Resolved, That S. S. Sibley be the printer of this House, provided he will do the printing on the above terms; print the Journals in the newspaper in addition, and in no event to exceed the sum of thirteen hundred and fifty dollars. Which was received, and the resolution reported read the first time and ordered for a second reading on to-morrow. Mr. Towle from the same committee made the following minority report: The undersigned a minority of the committee appointed to receive proposals for the printing of the House during its present session and ascertain the lowest rate at which the same can be procured, not concurring in the report of the majority, have the honor to make their COUNTER REPORT. That your Committee have addressed letters, inviting proposals to the pro. prietors of the different printing establishments in this city, and in answer thereto have received the following offers, viz: 1. The Miscellaneous Printing, per 1000 ems; (1) dispensing with daily slips. S. S. Sibley, offers to do it at $1 40; Smith & Bartlett $1 80; Joseph Clisby $1 32, including press-work, &c. 2. The same including daily slips. S. S. Sibley $1 40; Smith & Bartlett $1 80; and J. Clisby $1 03, also including press-work, &c. 2. The miscellaneous printing, per 100 words; counting 75 copies, (1) dispensing with daily slips. S. S. Sibley,cent per 100 words; Smith & Bartlett 2-3 of a cent; and J. Clisby a cent, including presswork, &c. 2. The same including daily slips. S. S. Sibleya cent; Smith & Bartlett a cent and J. Clisby 3-8 of a cent, including press work, &c. 3. The House Journals, 500 copies, per page (1) dispensing with daily slips. S.S. Sibley, $2 00 Smith & Bartlett $250; and J. Clisby $1 874. 2. The same furnishing daily slips, to be charged as miscellaneous print. ing at the above prices. S. S. Sibley $1 00. Smith & Bartlett $1 00; and J. Clisby $1 121; inclu ding presswork, &c. 4. All the printing required by the House during the session, in gross. S. S. Sibley, $1350; J. Clisby, $1450; Smith & Bartlett declining to make an offer under this head. Your committee in examining and deciding upon the above offers, have deem. ed it advisable, as it will not affect the result, to throw out of view those com puted by the 1000 ems; that being a technical method; as your committee is advised, more liable to abuse than the computation by the 100 words and page. Your Committee are also of opinion that the daily slips should be furnishedas they are necessary to a proper knowledge of the business done in the House and particularly so to the members of the Senate and State officers, who have frequent occasion for that knowledge but have not access to our journals. Be. side, the expense saved by dispensing with them, would be but slight, if any,"as the other printing can be done cheaper when they are furnished, and a great proportion of the matter contained in them (as Reports of Committees, &c.) would require to be printed in some other form. In deciding upon the relative cheapness of the rates proposed, the first ques. tion to be settled is-which of these proprosals are most favorable, those made to print in gross, or those computing by the 100 words and page. Your Committee, after full investigation, are decided in their belief, that the latter are much the lowest offers; and that they will clearly appear to be so, to this House, upon careful examination of the following estimates. It is ascertained that Mr. Sibley performed the printing of this House at its adjourned session in 1845, at the rate of 14 cents per 100 words, of the miscel laneous matter, counting 70 copies, and $2 00 per page for 500 copies of the journals. The gross amount paid him for the miscellaneous printing was And for the Journals Total 1974 22 632 00 $2606 22 Now estimating the printing of the present session to be the same as that of the last, which is a fair criterion as any to judge by, the sum to be paid under the present offers, will be as follows: S. S. Sibley, miscellaneous, at cent $658 07 Total $974 07 All, as will be seen, from $200 to 500 lower than the proposals in gross-so that it is, beyond question cheaper to have the work done by the other computation, viz: by the 100 words and the page, at either of the rates above proposed— the highest even being considerably lower than the lowest gross sum ($1350) named. This estimate is on the supposition that the printing of the present session will be equal to that of the last; but your committee are of opinion, though this is a matter of surmise, that it will not be equal but will fall much below. This opinion is predicated principally, on the fact that the two houses have adopted a very wise provision this session (see 17th joint rule) preventing the practice, heretofore invariable, of printing the same matter in either House, and thus paying double prices. This rule will cut off just one-half of a very large item. Another