The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-04-07


of Tho members Of the lcttiog board--that
6 the estimates Of the Engineers are uniform
as 70 price. there has been fraudulent and
corrupt conduct in contracting largo portion
Of the work at about the estimates, while the
bonrd determined TO bring the aggregate 10 pee
cent below, thus letting portions Of the work at
ON 20 to 30 per cent below tho estimates That
the etting board did not pay duo regard to prices.
nor to tho ability OF the par.ies the securities Of
fered, as the law commanded them that the whole
schcmc OF the letting ia favoritism gross ~ tO
be undistinguishsble from corruption. That it was
tae duty Of tho letting board TO have adopted uni
form rule, =" safe and advantageous to the State;'
which would have given the work TO the lowest COM
pctent responsible bidder that il in the exercise OF
sound discretion, the board judged tho Engineers
estimates most safe and advantageous TO tho State,
II should havo selected tho bid nearest that osl-
mate il that it would be sc most safe and advan-
tageous TO the State" to let tho work 10 per
cent below the estimate, it should have adhered
uniformly to that standard as TO tho price, and
lot the work accordingly. 1t is for the house TO
decide whother tho board acted with a proper dis
erection in selecting bidders, giving an advance OF
thirty per cent to their friends and relatives and to
such parties ~ could bring n strong influence to
bear upon the board; if the house ia Of the opinion
that this can DO done without fraud, il will ofcourso
ratify the lettings 4th l have shown that The
board awarded contracts to persons who did not
bid, and to others who wore compelled to assign
them. II the house ia of opinion that this was
awarding tho contracts in pursuance OF law, and
tho assignments. 5th. If the house is of opinion
that tho board acted properly in rejecting the pro-
grammc Of John I. Clark, for the distribution of
the work on the middle division Of the Erie Ca
nal and the 0swego locks, in order to sward
B%% S G. c'' Story. and '' othss q Si like
stamp, at $2l7,59O, higher prices tina, Mr..
Clark had awarded it, it will ratify those Contracts
and by implication, censure Mr.. Clark for hsteme-
rity and rashness. 9th. have shown from tic evil
dence gross favoritism and collision of the State
officers in tho discharge Of their official duly, by
which tho State must suffer from two to three mil
lions dollars by giving to their relatives. friends
between politicians, this larger amount. tits for
the house to decide whether such favorit5m 5r col
fusion is or is not public fraud, and misconduct
in office. Such are the propositions which tho vote
Of tho house must decide, il it approves sf the
report of the majority Of tho scleot COM
mittee and bill Of the gontloman from Temp
kins.. Is the house. prepared to sustain those
reports, and to lcgalize the lettings, by adopt
kins, against the gross favoritism, the glarng
frauds, and manifest corruptons clearly esta-
blished by the evidence? The question nov comes,
the Erie canal be enlarged by these contractors?
You have seen who they are. Their pursuits, their
habits Of life, their occupations if they have any,
all inconsistent with that energy and experience
which is required in that class of men who have
heretofore contracted for the completion ofour pub
lie works. will not include all in this allegation.
There are some good experienced contractors asso-
ciated with these political proaigates, Who have
been enable to obtain these canal lettings by their
personal and political influence with tlr letting
board. Why have they associated otfcrs with
them! Because it was only through thesemediums
that they could get contracts, and their loss from
the association was to be compensated by he avail
ability Of the "higher bids" Does any ono suppose
the canal be enlarged under this system offraud
and favoritism! That the 50 000, 900 canbe placed
aaf a1v in aunh hondc and that tha NM will
take their bond as a guaranty for he COM
pleton Of this work! ] have already slpwn that
millions have been sacrificed in these Lettings to fla
yortsm and fraud, and that in the illegal md fraudu
lent conditions of the contract there can be no limit
to the amount of the debt, except the holesty of
canal commissioner and engineer, and he length
Of the contractors purse. To what extent the in
tegrty Of canal commissioners and engineers may be
relied on, the testimony on your tables will demon
strate. might here well ask, where vii the fruits
of this conspiracy, If successful, to rob the public
works go, and whether it will DO any clief to the
tax payer consolation to labor for labor has finally
to pay all public debts in some way They will
learn that the money thas squandcHd goes to
pay the accumulated debt Of wickedness and
folly for years past, contracted around the halls
of legislation by band Of political pioAigates,
formed from sections Of both the great political
parties in this State, and for moneys thrown in
to the harlot's lap, lost on the gamblers table,
or wasted in luxures that their yampered and
surfeited stomachs rejects, and which are thrown
to the dogs, but which toll must pay for, under
scorching suns and through long wearisome days.
Common honesty, common sense, tells us that the
Erie Canal can never be enlarged under such a
system-that the whole thing would end in the
Stoppage of the public works and the diversion Of
trade through other channels-trade thai otherwise,
in few years. would pour its rich and eniching
tide through the enlarged Erie Canal. hive said
we must get rid Of these frauds which have fstened
on this great public improvement, or in the end
they will and must destroy it-.frauds whh have
<l.c has xl,o
bottom and sides of the noble ship, eating out and
rottng out her strength, until shc ne longer able to
rise on the mountain wave, sinks a miserable hulk
into the unfathomed depths of the ocein. The
the gentleman from Tompkins forces the sub
ject on me. He referred to recent election in
Buffalo. ] would say that the defeated candidate
for Mayor was an intimate friend Of a contrac-
tor, if not interested. and the prinsirl democrat
defeated was a contractor. If the gentleman
could make anything out of this he wa welcome to
it, The gentleman from Tompkins had said the
democratic party was pledged to carryout the Erie
Canal bill. In his liberal construction of the pledge
we are also pledged to overlook all tie favoritsm
and frauds in the execution Of the Inv, especially
if the alloments were half and hal, the ID. and
W. column is evidently footed, and The scales are
kept in the centre. Sir, admit tha pledge. and
the democratic party is now willing, rot only to live
up to that pledge, but also to the canal resolution
of the Syracuse Convention which le ascribes to
me. Was that pledge--that bond,' if suits the
gentleman any bettcrto be held IN terorem over the
party to close their eyei and seal their
lips to these official depredations he Erie Canal,
If we acquiesce in these frauds, we become accesso
res--sink even below political contractor, below
his stool pigeon or his goat Early in January
! did say this floor, in speaking Of portion Of
the present board, who belonged to the letting
board:-
If there any members Of that board who. through
persuasion Of friends Of judgment have be-
implicated in these lettings there stiH opPor
tunty OF correcting their error removing all suspicious
Of corruption and doing justice to the State and them
selves If this opportunity Is lost now lost forever
like the moments of time nov passing before VS..
passed il will be lost forever-once gone il
turn and they must stand by what has been done and
abide the consequence i'll all future time principals.
Sir. that warming was in vain. Had they then
acted and done their duty 10 tie State and them
selves, and rid the canal Of these fraudulent lci
tngs. end annulled such portions Of the lettings
a. political profgates had seized upon, and
promptly re-let the work TO honest and expert
enced contractors. the lower competent and re.
sponsible bidders. as law and honesty enjoined
them to do public works would have been