BREVIER LEGISLATIVE REPORTS
THESE Reporters deem it reasonable, that, along with the announcement of another volume, they should declare some of the considerations which encourage them to make it. One of these reporters was of the staff of writers organized for verbatim reports in Congress at the expense of the treasury in 1848, which gave to history the Congressional Globe, Dr. Houston's Proceedings and Debates of the National Senate and the Congressional Record. In 1857, seeing the general appreciation of these national works, and with some notion of their value, these reporters adventured their hands in connection with the local; daily press, for reports of Proceedings and Debates in the Indiana Legislature This connection with the daily press has proved unfortunate; though the demand for their Reports has protracted it, under all the difficulties involved, till the close of the last Session of the last General Assembly.
These difficulties consist principally, perhaps, in the unfitness of the vanishing newspaper for any complete historical depository: but there were others which appeared at once, and increased with the growing Municipality of Indianapolis - Whilst the BREVIER could not pretend to absolute completeness as to the records of proceedings and debates, its completeness proved to be too much for the newspaper: and the newspaper worked against the Reports by restricting the space contracted and paid for the Reports, by sinister marrings of the "copy," and editorial mention. So the connection was made sometimes with the newspaper of one political bias, and sometimes with that of another bias, but always with the same result of unfitness and clashing of interest and whims. The newspaper saw that the BREVIER might interfere with the precedent of subsidies it had always received from the treasury for the supply of current news-reading to members of the Legislature and the people, under the name of compensation for their legislative reports which excepting so far as the presence of the BREVIER may have constrained it to behave better as soon as the legislative subscriptions were accorded, they failed not to reduce to the scrimping style and space of a telegraphic dispatch. But the last Legislature finding that the cost, of their newspaper subsidies exceeded that of the authorized BREVIER REPORTS, the subsidy was cut off by the act of Dec. 19, 1872 By that act the newspaper became justly and legally recognized as but "stationery" for the people and their representatives, and, by implication, as unfitted and unworthy to be intrusted an authorized at the public expense as the depository of their solemn legislative records. The BREVIER REPORTS, however were continued through the succeeding regular session of the General Assembly of 1873 - two years ago - still with this unfit and hostile newspaper connection, when these reporters were compelled to sever it finally for reasons stated, and which the following statement in their page of errata may also express: The journals of the business of both Houses as well as the debates, almost every day of the session, were marred by the diminutions practiced in the office of the Indianapolis Daily Sentinel for which these reports were originally furnished under a contract designed to provide against such interferences."
Gathering from these experiences, that it has become a purpose accepted and determined by the people of the State to continue the BREVIER form of their legislative records as the cheapest, the best, and the best provocative and sign of the popular demand for more acceptable legislative reports by the press at large, these reporters have prepared themselves to furnish the work once more - this time independently of the newspaper.
The fact that the BREVIER LEGISLATIVE REPORTS have been acceptable to the Legislature and the people every session since the first volume for the extra session of 1858 cannot be taken as authorizing the work for the present session. The work has stood sternly on its merits with each particular session since: and with that understanding on the part of these reporters, it is offered now; with the ability and desire to make such an abridgement of State Legislative Record in the best form and at the cheapest rate.
Therefore the offer is continued: To furnish the proceedings and debates in this form for two-thirds of a cent a page per copy to the extent of 1750 copies, (the same number that has been uniformly printed of the BREVIER, the laws and journals ).
This proposition is made in good faith, and submitted with knowledge of its responsibilities. It is delicately submitted further, that by it the Legislature may, at the smallest possible cost to the Treasury, secure an impartial and reliable record of its Proceedings and Donates for the press and the people.
A. & W. H DRAPIER; Indianapolis, March 10, 1875