proof is the spirit already manifested by this House, of economy and a desire to consult the wishes of the people; which will cause our session to be short, and prevent the former habits of printing all matter without distinction, whether necessary to be printed or not. Under these views, it cannot be doubt d that the amount of printing which will be required by this House will fall below that of the last session. But even if it exceed it, it cannot be expected, with even the worst economy, to do o so far as to cause an expense, at the rates above offered, of $500--over more than the foregoing estimate--which would be necessary to bring the lowest of fer up to the sum of $1,350. If these views be correct, there can be no doubt as to our duty. We must discard the proposal in gross and accept one of the others. It will need but a glance to satisfy the House as to which is the lowest proposal by the 100 words and the page. Mr. Clisby's proposal is of a cent per 100 words for the miscellaneous matter less than the other offers, and is, (esti. mating the total amount printed this session the same as the last,) in gross $125.02 less than Mr. Sibley's, and $344.38 less than Smith & Bartlett's. This great difference in gross amounts will be comprehended when it is known that over 13,000,000 words were charged for at the last session: so that a very small amount of variance in the price per 100 words, will reach a large sum in gross. The relative cheapness of these rates will not be varied by any variation in the amount printed this session from that printed at the last...for whether more or less is printed, the proportion is the same. Mr. Clisby's offer for printing the Journals is 12 cents per page more than the other offers; but that excess, as will be seen in the above estimates, is more than counterbalanced by the lower rates offered by him for the miscellaneous printing. Another item is worth attention: Mr. Clisby's offer includes press-work, olding, stitching and the other items, which are not included in the other offers, and if the party see fit, may be made extra charges, over and above the present offe rs. Your committee are, therefore, from the above considerations, clearly of opin. ion that Mr. Clisby has made the lowest offer of any; and they, therefore, recommend that he be employed by this House to do their printing for the present session, at the rates specified in his proposals, to wit: At of a cent per 100 words for the miscellaneous printing, and $1.12 per page for 500 copies of the Journals....furnishing daily slips, to be charged as other miscellaneous matter. Which was received and read. SIMON TOWLE, On motion of Mr. Leonard, the House took a recess till 3 o'clock, p.m. 3 o'clock, P. M. The House met, and the roll being called, a quorum was found to be present. Mr. Towle moved that the rule be waived in order that Mr. Reardon might make a motion. Upon which the yeas and nays were called for by messrs. Westcott and Ward, and were: Yeas-messrs. Aldrich, Avery, Broward, Canova, Cooper, Daniel, Farrior, Finlayson, Fisher, Gaylor, Gibson, Gregory, Hancock, Jernigan, Leonard, Maxwell, McIntosh, Monroe, Reardon, Russell, Stockton, Tanner, Towle, Tracey, Waterson, Williams, Woodruff, Wynns and mr. Speaker-29. Nays-Messrs. Carter, Gould, Smith, Stone, Ward and Westcott -6. Mr. Jernigan asked leave to change his vote, he not having understood the question. Mr. Towle objected to his so doing. The Speaker decided that mr. Jernigan had a right to change his vote. Mr. Towle appealed from the decision of the Chair. The question then being "shall the decision of the Chair he sustained?" was put and carried in the affirmative. Mr. Jernigan voting in the negative, the vote then stood, yeas 28, nays 7. Four-fifths voting for waiving the rule, mr. Reardon then moved that the reports of the majority and minority of the committee on printing, and the resolutions accompanying them, be taken from the orders of the dav, and that the whole subject be taken up for consideration. Which motion prevailed. : Mr. Reardon moved that the House now go into the election of a Printer which motion prevailing, mr. Reardon nominated Samuel S. Sibley, and mr. Towle nominated Joseph Clisby. Mr. Aldrich moved that the vote just taken upon the motion to go into an election of Printer, be reconsidered; which motion prevailed. The resolution reported by the majority of the committee on printing was then taken up, and mr. Towle offered the following as a substitute therefor: WHEREAS, Joseph Clisby has offered to print the miscellaneous matter of this House, during its present session, at of a cent per 100 words, counting 75 copes, and including daily slips, to be charged as miscellaneous matter, and 500 copies of the Journals at $1 124 per 1d page, counting one copy: And whereas, the above offers are deemed lower than any others made Resolved, That said Joseph Clisby