H2j?05[r OF TEE A:TOHlliSy ^EirSIiAL 
 No'''''em'ber 1, 1864 
 and 
 22P0HT OF TK2 SUPESILTSNDEITT OF 
 
 FjBLic ?Eii:'r.Li;G 
 
 OctolDer 26, 1864 
 
 m 
 
 \( 
 
 r< ■ 
 
 
 ^ mm 
 
 ■mmv 
 
THE FLOWERS COLLECIiOW ^ 
 
 Pt E I=* O R. T? 
 
 OP THE 
 
 ATTOENEY GE:KEKAL. 
 
 Department op Justice, ) 
 Richmond, 1st November, 1864. 5 
 
 To THE President: 
 
 Sir : Since my report of 25th April last, there has been nothing 
 in the affairs of this department calling for special comment. 
 
 I beg leave to renew the recommendation, then made, that Con- 
 gress should provide for a more general distribution of the laws. 
 The act of oth of August, 18G1, directs that three thousand pamphlet 
 copies of the laws shall be printed at the close of each session of 
 Congress ; and after providing for the distribution of a certain num- 
 ber, enacts, that "the remaining copies shall be preserved in the 
 Department of Justice, subject to the further order of Congress." 
 The number thus ordered to be distributed, is about eleven hundred, 
 and the number remaining to be preserved in this department is 
 about nine hundred, exclusive of one tliousand copies directed to be 
 bound in calf. 
 
 Since the passage of that act, the military courts have been estab- 
 lished with a jurisdiction extending to all offences defined as crimes 
 by the laws of the Confederate States. The judges and judge advo- 
 cates of these courts are not provided with copies of the laws, and 
 frequent complaints are made of the impossibility of procuring 
 them. At the last session, the House of Representatives passed a 
 resolution authorizing, and requesting the Attorney General to fur- 
 nish each member of these courts with a copy of the acts, and, in somo 
 urgent cases, I have not scrupled to act in compliance with the reso- 
 lution. But it is needless to remark that a resolution of ona Mouse 
 cannot change the provisions of a law, nor authorize the Attorney 
 General to make any other distribution than that which the aforesaid 
 act prescribes. 
 
 Tne judges of the Supreme and Superior Courts of the States are 
 also ofcen compelled to pass upon questions arising out of the legia- 
 
s 
 
 lation of Congress ; and they, too, are unprovided with copies of the 
 laws, as are also the Commissioners of the District Courts of the 
 Confederate States. 
 
 It is desirable that all of these officers should be provided by law 
 vrith copies of all the acts, as they can now be had in no other 
 way. 
 
 I have the honor to transmit, herewith, the report of the Super- 
 intendent of Public Printing, showing the /condition of that branch 
 of the public business. 
 
 GEORGE DAVIS, 
 
 Attorney General. 
 
P^EP^OPtT 
 
 OF THE 
 
 SUPERINTENDED OF PUBLIC PRINTING. 
 
 Bureau of Public Printing, 
 Richmond f Oct. 26, IS64. 
 
 Hon. George Davis, 
 
 Attorney General: 
 
 Sir : I have the honor to inform you that the embarrassments 
 noticed in my report of April 2Gth, have, in a great measure, been 
 removed by the passage of the act approved June 3d, 1864. The 
 third section of that act provides for contracts by the heads of the 
 Executive Departments, and also for the apportionment of the work, 
 in the absence of such contracts, among "any number of contractors 
 and printing establishments," as suggested in my annual report of 
 November, 1863. With the exception of the Postollice, Treasury, 
 and War Departments, contracts Avere made. The Postoffice Depart- 
 ment had made a contract for four years "with Messrs. Ritchie k Dun- 
 navant, and it was deemed best not to annul it. The Treasury 
 Department assumed the responsibility of doing their own work, 
 without the superintendence of this office. The War Department- 
 was left entirely to the management of this bureau ; and, accordingly, 
 after inviting proposals from the several printing offices in this city, 
 I made the following schedule of prices, which was accepted unani- 
 mously : 
 
 " Bureau of Public Printing, > 
 Richmond, Aug. 12, 1S64. J 
 
 " Gentlemen : I am now prepared to offer you, upon the following 
 terms, a portion of the printing of the Government. The right to 
 modify these rates is reserved, should the cost of labor or material at 
 any time decline ; and I would feel bound to pursue a corresponding 
 course with reference to any increased expenditures you might incur, 
 the object being a fair and liberal compensation for labor actually 
 performed, and the other expenses incident thereto : 
 
<*For composition, (plain,) per 1,0U() ems, $3 50 
 
 *'For composition, (rule or tigure,) per l.Dili) eais, 6 75 
 
 **For coiii{)Osition, (rule and iigur.',) per 1,000 ems, 3 00 
 
 **Presswork, per token, of 250 impressious, or fraciion of sul-U 
 
 token, 3 00 
 
 "For ruling blanks — 
 
 "Letter size, per ream, each ruling, 4 00 
 
 *'Cap '' •' •' " •' 6 00 
 
 "Demy ■ " " " " " 7 00 
 
 "Meciium " " " " " 9 00 
 
 "Double medium, (muster and pay rolls, ruled on both sides,) 
 whole cost per ream, 12 00 
 
