Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-10-26

TcIutltu ~ ttC Oupltci. w NV Pew
edly. assured me and others that your only
object in vetoing the bills for extending
Bakers contract and allowing him to
draw the money on his bonds, was, to see
that the money and bonds remaining in
the Treasury were faithfully applied to fl
nishing the Capitol.
Would not the funds have been faith
fully applied to this object by the plan you
suggested, and which put in writing last
MAY! You admitted that they would, and
vet you would not suffer the agreement 10
be consummatcd, unless another and a
distinct object could be accomplished by it,,
to wit, the settlement Of the suits. Now
is it possible for you or any other man TO
believe, that the faithful expenditure of
those funds is at all dependant upon the is
sue of the suits Cannot money be ex-
pended Just as economically, and the Capt.
toll finished just as speedily while those
suits are pending as though they were dis
missed
You have repeatedly told ne that If Bax
ter did not prosecute the work with energy
YOU wished me to take the funds in the
Treasury and procure others to do the
work. M. Baxter did not progress with
the work as rapidly as had hoped, and |
at length determined to pursue the course
YOU had recommended, unreasonable as it
appeared to me, that you should not be
willing to extend to Baxter the same facll-
tiles for finishing the building that you
would to aother man. | made enquiry and
found mechanics who were willing TO do
the work Immediately. | then submitted
the question to you whether my drafts in
payment for their work should be honored
by the Treasurer. You answered me that
if | would settle those suits as you had
promised, my drafts should be cashed; but
that on no other terms could command a
dollar Of that money. assured you that
the Territory would not be com1e He'd to a
bandon just claim TO as many thousand.
entreat you 10 examine well your posi-
ton. The suits out Of the question, YOU
are not willing that the money should be
paid to Mr.. Baxter as he progresses with
the work,and gives up the bond>-you are
not wiling thai should use the funds in
employing others 10 do it, and YOU are de-
.ermirod that Mr.. Baxter shall not do it
with his own means, if you can possibly
prevent him by repudiating his bonds, by
crying down bis crodit and Gecoyiog men
from his employment.
You say that similar course was pur-
sued with Mr.. Morrison. If so, | do
not hesitate to say that it was contemplate
-Supremely So-and beneath the initiative
genius Of any honorable man.
The reason you assign to others for
Withholding the money IS, that you are de-
lermined the scoundrel shall not squander
it. But if the suits are discharged, you
are nevertheless willing they should have
it. Are you prepared then to admit that
if you can accomplish by it so desirable
an object as the discharge Of the suits, you
are willing the public money should be
absolutely squandered? You cannot pos
sbIy make men believe that money spccic7-
y applied to finishing the Capioll would be
any the more or less squandered whether
the suits are prosecuted or discharged. -
1t would require more fog than ever rose
from the Four Lakes to hide such mon
strous adsurdity.
You warn me Of the fearful response
bility | assume by continuing Mr.. Baxter
in the work and not commencing suit
against him. Fit is true that he is a bank
rupt and hat nothing can be collected from
him. as you assure his mechanics, of what
avail would it be to sue him? If all stories
be true, the Territory has suits enough
against bankrupts already pendng: and
would it not be wise before we commence
against another to get all the work out Of
him we can!
Again, if should turn him out OF pos
session and commence suit against him,
you would not give me the means of en-
pIoylng any one else, except upon the old
condition; so that the question is between
having Mr.. Baxter do all can prevail on
him to do and having nothing done. You
blame Mr.. Baxter for not doing more work
and you blame me for letting him do any;
and yet you express great anxiety to have
the building finished. But you say it is
no. right to sue one dcfaulter and let anoh-
er pass; therefore Mr.. Baxter ought to be
sued as well as Mr.. Morrison. If Nor
rison IS a delauter, why 90 YOU assist
him! If he is not much less is Mr.. Rax-
ter a defaulter. Forty thousand, round.
hard dollars were placed in your hands 10
build the Capitol, and Mr.. Morrison as
contractor was obliged 10 receive nothing
but these, and if he has not been paid, the
default rests upon you or your associates.
Mr.. Baxter stands as a creditor of the
Territory in the double relation of purcha-
ser OF the bonds, and contractor for finish
ing the Capitol, and as such he has really
received nothing from the Territory but
lis bond>; and those bonds you have de-
cIared to be atterly void. Here is just the
difference. Now, Sit, permit me in return
10 ,IIraco