The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1841-01-21
Mr. Chairman, ] have no disposition TO

mittee. | am willing to make all fair al
lowances on the score of his friendship,
both political and personal, for the acting
commissioner. And it is highly possible
that the honorable gentleman was acluated
by the ''purest and most patriotic motives"
in seeking to screen his friend from the
Legitimate consequences of his official
misconduct by aspersing the character Of
those who have the misfortune not to be
numbered among his personal and politi-
cal friends. shall pass over the great
solicitude ofthe gentleman to be appoint
ed member Of the committee of inves-
tigation, shall say nothing of his dispo-
sition to see only the bright side of the
transactions of the acting commissioner,
and the ever ready apology for any act
[of mismanagement or malpractice dis
coverable in the course of the examiua-
tion. | would only commend them to
his own reflection.
After representing that the majority
''report is calculated from its peculiar
phraseology, to impress the reader with
ideas which The facts before the commit
tee will not warrant, when stripped of the
high coloring and one sided conclusions
drawn from them by the majority Of the
COMMITTEES and that the majority wished
''their views on every minor matter con-
nected with the investigation, TO appear
in their full and broadcast light, and being
preaisposed, from rumors which have
long been aaoat in the country, regarding
the affairs at Iowa City, to Judge harsh
| ly towards the acting commissioner" the
minority proceeds to say:
"These considerations have induced
the undersigned to submit complete
statement of all that came to the knowl.
edge Of the committee during their sitting
at Iowa city, SO far as the same bears
any relation to the accounts of the Acting
Commissioner
A complete statement Of facts truly.
BY joint resolution Of the Legislative
assembly the acting commissioner was
authorized 10 expend the sum Of three
hundred dollars on the Iowa avenue.
Has the minority said any thing about
this appropriation? Has he informed the
Legislative assembly that the committee
endeavored to ascertain whether the act
ing commissioner had applied 10 this OBJ
jecl less or more than the sum appropria-
ted-that frequent reference was made to
work on Avenue in the receipts of the
acting commissioner, and that the COM
mittee were told by him that he had
kept no separate account of the amount
of money he had expended on the avenues!
Here is a specific appropriation. Was
or was it not the duty OF the acting com
missioner to apply it according to law,
and to know when he had expended Just
the amount and no more? If it was, he
has failed to do his duty, and the minori-
ty has not reported the fact. A complete
statement indeed
Has the minority said any thing about
the Frierson contract ? Has he informed
the Legislative assembly that s'John Fri
erson q CO.. entered into articles of a.
greement with the acting commissioner,
to furnish stone, brick, lime and sand for
the capitol, and finding the first branch of
his contract not so favorable bargain as
he desired, he was permitted to abandon
it, and permitted also to transfer the favor
able parts of his contract to third persons?
That as compensation for transferring
that part of his contract in relation to the
furnishing of bricks, Mr. Frierson receives
one dollar on each thousand delivered, to
be retained for him in the hands Of the
acting commissioner. Mr. Frierson it
seems has no difficulty iii contracting for
bricks at seven dollars per thousand. If
seven dollars be the price of bricks, why
is the Territory made TO pay eight. Is
the acting commissioner so unacquainted
with doing business as to render it me-
cessary for him to employ an agent and
to pay him one dollar in eight for max
ing his bargains?
Is this too trivial circumstance to
merit the notice of the minority of the
committee! Truly he has given COM
Iplete statement Of facts!
Has he noticed the Ronalds contracts!
Has he thought proper to tell the Legis-
lative assembly that the acting commits
sioner advanced on ia contract for lum-
Der with Mr. Ronalds, twenty nine dol
lars more than by the terms of it, the con-
tract amounted to That this advance
was made one year before the lumber
was likely to be needed9 That the mill of
Mr. Ronalds when this lumber was to be
sawed, is distant some forty miles from
the capitol! That it is among the most
unlikely things in the world that lumber
should be conveyed that distance, when
there are saw mills within few miles of
the City? And that it looks about as
much like a pretext for the loan of money
as any thing else This is one of the
facts developed by the investigation, and
the majority of the committee though! i,
Of sufficient importance to report it.
Again Mr. Chairman the majority of
the committee thought proper to notice
another fact which seems to have escaped
the attention. OF the minority in making
out his report. allude sir to the form
of the certificates made use of by the
acting commissioner at the sale in 1899.