CONTRACTS for terms of years, entered into by Government with private individuals, either for the supply of goods, or the performance of work, at a fixed and unvarying price, are always injurious to the State.

Many persons are apt to imagine, that as both the Contracting Parties belong to the same State, the interests of the Community cannot be injured, since what one loses the other gains. That this is a fallacy, we shall endeavour to shew by the following positions:

The fair principles of trade are founded on the presumption, from experience, that the circumstances which govern it will be constantly liable to variation and change.

Therefore Contracts for terms of years, at an unvarying price, partake of the nature of gambling transactions on the results of those changes,

But well-regulated Governments should consider themselves not at liberty to speculate

and gamble in any such manner: Nor should they encourage others to make similar speculations, which may eventually prove ruinous to them.

And it cannot be denied, that it is highly probable there will be great loss or disadvantage, on one side or the other; because, if considerable gain was not contemplated by Government, the arrangement would be useless and inconvenient.

In either case, however, the State must be injured, the only difference being, whether the injury it sustains is direct or indirect.

In contracting for a long term, at high prices, the State sustains a direct and immediate loss, which may increase to an extent not within its contemplation at the time of contracting; it is also thereby injured, by unduly raising the price of labour or commodities to the community at large.

In contracting, on the other hand, at an extremely low price, it is but too probable that the Contractor will be ruined, or greatly injured. Now an injury to a part of a body being an injury to the whole, the body politic is clearly thereby injured. The remedy to be applied for the cure of this injury, is the profit obtained by Government at the time; but this remedy will not be effectual, since a farther and greater loss still has been sustained by the

commercial part of the community, in the reduction of average prices and profits of labour, &c., the extensive demands and dealings of the Government having an influential effect on all transactions in the same branch of business; this loss may become ruinous.

Contracts for terms of years are not only injurious, but illegal, in a constitutional point of view since the payment of fixed sums, in future years, has not been authorized by Parliament, and may never receive such authority, if the terms or arrangements are disapproved.

The improper practices induced by the system of contracting for long terms at fixed and low prices, is so well known that it need not be enlarged upon.

The impolicy of the system is very great and manifest. Contractors for supplying the large demands of Government, if for perform+ ing work, soon become independent of the control which can be exercised over persons employed during pleasure, quamdiu se bene gesserint. And in the case of supplying goods, Contractors on a large scale obtain an undue power over the market, thereby frequently compelling the renewal of their Contract on their own terms.

No inducement. arises, in executing a Contract to perform work for a term of years', to exert any more care, diligence, watchfulness,

or frugality, on behalf of the Government, (not now considered as employers, but bondsmen) than the words of the Contract (so liable to difference of construction) compel them to; and it is almost always found, that the official solicitors, ignorant, as they must necessarily be, of the technical terms of arts or manufactures, leave sufficient loop-holes for those who, to get the Contract, have made what they think hard bargains, effectually to evade its true meaning, and thereby impose upon the Government.

The Contractors frequently become entrusted, unavoidably, with confidential matters of great importance; the use which they make of such information cannot be limited by the wording of any Contract. This is very particularly applicable to Printing, and it is well known to the writer, having himself possessed great power of that kind, during the time he was employed in several public departments.

These arguments against Public Contracts for terms of years might be carried much farther, doubtless, by persons of greater ability than the writer; but he thinks they are sufficiently convincing to justify this conclusion, that it is more beneficial to employ persons to perform work during pleasure, and while they perform the duty faithfully; and, as for goods, to buy them of the best quality, when they are wanting, and at the market-price of the day.

it.

SUGGESTIONS

FOR ESTABLISHING

A PARLIAMENTARY PRINTING OFFICE,

INCLUDING A PLACE OF DEPOSIT FOR PRINTED PAPERS;

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AND FOR THE DELIVERY OR SALE OF ACTS OF 1 PARLIAMENT, and other pARLIAMENTARY DOCUZUMENTS.

THE injurious effects of Contracts for terms of years to supply Goods, or to execute Work for Government, being thus, as I trust, proved, it must be evident that Public Printing comes within the range of our argument. The reasons for effecting a change of system in this department are more cogent than in others, in as much as the business transacted is of infinitely greater importance. I therefore beg leave to make the following Suggestions:

First. It is not safe to allow such important papers to be transmitted for printing to a great distance from the Houses of Parliament, as at present.

No sufficient security can be ensured as to the accuracy and fidelity in printing Acts