The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-02-21

WIN l@s wi AtNo
and charged in Mr.. Clarke's account as ex-
ira. was. in fact. comprehended in lhe con
tract, and the whole amount at which, they
estimate all that was done, including contract
and extra work, and allowing for repairs,
S 1000 dollars.
In their report they estimate the value of
the work performed in pursuance of the con
tract, at much less than is thereby stipula-
ted.
Your committee solicitous to have every
view of the subject of which it was suscepti-
Bile, at the desire of Mr.. Clarke, appointed
Francis Purdie, and Matthew Woodson, who
assisted IN performing a part of the work, the
former as journeyman, & the latter as jour-
neyman and apprentice to Mr.. Clarke. The
duties assigned to them by your committee
were, to view, measure, and value the work
done IN pursuance OF the contract, and that
which was done on extra account. Theirre-
port is totally vague, indefinite, and unsatis-
factory /; it neither states what work was
done under. one or the other Of them, nor
what IS the value OF THE whole or a part. Tex
cept two articles, one at 500 and the other at
500 dollars) nor do they state the number of
days which were necessary to perform the
whole work. Your committee beg leave also
to refer to their report.
With respect tothe conduct of the officers,
as mere Immediately connected with the o
Va b"ShiiS IL tOuT IOttIIlilttCC
beg leave to state, that although considerable
exertions have been m:-de by the superinten-
daht to select good iron, yet the mode tur.
sued OF depending on sale iron, is not always
calculated oobtain that which is best. Ia a
matter in which the public interest is so deep
" concerned, which exhausts u considera-
be portion of the annual revenue, and in
which the security of the people is so much
involved. more than common assiduity ought
4 TO he.mnnifeSted and ynpr com y, ,tta =, 4, ra - :,
pin'oii. that If proper means were used, stan
ding contracts Tor the best warranted iron
might be had upon terms perhaps not as
cheap as ordinary iron, yet infinitely more
advantageous to the public, and this your
committee would deem the proper course to
he pirsued. though it has hitherto been neg
iected by the superintendent. to whom of
fers appear to have been made To that effect.
On the internal regulations OF Inc manufac-
tory OF arms, and the manner of keeping
those employed there, many complaints are
made by some OF the artificers some OF them
are either untoutded, or the regulations COM
pialued or. indispensibly necessary in an in
s%tititioh OF this kind. Among those of the
latter description, is one which requires eve.
ry person To perform certain stipulated work,
every month, and in default OF performing it,
ne IS charged with six per cent. on the a
mount ofthe work in arrear.
Another regulation would be equally pro-
per. was the iron generally of better quail.
ty the barrel we.ders do not receive pay
ment Tor barrels which burst in the first proof
lowing to bad workmanship and other arti-
aCcf" are treated iii the same manner when
their work is unfit for use. It Frequently hap
pens that the work appears not to be pro
perry executed, when in fact the defect is in
the material; this is particularly the case
where welding is necessary. as that oDerati-
| on Cannot he we'll narEnr>ao ~ ,y;,b b.I ;,a,
independent Of the discounts before mention
5 eo' u appears to your committee, that a de-
duction OF ten per. ccntum has been made in
many instances from the labour of barrel
5 weiders, tor which no satisfactory reason has
been assigned.
ihe manner of making paymentt to the ar
tlhcers is, IN the opinion of your committee,
.''en very ihJurlou, to them; their payment
} IS always IN arrear at least ane month, and
SONG times longer; the object of this reyu
iatcn is stated to be, hat the amount due
rem may be an indemnity to the public,
shouid they embeZzle the materials ontded
v" them this object (was it otherwise pro
per iop.ace the honest and dishonest on The
same SrHund) it is not practicable, IN the o.
pm IN OF your committee, to effect This regu-
%,ation.
1t also appears to your committee, that in
order toremedy the inconvenience of not he
;,ng paid regularly, some of the artifcers
d''riDg the last session, mad a memorial pre-
Jared intended to be presented to the Lee
S'Slatnre, III which they stated the fact OF
not being paid when the money became due,
dio the consequent injury which resulted tc
'hem-aSainst any of the officers it contain
ca no impstation, and was couched in res
pvctsul terms towards the superintendent
he officers appeared much displcased with
) the a;tihcers concerned, when it came to
their knowledge, & limitations were tl,rowp
: out by both the Master Armorers, that iftbe
memorial was pre- sented, those who had
signed 1t would be discharged-some of the
attihcers, IN consequence thereof, withdrew
their names. 1t appeared also, that the su
perlntendant proposed to one of the artificers.
that he would procure him the appointment
OF Master hrmoTer, to fill a vacancy then
expected, il lac would use his influence to
procure a courter-u;emorial
The manner of keeping the books and &C
D. counts at the manufactory IF arms, is oaIcu
: lated to involve the concern in much perplex
ity, and the state of the institution and the pe
neral results, cannot he ascertained, in their
} present situation, without great labnur, and
then perhaps not accurately. To prove this
your beg leave 30 refer to the sta e.
mcnt made by the superintendent 10 a com
mIttce OF the House Of Delegates last yea,
from that IL appears, that IN The first day
} of October, 1907, 97c5 muskets with b.vo-