Mr. LAFLIN. I will give the controlling reasons with the committee. It may be that we entertain altogether too radical notions on this subject of printing; but if that is so, it is not because we are blind followers of any such miserable school of economy that would refuse to the public information that that public needs. We have not learned our lesson in any such school as that. We know that “there is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is mcct, but it tendoth to poverty.” We understand that, and we understand the value of these books; but we are compelled by parity of reasonin to admit that the publication of schoolbooks and Bibles is also important. giventure to say that there is not a single man in this House, who, if the question were presented to him whether he would expend this $125,000 in the publication of these extra copies of the Patent Othee Report, or expend tie same sum of mone in the publication of schoolbooks and Bibles to be circu lated among the ignorantclasse s ofonr country, whose judgment would not compel him to vote in favor of the latter and yet we do not. propose to make ourselves a large publishing House. This brings me to the point of the idea operating on the committee in proposing to vote a certain number of these copies to the ComrPatents. We wish to introduce some rules and regulations providing for the distribution of these books, and we want to do it. with a view to a general, uniform, and fair distribution of the books as far as we can, and ultimately with avicw of making those that take these books pay for them a certain sum of money. Now, sir, in reference to this book, it goes into the hands of parties whose interests we protectby law, whose inventions we protect by aw, and I believe that every man whois really interested in readin this book is willing to attest his interest in that book by paying a certain sum of money. I do not think it expedient that they should pay anything like the cost of the book. But I do think it should be provided that after the year 1866 an person receiving the mechanical part of the Patent Odice Report should be obliged to ay say 25%. of what the boollr cost the Government. We will then learn just what value the people place upon that book. If it shall be found that only 3,000 people in the U.S. are willing to pay titty cents for that book, then We need not next year provide for the publication of 10,000 copies of it.