuracy and with the efficiency of the public service. The printing is done now a great deal better than it ever was before and a great deal cheaper.

The amendment was agreed to. The resolution, as amended, was adopted. Mr. ANTHONY. I am instructed by the Committee on Printing to offer the following resolution, and to ask for its present consideration:

The next great item is the Treasury Depart-
ment; that is $261,000. The printing of the
Treasury Department, of course, must be im-
mensely greater for a revenue of four or five
hundred millions, drawn from every depart-this
ment of industry and almost every department
of life, going in and counting a man's silver
spoons and requiring returns of them, than it
was for an income of $80,000,000 drawn from
customs. This item of $261,000, instead of
diminishing will doubtless increase, because
the internal revenue increases, and as the
southern States are becoming objects of taxa-
tion a large amount of printing will be required
for the revenue officers there, for, I believe,
whatever differences of opinion may exist
about admitting the southern States to a share
in the representation, the blackest Republican
does not mean to deny them the blessings of
taxation. The printing for this Department,
therefore, instead of diminishing will increase.

Another item is the Post Office Department,
which is more than $100,000. The Depart-
ment of Agriculture is $45,000; the Judiciary
is $28,000; the Interior Department is the
modest sum of $25,000. All of these sums I
have no reason to doubt are necessary and the
amount is economically expended. This re-
duces the cost for Congress alone, for the two
Houses, for the printing, paper, and binding,
to $690,000. The cost for the same items for
the Thirty-Third, Thirty-Fourth, and Thirty-
Fifth Congresses was $374,000 a year.
hundred and ninety thousand dollars to-day
will not do as much printing as $374,000 would
then, nothing like it, and the reason why we
can do for $690,000 now what required only
$374,000 then is because it is done now much
more economically. There was a large profit
to the contractors in the smaller item, and
there is none in the larger item.

Six

Resolved, That the number of copies heretofore ordered of the Reports of the Patent Office for the years 1863 and 1864 be reduced from ten thousand of each to four thousand of each.

Mr. CLARK. I think that had better lie

over.

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection being made, the resolution lies over.

Mr. ANTHONY. I would make one suggestion to the Senator from New Hampshire. The whole number will have to be printed pretty soon, if at all. The resolution, the Senator is aware, is to reduce the number from ten thousand to four thousand, and the work is now upon the press, and unless the reduction is made now the Superintendent will be obliged to go on; therefore I shall call it up to-morrow.

Mr. CLARK. I do not know that I am opposed to it, but I think I would like to talk with the Senator a little about it.