Chap. 283.—An ACT in Relation to the Public Printing and the Public
. Printer.

Approved March 30, 1871.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly, That there shall
be elected every two years, by the joint vote of the two houses
of the general assembly, a superintendent of public printing,
who shall have a general supervision and management of the
public printing of the commonwealth; and in addition to the
duties prescribed in this act, shall perform such other duties
as may hereafter be prescribed by law.

2. The superintendent of public printing shall give bond, to
be approved by the governor, in the sum of five thousand dol-
lars, conditioned for the faithful discharge of the duties of his
office. : |

3. Before entering upon the duties of his office, he shall, in
addition to the oaths required by law to be taken by other
officers of the commonwealth, take an oath that he is skilled
in and acquainted with the practical details of the business of
printing; that he will not be, in any manner, directly or indi-
rectly, interested in the contracts for the printing, binding,
lithographing, and engraving to be let out by him, or in the
contract for the stationery which he shall purchase under the
eighth section of this act, and that he will not participate in
the profits arising from the same.

4, If he be in any manner, directly or indirectly, interested
in any contract for printing, binding, lithographing, or engrav-
ing to be let out by him, or participate in the profits arising
from the same, he shall be deemed to be guilty of a misdemeanor,
and shall be prosecuted for such offence; and, if convicted,
shall be fined not less than five hundred nor more than one
thousand dollars, and shall be confined in jail not less than six
nor more than twelve months.
d. He shall receive for his services, annually, the sum of one
thousand dollars, to be paid monthly, as the salaries of other
officers are paid.

6. He shall keep the following books: a letter book, in which
he shall enter all of his official correspondence; a record book,
which shall exhibit, in brief, all accounts for stationery, print-
ing, binding, lithographing, and engraving, and a record of all
his official transactions; a contract book, in which he shall
enter all contracts and bonds; and a schedule book, exhibit-
ing, in detail, the cost of all printing, binding, lithographing,
and engraving executed for each branch of the general assem-
bly and each department of the commonwealth; which books
shall at all times be open to the inspection of the governor,
auditor of public accounts, secretary of the commonwealth,
and any member of the general assembly. ,

7. He shall reside in the city of Richmond, and be at hand
whenever his services may be required. He shall contract for
and superintend all the printing, binding, lithographing, and
engraving authorized by law to be done for the state or any
of its officers.

8. He shall purchase all the stationery needed for the print-
ing and binding let out by him, and furnish the same to the
printer as it may be needed; the accounts for the purchase of
which, certified by him to be correct, shall be presented by
him to the governor, who shall certify the same to the auditor
of public accounts, and the auditor shall grant a warrant there-
for on the treasury.

9. He shall let out to the lowest responsible bidder, (to be
determined, in case of appeal, during the sessions of the gene-
ral assembly, by the joint committee on public printing, and
during vacation, by the governor, secretary of the common-
wealth, and superintendent of public printing,) all the printing,
binding, lithographing, and engraving required by the state or
any of its officers, by the senate or house of delegates, and au-
thorized by law to be done, and he shall supervise the execu-
tion of the same. He may let out the printing and binding to
different persons, and at such terms, and in such lots or por-
tions as he may deem proper. In every case, he shall require
the party undertaking to do the work, or any part of it, to
enter into a written contract, stating distinctly the terms of
the same, embracing the price to be paid for composition,
press-work, folding, stitching, binding, and all other items, in
detail, and always providing in such contract for printing, that
the printing is all to be executed in a close and compact form,
without any unnecessary title pages or useless blank pages.
One copy of every such contract he shall retain in his own
possession, and another copy thereof he shall file with the sec-
retary of the commonwealth. He shall also take from the per-
son or persons making such contract, bond, with security, to
be approved by the secretary of the commonwealth, in the
penalty of at least double the amount contracted to be paid
for the work, and conditioned for the faithful performance and
execution of such contract; which bond shall also be filed with
the secretary of the commonwealth.
10. For all printing and binding, or either, done for or by
the order of the senate or house of delegates, an account (certi-
fied by the superintendent of public printing to be correct and
according to contract,) shall be presented to the president of
the senate or speaker of the house, as the case may be, who
shall certify the same to the auditor of public accounts, and
the auditor shall grant a warrant therefor on the treasury.

11. For all other printing, binding, lithographing, engraving,
wrapping, labeling, or mailing, or either, done for the general
assembly, or the state, or its oflicers, an account (certified by
the superintendent of publis printing to be correct and accord-
ing to contract,) shall be presented to the governor, who shall
certify the same to the auditor of public accounts, and the au-
ditor shall grant a warrant therefor on the treasury.

