Washington sentinel., 1854-05-10
O. 0 NJ m 1nitate6. IL
Bricks.

A single firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts,
manufactures, with only two hundred hands,
over 20,000,000 of bricks in single season.
With the addition of fifty more hands they
could easily increase the number of bricks made
to 30,0O0,0OO.
The statement that sufficient number Of
bricks to build the wings of the Capitol could
not have been obtained from the brickmakers
in Washington is sheer subterfuge and pre-
text which will deceive no wellinformed person.
The records show that several experienced
men, of ample means and high character, of.
fered to furnish bricks in any quantity for less
than SO per thousand That they did not 60
ahead and prepare large quantity, so as to
have them on hand this spring, is simply be-
cause no contract was made with them. For
So per thousand less than the bricks purchased
abroad cost the government, enough bricks
build FIVE capitols, and Of infinitely better quality
than those obtained in New York.
The contract for laying the brick at So 40
per thousand was made December 20, 1852,
and the contractor had ample time, during the
winter until the spring opened, to organize his
force and malA all necessary arrangements to
commence work; yet, pnder a pretext that
time was needed to make preparations, he and
his securities are released without one single
effort being made towards q compliance with
his contract
On the other hand, the contractors who un-
dertook to furnish the bricks at less sum than
Sc, or little more than onehalf the price since
paid for them, and did make strenuous efforts
to carry it out in good faith, are with their secu
rites, held responsible for the difference be-
tween their contract price and cost incurred in
obtaining them elsewhere. See Captain Meigs's
report, October %, 1858.
What law, civil or military, authorizes Cap
tain Meigs to release obligations due to govern
ment2 And who gives him authority to cancel
bonds?
For what reason is one contractor and his
securities held absolved from liability, while
the other and his securities are held bound
The liability of the defaulting brick-contrac-
tor is not to be determined by military laW.
The civil courts will settle that question, and /
opine the criterion Of damages will not be the
difference between the contract price and the
cost incurred by Captain Meigs; but the diff
ference between the contract price and what
any responsible man in good faith would have
furnished them for in Washington, if under all
the circumstances any damages are allowed.
Thecontractor who undertook tofnrnish bricks
for the Capitol at less than Sc per thousand
could have complied with his contract, if bricks
made at Badensburg had not been arbitrarily
rejected, and made money thereby.
The bricks thus rejected, or those out OF the
same kiln, we're afterwards purchased for the
aqueduct. If they were not good enough Tor
the solid walls of the Capitol, how happens 1t
that they were sufficient for the aqueductf
The New York bricks are inferior, not only IN
size. but in every other respect, to the bricks
rejected at the Capitol. The material out Of
which they are made is not only bad, but they
arc neither well made nor well burned. No
private citizen would use them when he could
get bricks made here, even at one-third more
Cost. BRICKMAKER.