The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-05-07
Washingten Gossip.
IcoRarsrosDEsc. OF THE .rrusL,c.]

now having charge of public affairs. 1t ia RICH
and proper that they should examine all moote
questions, carefully making up by study wha
they want in experience in their present positions
But there is such thing as riding free horse t
DEATH General Cushing, though notoriousiy
workey, has decidedly too much on his hands, 9
| vast importance to the Government, to undertak
to do all the thinking for all the new subordinate
of his colleagues in the Government.
| hear that be has had actually referred to hin
the tme-and-again disposed of grievances of th
disappointed bidders for contracts in the construc
ZION of the extension of the Capitol. The Wash
ing;on public are we'll aware that special aut
standing committees of Congress, the interior
Department under the last administration, ano
the late Chief Magistrate, as we'll as the late
| Attorney General have each listened patiently tc
| the budget of complaints of those who are still
mourning because they bid too high to get a Ack
| at the Treasury in this connexion. Yet, so far,
no competent authority has been found, after
examination, willing to suspend the work and to
| smash Up the lower bidders who carried off the
prize, in order to give these dissatisfied folks still
another chance. Of course they press their scott
| tbrown-out indictments upon the new gentlemen
now manning the ship of State, who have turned
the matter over upon the pack-horse.
That thoee at distance may understand the
question in issue, proceed to state the case as
| appreciated around Washington by the disinter.
| ested, viz
| Advertisements were issued calling for propose Is
for the construction of the building, contemplating
Athat whoever furnished the marble should cut,
dress, and lay it, each bidder for that portion of
the work being required to present sample
of the marble he proposed to furnish, cut, dress,
and lay. When the bids were examined, it was
4. ~ h;
much lower than any of the many competitors;
while Rice and Beard, of Philadelphia, who offer
ed to do the work with the marble which was
judged most appropriate, after thorough scientific
and practical tests and examinations, were lower
than any others who proposed to furnish an accep.
table material; that of Winter and Provost being
judged deficient. The House and Senate Commit
tees on Public Buildings decided the question in
favor of the marble of Beard and Rice, which made
it impossible to close the contract on the lowest
bid of Winter and Provost; the architect, in a
quandary, submitted the question to the Secretary
of the Department of the Interior who, in turn,
asked the advice of the two committees of Con.
gress above referred to; with whose concurrence
it determined to separate the contracts, giving
to Beard and Rice the contract for furnishing the
material. and to Winter and Provost the contract
for cutting dressing, and laying it. This was
done on such terms that the aggregate cost of the
| whole of this marble work-to be paid to both
Beard and Rice and Winter and Proyost-wilI not
reach the amount which would have been paid un-
der the original lowest bid of Winter and Provost
which contemplated furnishing the rejected infe-
rior stone from the Maryland quarries. The ques.
ton in issue again is, whether the law requires
that this work shall be stopped for the present,
and new proposals be issued, because the letting
do A. 80 4
advertisement contemplated making it in one con-
tract only.
The good people of Washington, having much
at stake in the prompt completion of this and other
public buildings here, have their patience sorely
tried by the facility with which, those who meet
disappointments in getting public jobs, among
their successful competitors, BY, for the time being
getting the of parties having authority to order
delays in the prosecution of such works So far az
this marble work is concerned, each succeeding
pother over it has 30 far ended only in impress
ing Congress and the Executive branch of the
Government with the stronger belief that self,
rather than sympathy for the public interest," 10 at
the bottom of all the bowling about this marble
work which we have heard hourly, from the day
the contracts were let to the present moment
am yet unable to inform you whether the Hon.
Albert Constable, of Maryland, accepts or rejects
the Solictorship of the Treasury. Ifh rejects it.,
the Administration will hardly offer it to another
MaryIander. You will recolIect that it was first
offered to Judge LIE Grand, of the supreme of
that State. Though he, too, rejected it, he was,
up to the hour of doing so. an applicant for the
position, hear. Shortly after his suit for it was
fret pressed, Judge fancy became ill, whereupon
visions Of Judge LIE Grand's prospective appoint
ment to the post of Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court of the United States foated before the una
gination of his Judge lie Gay friends. So they
varied their application in his behalf, essayng to
stipu!ate that his appointment to the soiicorship,
which had by that time been promised, should not
be considered a'bar to his further preferment, in
case the Administration found that they could give
Maryland something better: i. e., the post of the
then i'll Chief Justice, 1t is said, further, that the
President intimated that he could make no such
bargain with the friends of any gentleman, though
really anxious to fill the solictorship with an in
cumbent 80 competent and desirable in all respects
as Judge LIE G. Eut the judges friends, caIcuat.
ing that fancy could hardly recover, thoa sht the
bird in the bueh worth more than that in hand go
they persuaded him to decline the solicitorship.
Judge fancy having subsequently recovered, |
fancy that the bird in the bush is a: this moment
hardly worth a chew of tobacco. Yet shall not
be surprised to learn shortly that Mr.. Constahe,s
SuACoIt ossihcpt reference 10 the tenor
ply to the proffer Of the solcitorshp is occasoned
by the squnts which he is taking at that came bird
in the bu.h -es-..r s'.
Inc Ho"s. Hendricks B. Wright. of Pennsylva-
MIA, is here stirring up the Post Office Department
with long pole, fancy, relative to postmaster
ships in bis Congressional district, which. accord.
ing to their reading of the law in such cases made
and provided, are deemed and taken by members
of Congress TO be mere .livings'' in their gift, in
the English sense of the term.
Mr.. Francis 8. Shultz another clerk in the Third
Auditors Office, was removed last night. The fol-
lowing new incumbents were sworn in to. day as
elerka of that bureau, viz: Messrs Henry E. Wood
bury. Patrick H. Cooney, Al p, Rernis, T. G. Pal
mer, George o, H. Winder, ]. w. Parker, and J.
Newcomb Knapp ICHABOD.
P. $. The Cabinet to-day were engaged princi.
pally on Pennsylvania Presidential post office APP
pointments, many Of which were diaposed of.
Questions of general policy were talked over also.
No diplomatic appointment was touched, The
Secretary of War, Col. jefferson Davis, attended
the council, being sufficiently recovered from his
recent attack Of neuralgia to venture out,
SECOND DIsTRIcT OF VIRGIS{A.-Geacral John
8. Millson has been nominated for re election to
Congress FROM the Norfolk district by the 6mo