Mr. JOHNSON. I have no doubt the honorable member from Maine has correctly stated the law to which he has referred. At the time that the law was passed, 4th July, 1864, Mr. Rives was the publisher of the Globe, and he had been for some time before. The object Qf that bill was not to change the mode of publishing the proceedings of Congress, buttocon. tinue as it was going on, with certain changes, changes for his benefit and changes for our benefit; and the latter part of the law, the provision as to notice, to be found in the last section, was intended to apply to the whole of the antecedent portions of the law. It is therefore to be read, as I think, in this way: that this law is to stand as the agreement between the publisher of the Globe and the U.S. until either party shall give notice of 2 years that it is to terminate. The language of the clause is that it may be abrogated upon the giving of 2 years' notice, the meaning of which necessarily is that it is not to be abrogated without giving that notice. It is to me, therefore, a very clear question. The true interpretation of the law is that the U.S. are bound until the Prescribed notice is given to go on and discharge what they undertook to do by this law. It is purely a question of law, and the political question which the honorable Senfrom Illinois stated does not arise. But I cannot help saying before I sit down that I should think it exceedingly unfortunate to connect the publication of the Globe with any party newspaper. I know what would necessarily be the result of such connection. If the paper happened to differ (as of course it would, for we are always divided into parties and will continue to be so) with either side of the senate or of the House, the editor could not avoid indulging in strictures to the prejudice of the party with whom he differed, and the proceedings of the Senate, which are supposed to go to the country to speak for themselves, would go with such remarks as a partisan editor, whoever he might be, might think it due to his party to o The Globe, as it has been published in the past, as it is now published, is entirely free from any party bias. There is nothing of a party character to be found in the paper of its publishers. Whatever of party is in it is in the speeches which are made by the several members.