12. He shall superintend the execution of all printing done
by order of the senate or house of delegates, and the clerk of
the senate or house, as the case may be, shall duly report every
failure in the proper and prompt execution of the same, to the
presiding officer, who shall not certify the accounts of the
printer, unless the same has been well executed, and within
such time as the same may berequired. And if the said print-
ing is not executed immediately, and if all journals, bills, and
calendars, and otber matter ordered to be printed, are not re-
turned printed within a reasonable time after they have been
received by the superintendent of public printing, and by him
placed in the hands of the printer, (the magnitude, character,
and time that is required to do such printing to be decided by
the presiding officer,) the superintendent of public printing
shall forthwith engage such other person or persons to print
the same, or any portion thereof, during the residue of the ses-
sion, as he may think fit: provided, he shall not pay him or
them more than the usual rates of compensation for such
printing.

13. He shall cause to be printed five hundred copies of each
public document which may be directed to be printed by the
general assembly or the house of delegates, or the senate; two
hundred and fifty copies of which shall be distributed to
the members thereof, and such others as either house may
authorize by its rules; the remaining portion shall be preserved
for binding; and so many copies of any bill as the senate or
house may order to be printed, as either house may direct.

14, He shall cause to be printed, in octavo form, five hundred
copies each, of the journals of the senate and house of dele-
gates, as they are furnished by the clerks, respectively; of
which number two hundred and fifty copies shall be distributed,
from time to time, amongst the members of the respective
houses, and to such others, as either house may authorize by its
rules. The remaining two hundred and fifty copies, with an
index thereto, shall be bound in boards, and delivered to the
respective clerks to be distributed as now provided by law.

15. He shall cause to be printed, at the end of each session
of the general assembly, two hundred and fifty copies of the
index prepared by the clerks of the respective houses, to the
journals and the documents printed during the session, and
have the same bound up; and sball also have bound the copies
of the journals and documents, respectively, then remaining
in his possession—the journal, and index thereto, in different
volumes from the documents, and index thereto. The copies
so bound shall be delivered by him as provided in the preceding
section.

16. He shall cause to be printed, as soon as practicable, six thou-
sand eight hundred and thirty-five copies of the Acts and Joint
Resolutions of the general assembly, and shall distribute them
as follows: ten copies to each member of the general assembly,
from time to time, as they are printed; five unbound copies he
shall forward to each senator and delegate by mail, as soon as
practicable after the adjournment of each session; one hundred
and twenty copies to the secretary of the commonwealth, for
distribution among the judges of the court of appeals, circuit,
hustings, and county judges of the commonwealth; and
within forty days after the end of each session, he shall deliver
to the secretary of the commonwealth four thousand copies
with the tables and index complete, printed and bound, as re-
quired by law.

17. As soon as the annual reports of boards, institutions,
and officers of the commonwealth shall be received, they shall
be delivered by the officer or board to whom they are required
to be made, at once, to the superintendent of public printing,
whose duty it shall be to have the same printed and bound
together, five hundred copies in octavo form; two hundred and
fifyy unbound copies for distribution amongst the members of
the general assembly, and such others as either house may
authorize by its rules; and two hundred and fifty copies bound
in boards, five copies of which shall be furnished to such board,
institution, or officer; twelve copies for the library; and fifty
copies shall be disposed of as the executive may direct, and
the rest shall be a part of the library fund. The report of the
board of public works, and internal improvement companies,
shall be bound in a separate volume from the reports above
provided for; but the same number of copies, and same man-
ner of distribution, shall be adhered to as concerns boards,
institutions, and officers’ reports provided for in this section.
And if the said superintendent of public printing shall fail to
comply with the requirements of this section, within the first
month of the session of the general assemby next ensuing, the
speaker of the house of delegates shall report the fact to the
auditor of public accounts, who shall deduct from his salary
next due, the amount of two hundred and fifty dollars, as a
forfeiture for his said neglect: provided, the said documents
shall have been delivered to the said superintendent of public
printing within five days after the fifteenth day of October.

18. The superintendent of public printing is hereby autho-
rized to employ a porter, during the session of the general as-
sembly, and for sixty days thereafter, ata salary not exceeding
thirty dollars per month. The auditor of public accounts is
hereby authorized and required to issue his warrant monthly
on the treasury, upon the certificate of the superintendent of
public printing, for the pay of the said porter.
19. The superintendent of public printing shall furnish an
annual report to the general assembly, setting forth the cost
of all stationery purchased by him during the fiscal year, to-
gether with the quantity and cost of that remaining on hand ;
also the cost of all printing, binding, lithographing, and en-

raving. He shall also report, in detail, the amount of cost
or printing, and so forth, as required, and done by him for the
senate, house of delegates, and for each department of the
state government. .

20. There shall be a joint standing committee of the gene-
ral assembly, (two to be appointed by the senate and three by
the house), whose duty it shall be to make investigations into
the transactions of the superintendent of public printing, and
who shall have authority to supervise and give directions in all
that relates to the public printing, and all other subjects em-
braced in this act. They shall, at their option, make report to
the general assembly of any matter by them deemed perti-
nent.

21. All provisions in the Code of eighteen hundred and
sixty, and in the acts of assembly subsequent thereto, incon-
sistent with the provisions of this act, shall be and the same are
hereby repealed.

22. This act shall be in force from its passage.