FORTY-TniRD CONGRESS, 1873-75. 731 



and certainly it ought not to apply to that. We do not 

 want these reports for distribution. We have no means of 

 distributing them. At any rate, to that extent I submit to 

 ray colleague that this is certainly within the inhibition of 

 the resolution of the Senate. If there is no special objec- 

 tion, therefore, I should like to have this resoKition lie over 

 until to-morrow. 



Mr. Frelinghuysen. I wish to say a word on this sub- 

 ject. 



Mr. Morrill, of Maine. I withdraw the motion, to allow 

 the Senator to do so. 



Mr. Frelinghuysen. I have only a word to say. I shall 

 vote for the resolution to print this report; and I will vote 

 for any resolution to print the proceedings of Congress. I 

 think this idea of isolating the Congress of the United States 

 from the people is a very foolish one. As to economy, I 

 think it is an illustration of tliat wise saying that " there is 

 that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to pov- 

 erty." The people of my State write to me every day for 

 copies of the Agricultural Report, which contains most 

 valuable information to the farmers of the country, and 

 they cannot be obtained. ^ The books are ready to be printed, 

 but their |)rinting is stopped ; and we are keeping the pro- 

 ceedings of Congress here as a close corporation from the 

 people. I introduced a bill providing that these public 

 documents should be circulated; the postage in no event to 

 be more than twenty -five cents a volume, and not requiring 

 prepayment, and authorizing the documents to be sold if 

 they were not called for within ten days. That bill has not 

 been reported from the Committee on Post Offices and Post 

 Roads. 



Mr. Ramsey. I will say to the Senator that the commit- 

 tee have it under consideration. 



Mr. Frelinghuysen. I hope Congress will adopt some 

 measure by which that which transpires here may be circu- 

 lated and disseminated among the people. At a large ex- 

 pense we print every day a record of the proceedings of 

 Congress. What good does it do ? The people do not 

 get it. 1:^0 provision is made for its circulation. 



JS'ow, as to the idea that the people are opposed to this, I 

 was very much struck by a remark which was made — I do 

 not know but that it was in one of the articles which were 

 read here yesterday — that a million of people might petition 

 Congress, but we must remember there arc thirty-nine mil- 

 lions that are not heard from, I believe the people want in- 

 formation as to what transpires here, and it is their right to 



