Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1852-03-30
REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE.

The select committee appointed examine into and
nor; tho cos OF the Washington monument 50 Tar as s con-
struction las progressed and mo inc abuses any, whch
have been practised by those engaged n lis construction in
rcn,Td 10 tools the State quarry POWDER &C. and to report
uron such other matters may he deemed pertinent in re-.
aton to said monument have had under consideration the
subjects 10 them fcerrear ana submit "e iono"i's'
REPORT:
According 10 statement of the first Auditor, the whole
,munt from the treasury, accoun. oil the WASH
,n ,nnnnn,sn, m to the lOt! instant, is SS 567 95.
Besides Monument fund proper contingent fund has
been created arising from the sale OF refuse stone evolved
from the State quarry and amounting to 8 ooU MS sum-
.ddt IN the expenditure tie fund proper exhibits TO-
tai OF SS95l7 95. No part Of This contingent fund has
passed into the treasury but was retained ny me cua Oh
Gov Floyd in hands of tho Pnymasier TO meet coni'
There is in the hands tie paymaster ready to be paid
over the sum of S23l4 o. and in dues 10 the monument
un secured by nolcs the further sum Of s2595 3 making
tnI in cash hand Crd biIs receivable OF S49us 49,
which, deducted from The assresae Of s793l 30 sn easG
or The amount drawn from the treasury the sum OF S20Og
was on preliminary expenses ms follows slooo
for ceremonies Of laying stone dggins foundation
and erecting sheds the square, and s3UO on account oil
premium for monument design. o.o
vanccs made To Thomas Crawford Esq (now in ltay on
his contract for furnishing the equestrian group pedestrian
statues and other equipments for The monument
There il on the monument ground n quantity oil GOOD
valued by the architect at 1874 aud the quarry
be transported The square when needed further quaint
" OF such stOno valued at SlUUU.
There is due also the monument fund.- on account 81
tolls 10 be refunded by the James river and Ranawha compa-
nv tie sam of S525 and further sum Que from that COM
onv for stone delivered between July 1851 and January
And the stock on hand at this date consisting of slaves
horses oxen carts wagons dertcks tools &C. according
to an estimate furnished the committee by Mr. Mills the ar
chirect ia put down ut Sl0,40G.
IF the last six items be deducted from the gross c1pend
ture before stated will leave carGeabe to the archectu
raj dcnarmen, of the monument the OF $50 SOB o.
For more detailed particulars as 10 the cost OF Inc several
,,re ri tho monument and the comparative Of do
me- the work ON state accoun and by the SYSTEM
yor committee refer 10 the report Of Mr. Mills made 10
Gov Fovd in November last From tho data OF that report
IL aprears that there has been saving 10 the by hav
nr the work dorc through her agents while better
crials and workmanship hare been secured.
Tho Who'll. of the monument from commencement TO
completion, your committee estimate as follows:
,.,o,,. ,I,oadr nyr,ndcd StG03 81
~, cnn,ystn orchi,pc,nral depar,men as per es,I-
mr,c of tic architect 5000 90
Cor eorcs,ri,n urorp neiesri.n statues shields
wrennha md siars as pcr contract with sir Craw.
c,rJ 52g75 co
'
l535S3 81
Doduct q o l nlready advanced Mr. Crawford 10000 O0
Total cost S435SS 81
In regard nbus.s alleged 10 have been pracsGd by those
engaged in the construction OF the monument the following
spccc charges were handed In to your committee as the
basis of their investigations:
Frs;-rha ruarcs for the State were opened at heavy
and abandoned and let go the hands Of pr-
vale contractors which enued the injury of the State"
Sccoadly-"hat powder tools and horse feed have been
TAX en- for mi vaie puposra and accounted for"
Thirdly men iavc been paid for labor who never
performed it.n
Numerous Witnesses examined these points, and
the widest range allowed in the investigations but your COM
mittcc found nothing in the voumnos Of testimony
taken 4, snbstanac either OF the foregoing specifications
or to establish the existence of any abuse.
The rcports Of The architect show that the state quarry
was onencd greatly to tho advaut,c Of the state both 10
pccuniary view ard regard quality of the ma.arin
put the cnnstruco on OF the monument There is evil
dence that they cnarcd 10 the private bene. of Individuals
Large quantities Of inferior stone such as would not sn
for the purposes Of The monument las has been read