NEWSPAPERS FOR MEMBERS.
Mr. DOBBINS submitted a resolution instructing the Door-keeper to subscribe for and procure, to be laid upon the desk of each member of this House, during the present session, three copies of the following newspapers: The Daily State Journal, the Daily State Sentinel, and the Weekly Locomotive.
Mr. RITTER moved to lay the resolution on the table; but withdrew the motion for -
Mr. MURRAY, of Elkhart. Mr. Speaker, I think we should subscribe only for such newspapers as have Reporters on this floor. It has been usual in both branches of the Legislature to subscribe for about three copies of all the newspapers published in the city of Indianapolis. But I think we ought to confine our subscriptions to those supporting Reporters here; and I think that will meet the approbation of our constituents. They want to know what is going on here, and I have yet to find out a single man that has ever grumbled at receiving this kind of information from his Representative. For this simple reason, I am opposed to subscribing for all the papers of the city. We might as well go out and subscribe for papers all over the State. I move to amend the resolution by saying three copies of such newspapers as support Reporters of the proceedings of the General Assembly.
Mr. DOBBINS. A resolution was adopted this morning allowing all Reporters of the various city newspapers the privilege of seats within this bar; and upon that rule we should subscribe for them all. My object in subscribing for newspapers in this way, is to send out information of the proceedings of the Legislature. I simply require three copies of the Journal, Sentinel and Locomotive. I think these will be sufficient, and little enough. This is a resolution that has been adopted by every Legislature for several years past, and it is certainly one of the best means of conveying to the country information of the action of the Legislature. I am willing to go for every city paper having Reporters on this floor.
Mr. MURRAY, of Elkhart. Mr Speaker, I have a little experience in this business - an experience page: 6[View Page 6]of seven years as a Reporter in the other end of the Capitol. I have seen discussions of this kind, and they generally end in subscribing for the papers. I can not be in favor of embracing in the resolution too many papers, but I would be willing to subscribe for every paper in the State that is represented here by a Reporter. There are but two papers in this city that have furnished permanent Reporters for the Legislature, and it has been the uniform custom - a very absurd custom, I think - to subscribe for all the papers in the city. I wish to restrict the resolution to those papers that furnish regular Reporters on this floor. If they are able to support Reporters on this floor, I think we ought to take their papers. They pay some $15 or $20 per week for Reporters here, for the information of our constituents as to the proceedings of this body, and this is the only means we have of giving our proceedings to the people of the State. Therefore, I think it is our duty to patronize those papers which furnish these reports; and as I said before, I have never yet heard a complaint on account of such an expenditure of the public money. I submit the following amendment:
Strike out all after "Resolved," and insert, "That the Door-keeper be empowered to procure three copies for each member of such of the papers of this city as shall maintain Reporters on this floor for the purpose of reporting the proceedings of this House in full."
Mr. BOYD. I move to strike out "three" and insert "two."
Mr. NEBEKER, of Warren. By the terms of the amendment of the gentleman from Elkhart, all the city papers may set Reporters on this floor for the sake of getting patronage. It has been customary, I believe, to appoint a committee in this matter, to wait on the publishers and ascertain their terms for furnishing a certain number of papers, stamped and ready for distribution. To give time to think about this matter, I move to lay the resolution and amendment on the table.
The motion was agreed to.