be and he is hereby employed to print the miscellaneous matter and journals of this House at the above prices; provided that the whole amount to be paid him, shall in no case exceed $1,200. Which was adopted, as such substitute. Mr. Reardon moved the House adjourn till 10 o'clock; which was lost. Mr. Westcott moved to amend said substituted resolution by striking out in the first line the words "has offered to," and inserting "will," in lieu thereof; by striking out the name of "Joseph Clisby" wherever it occurs, and inserting "Samuel S. Sibley" in lieu thereof; by striking out the sum of "$1.124," and inserting "$100" in lieu thereof; and by striking out the sum of "$1,200" at the end of the resolution, and inserting "$1,000" in lieu thereof. Mr. Reardon moved that the House adjourn till to-morrow morning, half-past 10 o'clock; which was lost. Mr. Towle accepted said amendments, except the one which proposes to strike out the name of Joseph Clisby and insert that of Samuel S. Sibley. The question then was upon the adoption of the amendment: to strike out the name of Joseph Clisby and insert that of Samuel S. Sibley; upon which the yeas and nays were called for by messrs. Westcott and Towle, and were, Yeas-messrs. Aldrich, Broward, Canova, Carter, Cooper, Daniel, Finlayson, Gaylor, Gould, Hancock, Jernigan, Reardon, Russell, Smith, Stone, Ward, Westcott, Woodruff and mr. Speaker-19. Nays-messrs. Avery, Farrior, Fisher, Gibson, Gregory, Leonard, Maxwell, McIntosh, Monroe, Stockton, Tanner, Towie, Tracey, Waterson, Williams and Wynns-16. Yeas 19-nays 16. So the amendment was adopted. Mr. Towle moved to amend said resolution by striking out "$1,000" and inserting "900," and by striking out the name of "Samuel S. Sibley" and inserting the name of "Joseph Clisby." Pending which, on motion of Mr. Russell the House adjourned till to-morrow morning, 10 o'clock. TUESDAY, December 1st, 1846. The House met pursuant to adjournment; a quorum being present, after prayer by the Rev. Mr. Foster, the journals of yesterdays proceedings was read and approved. John Houston of Duval county, and William R. Taylor of Jefferson county, severally presenting certificates of their election as representatives from their respective counties, were sworn as members of the House by Hon. Edward M. West, a Justice of the Peace for Leon county. Mr. Towle moved that the rule be waived, and that the resolution in relation to the election of printer to the House, be taken up for consideration; which was lost. Mr. Finlayson moved that fifty copies of the rules of the House be printed. Upon which, the yeas and nays were called for, by Messrs. Westcott and Stone, and were, Yeas-Messrs. Aldrich, Broward, Canova, Carter, Cooper, Daniel, Finlayson, Gaylor, Gould, Hancock, Jernigan, Leonard, Maxwell, Mc Intosh, Reardon, Russell, Smith, Stone, Taylor, Ward, Westcott, Woodruff, and Mr. Speaker-23. Nays-Messrs. Avery, Farrior, Fisher, Gibson, Gregory, Houston, Monroe, Stockton, Tanner, Towle, Tracey, Waterson, Williams, and Wynns-14. So the motion prevailed. On motion of Mr. Leonard, the report made by the Committee on Rules, was referred back to said Committee. On motion of Mr. Towle, Mr. Taylor was added to the Committee on Rules. Mr. Towle moved to amend the report of the minority of the Committee on Printing, made on yesterday, by inserting the following paragraph, to wit: The undersigned are opposed to the resolution of fered by the majority, as it is an abandonment of the written propo sals made the committee, and an admission of a new bid by Mr. Sibley, to wit: of a cent per 100 words, instead of a cent, offered before. This abandonment, the undersigned consider unjustifiable, unusual, and unbecoming the dignity of this House." Which was rejected. Mr. Fisher presented a petition from William Cawthorn, praying to have the names of his children changed, and for other purposes; which was read; and on motion of Mr. Fisher, referred to a committee, consisting of Messrs. Fisher, Tanner, and Fowle. Mr. Avery offered the following preamble and resolution: WHEREAS, the vast importance of the object in view, requires that no effort should be spared, in the attempt to establish for this State, a complete educational system; and whereas, while in some sections of the State, the population is sufficiently dense to admit of the establishment of academies, and of common schools, with stationary teachersin other sections the population is too sparse to admit of other than common schools, taught by itinerant teachers; and whereas, it is impossible for us to obtain at this session of the General Assembly, all the information respecting the different sections of the State, with re. gard to their geographical position, the position, situation, and wants of the inhabitants, which it is necessary we should possess, in order to enable this body to act wisely; and whereas, there has not yet accu |