Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-02-03
puBLIC BUILDINGS.

dem,ssNessege, as relates 10 the Pabiie
Buildings.
The committee on SO much of the Pre-.
| side1,'s Message as relates To the Public
| Buildings, Report, III part, That, from the
] various iaciS and documents laid before
! them, II appears that 1.-the work of The
centre building has been carried on in a
style coniorlnable 10 the other parts oil
| The building. The walls have been raised
10 the height contemplated in The esii-
| males presented AT the last session ol
Congress, and workmen are now engaged
in preparing The materials for the conlin
! uance of the work" Asyet, 1.-THE expense
! OF this part Of The building has not cx-
ceeded the estimates" and your commit
tee entertain strong hope that il will
not become necessary 10 change their
language, and hereafter recommend an
{ additional appropriation, to cover an 3" er.
/ cess Of Expenditure" bnt that the exercise
| of "a prudent forethought, aud more correct
numerical calculations, by those TO whom
| the ere elton OF this proud editice' has
| been entrusted, will afford ample tesii
mony that public confidence in their in
tcgrity aud abilities is not misplaced.
In relation TO the two wings of the
Capitol. the Presidents House, and two
new Executive Offices, itappears that The
| appropriations the two last years have
not been sufficient TO meet the expendi-
lures. The appropriations in 1918 aud
1919, for the completion OF the wings,
| Exclusive oil 100000 heretofore appropri
| atedO amounted TO the sum OF Sl3I 1872 ;
this SUM has beeniusuificieni by S75, 900.
The sum otSi5,2l4 was appropriated, in
| 1919, for q finishing The Presidents House.
| The expenditures have exceeded this sum
by SI3.i74 90 In 1918, the sum OF
| $3.50, al was appropriated for building
two new Executive Oshces it proved u-
sufficient tor those objects by LOIS Il.
| IOnr committee have examined iuio
the causes OF ttlls great excess beyond The
| appropriations, and have been satisfied
tllallhe expenditures have actually Jee1,
! male. The letter of Mr.. Buihnch ca to-
| gei!ier with the letter of the commissioner
OF The Public Buildings, (marked No. 1.
| and The severa! COMMUNICATIONS and do
cumentS accompanying &, ,(marked No.
,, 8, 4, 5 and o. will account for large
part OF the excess in finishing the wings
OF The Capitol. From these documents
II VIII also appear that the particulars in
which the excess accrued, appear TO be
more IN outstanding aud unascertained
accounts and claims, than in error In the
estimates upon which the appropriations
/ were made.
The letters Of AIR. James Hoban, the
architect of the Presidents House and
ESeeutiVe Offices, hereto annexed, (mark.
ed B and CO. have been laid before Tie
committee, IN order 10 account for such
excess as has accrued in repairing and
] finishing those buildings. For such parI
oi The expenditures as are not accounted
Tor by these various documents, the com
miiiee have examined the accounts ofthe
disbursements of the Commissioner oi
The Public Buildings, and have been sat
ls1led that The whole amount of the exec SIS
! $3.50, 1870 81 has been expended. They
also express their belief, that The severa
buildings could mol have been advanced
to their present finished condition. by ihe
appropriations made for them Believing
| That The question whether The cxpendi,
lures upon the public buildings have
been prudemily made?' was subject mat
Ter for lie enquiries OF another committee
OF this house, your committee have not
directed their attention TO Thai subject
The committee think il but justice Ia
Mr.. Bulfincb 10 observe, that The esti.
mates heretofore submitted by hin, (soou
ALTER his coming into oilice) in relation 10
completing Tie wings OF Tie Capitol, were
necessarily founded upon the informa
lion and dala furnished by others, 10
winch their lnsufficIency for the intended
objects may be traced, in a great measure
ana that II was scarcely possible foi
Inn, AT that time, 10 have knowledge
OF outstanding aud unpaid accounts, aud
nnadjusied contracts.
la order TO defray these various expen-
ses, foGnd necessary beyond the appro.
prlalIoDs, IT appears that The Commits
sioner of The Public Buildings has resort
ed TO "a transfer ofappropriaiions intend
ed Tor other objects, which il was moi
immediately necessary or practicable
10 execute, and 10 a loan from one OF the
banks. To what exieni, aud under villa
| authority lie acted, in relation as well Il
the transfers as The loan, will appear from
the letters hereto annexed (uiarked No
and 81
The committee beg leave 10 report
biII, making appropriations TO supply the
deficiencies III tie appropriations hereto
fore made for completing The repairs o.
The two wings OF the Capitol and lie Pre-
sident's house, aud the erection of i've
new Executive Offices.
The letters and statements accompa.
| nying this report, consist of details re
| speeding stone and wood which il is sup
posed our readers can have no desire Ia
pernse.l