The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1841-02-04
Speech Of NEr Hebard,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The House having ordered the Reports
of the majority and minority of the
Committee, appointed to visit Iowa
! City, examine into the condition of the
Public Buildings, books, papers, and
records of the acting Commissioner, to
be taken from the table,
Mr. HEBARD said-I have made the
motion before the House, merely that |
might be in order in making few re-
marks, which conceive to be required
of me by sense of duty and self respect.
regret the necessity am under of say
ing what must say in relation to this
singular paper. endorsed by the gentle
man from Du Buque. am. sir, aston
Iished that such paper should have been
offered to this House, as the result of in
ves,igations at Iowa City. Astonished
that a man, acting under the solemnity Of
an oath. sworn guardian of the interests
of the people, should come into this
I House, and make statements, such as are
contained in the minority Report. 1t Is
to my mind an additional evidence of the
{lamentable extent, to which man S
honest judgment may be prevented, by
the influence of prejudice. personal friend
ship or interest. ! disregard the ridicu-
lous pretension to candor and generosity
in ascribing ''pure and patriotic motives, :"
when in the very next sentence there FOL
: lows statement, which if true, ought to
deprive me of seat in this House. In
addition to the puerile ambition of de-
string g their views on every minor mat
ter connected with the investigation to
appear in their full and broadest light, .
the majority are charged with having mu.
,iia,ed and suppressed the testimony as
taken before the Committee, and of hav-
| ing presented to this House one sided
; and partial report Of it, Had the gen
,leman stated that the majority, while al
Iowa city, were guilty Of acts known as
, crimes to the laws of the land, the charge
/ would have been no more surprising. Al
, present will say no more of the issue
made in the preface Of the gentleman
: report between himself and the majority
c of the Committee. but pass to thos
parts which are of more importance K
the members of the House. A correc
knowledge of the mode in which tn
public business has been done, is of mor
consequence to those who hear me, THAI
the truth or falsity of the gentleman
charges. The Acting Commissioner
more particularly since the release o
:. some of the heavy contractors, has ma
!, naged the business by means OF certain
n agents or Foremen'' in charge Of tn
d different parts of the work, and imme
,, dia,ely responsible to himself. Thes
G foremen keep pay-rols. showing the {
p mount Of labor performed under their ST
is pervison, and at stated periods give tn
III acting Commissioner recei pts, purportn
is to be the amount necessary to pay tn
Il labor done by the hands under their cor
lie troll. These receipts certified to be ''col
u rect and true by the acting Commu
N sioner, are sent to the Auditor as propt
lie vouchers, on which to obtain warran
sc upon the Treasury. Although this
rather an invasion of the usual mode
doing business. to audit receipts Tor nj
ney, before the warrant had ever be"
= issued. to draw the same from the Trea
urv, still the committee would have pas
}. ed over any rregularily of this kind, hi
there no ill consequences grown out OF
r | shall proceed by contrasting the stat
ments contained in the two reports, r
20 lative to the receipts given by the ditte
81 ent" foremen," and if the majority sta
,st that there have been given for much la
of ger sums than were necessary to me
en- the expenses that had accrued under t
a. suspension of the signers. their sta
he ments are supported by the account Civ
ar in the report of the minority. Notwil
ia standing the great pretended differen
az between the two reports, and the quito
IT. of Z" injustice to individuals made
be the gentleman from Du Buque, let i
ap, tell him that in almost every essens
fn position we have taken, we are susta
ed by his own complete statement
. so far as they go. and in those lnstant
where he conlradicts us, he likewise &C
,radicts himself. The first receipt
Mr. Woodwork we report to be''5 100,
100 designed to cover the expenses
ii. the teams and hands under his char
the in the months of June and July, WI
Ter- the expenses of the hands and teams !
), me E der him in these months according
a.. pay-rols which he says were kept
ow- himself, amount to only $454, 1910
nth We state sthat hands and teams /
70. o. been added thereto, sufficient to make
ohm the difference between the actual amo
orr. of his expens es and the amount he
rter ceipts for, and that Mr. w. in this instanc
,ngg.e made to receipt for Sl4j, the expendis
Of which he could know nothing abou
Lot The minority states that the "recelp
ken Mr. Woodwork. was for 5000, 3D..
the MIR Woodworth's pay-rolls were Garrett
.ho examined, and we found that in
erty months of June and July. they amour
Web to S444 46-]O0. the balance of the
Ill ceipt is made up by the exhibit OF
l I : ceipts Of different individuals Tor h
of, ing. &c. Where can the minority
er Of ground of complaint in our statement
G. . latiye to this receipt !! He does not
= = % tend that the balance was expended
! L,r Mr. w hut nwaS made up by