 **For binding in full or in half binding, book of four 
 quires — 
 
 "Imperial, 20 00 
 
 "Super-Royal, 15 00 
 
 "Royal, medium, and demy, 10 00 
 
 "Cap and letter, 5 OO 
 
 "For each additional quire, one dollar. The binding stock or mate- 
 rial will be furnished bj' this office ; when not-so furnished, you will 
 be allowed cost and ten per cent. Ruling for blank books to be at the 
 rate allowed for blanks — less than a ream to count as a ream ; more 
 than a ream and less than two reams, in proportion for the excess. 
 "For folding stitching, covering, and trimming pamphlets, per thou- 
 sand copies — 
 
 "Three signatures, $40 00 
 
 "Four signatures, 45 00 
 
 "Five signatures, 50 00 
 
 "Eight signatures, 60 00 
 
 "Ten signatures, 75 00 
 
 "For simple folding, stitching, and trimming, without cov- 
 ers, per signature, per thousand copies, 10 00 
 "For simple folding and trimming, (general orders, circu- 
 lars, etc.,) not exceeding four pages, per 1,0(J0 copies, 5 00 
 " Paper will be furnished by this oifice as far as possible ; when 
 furnished by you, cost and ten per cent, will be allowed. 
 
 "The above tariif of prices has been made after a careful consid- 
 eration of the several propositions t-ent to this bureau in answer to 
 the circular letter of the bth instant. I believe it to be fair and just 
 to all parties. Heretofore the work of the War Department has been 
 done under one contract, and it was found impossible to prevent 
 delavs. Under the proposed arrangement it will be divided,- and it is 
 easy to perceive that the Government and those who perform the ser- 
 vice will be better satisfied. 
 
 " Should you accept the propositions herewith submitted, please 
 notify me at your earliest convenience." 
 
 The result has been highly satisfactory, and, until a printing office 
 can be established by the Government, of sufHcient capacity to do all 
 its work, it is the only arrangement that will meet the requirementr'^ 
 of the servico. 
 
5 
 
 The bills for the printing of Congress and the several Exooftiive 
 Departments, examined, approvei and par^sed for payment, siucu die 
 first of January last, foot up two hundred and thirty-one thou^uud 
 five hundreil and fifty-three dollars and fifty-nine cents, (2 j 1, 553 59,) 
 of which tlie following is a statement in detail : 
 
 War Department, 1$19U,958 13 
 
 Treasury Department, 5,410 67 
 
 State Department, 186 00 
 
 Congress, 34,989 79 
 
 Total, $231,553 59 
 
 There are outstanding bills to a very considerable amount. The 
 bills for the War Department only cover the work ordered previous 
 to the first of May last; for Congress a complete settlement has been 
 made to the close of the last session, with the exception of a portion 
 of the reports of battles, not yet printed, the printers employed on 
 that -work having been called to the field for the defence of the capital. 
 
 I am enabled to present a full statement of expenditures for the 
 year ending December 31st, 1863, as follows : 
 
 War Department, $173,997 50 
 
 Treasury Department, 85,237 49 
 
 Congress, ,33,548 62 
 
 Post-Office Department, 5,438 97 
 
 Navy Department, 2,761 30 
 
 State Department, 333 93 
 
 Department of Justice, 184 87 
 
 $301,502 68 
 
 From the statements above given, it will be perceived that there has 
 been a very large increase in the cost of printing since last year ; 
 but the cause will readily suggest itself to your mind when you recol- 
 lect the increased price paid for labor, and the enhanced price of 
 paper and every other species of material used in executing the work. 
 
 On the books of the Treasury Department the following sums re- 
 main to the credit of the printing fund : 
 For the printing of both Houses of Congress, including the printing 
 
 of the laws and journals in book form, $26,041 46 
 
 For the printing of the several Executive Departments 
 
 of the Government, 128,586 26 
 
 For the purchase of paper for the printing of the seve- 
 ^ral Executive Departments and Congress, 2,483 45 
 
 It, will be observed, therefore, that the appropriations already made 
 for the printing of the present year will, in all probability, fall short 
 of the amount needed, it being impossible to make an exact estimate 
 for the want of accurate information as to the quantity of printing 
 required by the several departments for a given period. There is also 
 this additional reason, the fluctuations in the price of paper. 
 
 A contract was made with Messrs. Evans & Cogswell, of Columbia, 
 
6 
 
 South Carolina, for the printing of the ** Digest of the Laws," or- 
 dered at a recent session of Congress. The work has be^n delayed 
 because of the difficulty in procuring paper of a proper quality, and 
 the taking of the printers employed upon it for military service. 
 Tkese difficulties having been overcome, the work is progressing 
 rapidly, and I expect to be able to deliver the book by the first of 
 December at furthest. 
 
 I have the honor, sir, to be, 
 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 GEO. E. W. NELSON, 
 Superintendent Public Printing. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2010 with funding from 
 Duke University Libraries 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/reportofattorney03conf 
 

 mm