The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-04-17


work is dsgI Iaoefu aud would be permitted for the
cellar, walls OF New England kitchen" iR.
A. That systematic peculation and embezzlement have
been pacsed by the persons Entrusted With the supern
iendsnce and management OF he work. by means OF false
accounts. whereby large portions (in instances
nearly onehal OF the public money, charged to the
eminent as paid for labor have been absaced from the
osensibe wages OF the abofDg men. the condition OF
'heiI employment and poekeed by the superintendent
and his subordnaes Some idea may be formed of the
amount OF money absorbed by this species of BLACK
man. when " Is known that, Tor large portion OF the
nne, ihe number OF men employed upon this work has
ranged from hve TO seven hundred day.
D. lhai IN some instances incompetent persons. who
were not mechanics, have been employed for work in
which experienced and skul mechanics required;
and this not mad yerenty ignorany. but evidently
as mode whereby this black mail" easily
levied upon the government and the laborer; and, in
some instances whereby the subordinate supenendents
were permitted and enabled receive full journey ymens
wages Tor their own apprentices.
g. That more persons have been employed upon the
work than were necessary proper, may have been
observed by every member OF Congress in passing daily
through the Capitol grounds while the work going
on especially the work OF moving materials from the
several depos TO the wallis where. in many instances,
eight or nine men, barnessed TO truck, employed
at cost OF some ten dollars day 10 do what would have
heen easier and more appropriate work tor two and
one horse at three dollars day and the work thus paid
Tor at the greater cost performed in unsys-
ema'ic, unconh, and slow that IN view Of the improved
mechanical processes OF the present day. they would be
amusing. did not the dishonesty in which they originate
iubc interest require them 10 be arrested Hs9 w. e
T. That the scarodmg around the walls, which, under
the contracts, should have been made al the expense OF
the contractors has been paid Tor by The government, at
an expense OF many thousand dollars as an unauthorized
sratnIy 10 coafacors #.srs t.sa4t
g. That, in various other ways and in smaller amounts
he labor and materials paid or by the government have
through the negligence or connivance and in in
by The difecon OF the persons in charge OF the
work, been converted TO the private uses OF themselves
and others ltE
The foregoing exposition, warranted and sustained as
the committee believe to be, by tho testimony adduced
goes far for the inferior quality and small
quantity OF the work already DONE compared with the
large sums OF money consumed byn the foundations IN
secure and barely completed the superstrucure just be-
gur one million Of dollars expended!
But the explanation OF this will be complete. and Il
fraudulent character Of the whole transaction placed
the strongest and clearest light by reference TO the con-
tracts for the MARBLE WORK." set forth in the fore
going abstract of testimony These contracts extraor-
dnaTy they in their terms, still more for the
ingenuity and bodness with which, in their execution,
The employees OF the government have construed them in
favor of the contractors and 10 the injury OF the govern
ment aaa r. $50 hha ~ = Y.
The difference in the prices even as fixed by the con-
tract TO be paid for the different sizes OF the blocks oil
marble is alone extraordinary, and opens wide
door to fraud 10 excite suspicion OF unfarness honk
out Iha, difference, 1t IS seen amonn's TO more than
tuo0 bundled per cent between blocks measuring less
than 80 cubic feet and those measuring more than 80
cubic eehe former costing only 65 cents foot, while
the latter cost ~ 9S foo In the of the piers be-
tween the windows, shown by The diagram a pre-
cedng page, In connexon with the testimony of The
Commissioner OF Public Buildings, the effect OF this diff
ference is clearly and s,rikingly exemplfed There II
seen that 10 hll cubic space OF 80 feet and inches
this peculiar feature Of e contract left TO the choice OF
the contractor 10 furnish marble at $40 &C. al $50 69
and topocket The difference, divide IL with any
federaies he might have to the amount Of $40 81 In
this exempcaon II will be seen also. that there could
be no sort OF necessity, nor even advantage conve-
nsnce, to the government, or for the character of the
work that snss block OF 80 feet inches should be
used instead of two blocks each of Is feet II nch to
NIL the same space, Why. then, was it done ~ 81
II may be well understood II, IN any portion oil the
work, blocks OF marble OF extraordinary sze difficult to
be qaarred incoavenient TO handle, and expensive to
transport should be required for the strength beauty OF
the building that larger price would be demanded, and
might properly be paid for them But the committee
hardly conceive instance where, n the whole build
ing this excess OF size in any single block OF marble
would Justify the demand. or warrant the payment Of
more than tAreefotd price for IT, Certainly the commit
tee do not 6nd IN any portion OF the work done;
and they are disposed TO agree with the Commissioner
oil Public Buildings, when he that OF the ,31S
feet delivered in blocks measuring than thirty cubic
feet which delivered up to the I4th OF February,
not one was required of that large size Why, them
were such received and paid Tor at 81 9s footamount
ing to ,ssswhen others OF equal value and answer
lag the same purpose could have been had sixy-6ve
cents a foot-amountng to Sal 500 only'
But supposng thai any number, even many, oil these
larger blocks were required, IL is certain that eomps
tent architect could the beginning have 6xsd their
number, and calculated TO foot the sze and shape of
each block large and small that would be required and
II he were faithful be would have made each item
fixed and calculated specification in the contract But
tns having been elt vague and undetermined In the
tract way was thereby left open for COLLISION and
fraud in the sreon OF the contract 10 which the
mittee know no parallel, and OF which, so far the
work has progressed. the parties ine have
availed themselves with prompttude avdy, and free
dom Tor which preconcert and arrangement alone could
have qualified them for success And frauds OF this
character to large amount might be practsed with sue
under the o. the contract IL stnctly
strued and adhered to throughout according TO the org
nal estas (as 10 the proportion of large and small bocks)
upon which ii was based. That estimate, made BY
the architect understood 10 be 900 feet in blocks
more than 30 cubic feet and 100000 feet In bocks lee
than 80 cubic feet in size, would of ITSELF exempiked
IN the diagram give profit TO the contractor
at the unnecessary expense Of the government And
when II is considered that such an estimate 10 held BY
other persons, competent TO make and the
observation ot any intelligent will suggest TO be
cupaby exusvagana at leas, double and perhaps three
fold, what ought TO be-h lays foundation and fur
nsbes facilities for fraud only equalled by the avdiy
and success with which they have been availed of.
anlable exuavagance in the original estimate appears
only an entering wedge TO rive open the treasury and
oil every pocket OF the contractors and any coniederates
they might have, with the spoiIs. As an ssssSas II
OF course only approximation 10 the actual pro-
portion, leaving TO eonng snes and the discr OF the
architect during the progress of the work, dstesmine
the proportions. What has been the character
OF those contingencies and what The resu OF that arch
tectura dscreon, may be found BY bearing mind that
this es,ae onsourfh, 900 out OF 400 900 cubic
eeL) and then comparing with the architects let
ter, of February H. where he shows the proportion OF
employing it by reference 10 The diagram, and the ca,cu
laious OF The Commissioners OF Public Buildings II will
thus be found that by species oil nrchtetfra sQuAow
never heard OF BEFORE hreeorrh reduced to less
than onsfh and, per contra, oneofh s increased 10
more Than Jnir nh And all this being in favor ef s