Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-08-14

lowing specific charge -,
Before l take leave of the treasury oui'o
ing, and pass to the consideration OF tne oaPi
toll and Post Office extensions, permit me to
make single remark in reference 70 the ma
rine hospital now in process Of construction at
Cleveland, Ohio That is one OF the eighty
four public buildings, the control OF which is
committed to this same officer, Captain Bow
man When at home some hve or six weeks
ago, / met with an intelligent gentleman of
nv own city, Democrat in politics-and a
NEBRASKA man at that-who had recently paid
a visit to Cleveland-he has himself been an
extensive master builder. He had been ex-
aiming this marine hospital building in COM
pany with friend of his a resident Of Cleve-
land, who is also master mechanic He in
formed me that his friend declared that he
tcoufd be glad to make q contract c,th the Coz.
ernment, gtrtng ample security for its fnt-
ffment, ihsreby he 1oOuld obkigate hinssslf to
construct Just such a building on the adj0in-
ting lot, equGItn size, workmanship, material
ana all other respects, to the present one for
the sum lchtch the Govtrnment has actually
pG'd for plans, superintendence, and engt-
neer'ng upon this. From observation, here
and abroad, and from a careful scrutiny Of
this report of the Secretary of the Treasury,
the conviction has forced itself upon my mind
that there has been, and now is, loose, law
lsh, if not reckless, expenditure of money in
the construction of all these public buildings
and hence have felt to be duty incumbent
upon me to ask the House to join in this in
vestigation, and to adopt the resolution now
before it, calling for Information in detail q
to the character and cost of the labor and ma
terial used in the construction Of the Capitol
and Post Office enlargement
Il prefer no charge Of corruption against
Captain Meigs, the officer in superintendence,
| nor do l accuse him of neglect of duty; on
| the contrary it gives me pleasure to say, that
L hrraF trka -
favoraply impressed me with his strict atten-
| ton to duty and uncommon energy of charac-
ter. My objection is not to him personally,
but to what / regard as the extravagantly
expensive scale of his plan and workmanship.
If the Government desidered to build for.
tress to be made as impregnable as Cronstadt
| is represented to be, doubt if man in the
nation could be found better qualified to take
charge of such work than Captain Meigs !;
but gentlemen schooled in the military service
learn great deal more about constructing
public work with strength than with ee0nomv
and seem to have no idea of the value Of
money. Such must be the conclusion of all
who examine into the cost of the various struc-
lures placed nnder their direction -
Now, one fact will very conclusively show
| how reckless was Mr.. Balls assertion, based
| upon mere hearsay. And yet upon such sup
positions, honestly entertained no doubt, but
adopted without reflection or considerations
and utterly unworthy Of belief, tho House
having faith in Mr.. Ball, has acted defnitive-
ly. BY the report and affidavit appended be.
low, it appears, the total cost of Superinten-
dance, Engineering, etc, etc, running through
the years AS, AS, 40. so, 81, 50, '53, "a,
%, 90, amounted to only So, S26-Iittle
enough in all conscience. For this sum Mr..
Bali led the House TO believe, on the assuranc.
Of man who is low en- applicant for the SUI
perintendence of the new Custom House at the
| same place, that he would DE too happy to con-
struct the entire work, which had cost the
Government ssh 275. The Hon Mr. Ball
knows. or should know, that the building al.
luded to, stands on a ten acre lot, tie whoIe OF
ichteh Is surrounded by a stone wall Of mason
~ SeUen ttst high with a stone coming,
Now let him ask himself and inform the
House he has so grossly, yet unintention.
ally mlsied, whether that wall, to say nothing
OF the building ITSELF could that wall have
been built for twice the sum of SO 826-the
entlre cost OF experimenting, engineering, &c.
Never was public man led into such RI
diculous errors, as has been Mr. Ball, in reIa-
ton to his complaints against Captains Bow
man and Meigs and the Treasury Department
10 connection with the public buildings; but
| our regret is, that this want Of accuracy has
so entirely mised the House of Represents.
| lVes. Long experience has satisfied US that
| the most, we had almost said, the only hon.
est agents for the disbursement of the public
monies, as class, are the officers of the army
| and navy. They never speculate; and their
works are always faithfully and SUBSTANTIALLY
oulit-too much so to please Mr.. Ball, who an.
pears to regret that the capitol NAV not fall
down by Its own weight.
=, CLEVELAND, July "a.
| DIR My attention having been called to
the speech of Hon. Edward Ball, of Ohio, ON
| the subject of expenditures upon the public
buildings L have respectfully to represent
that all that part of his speech which relates
10 the cleveland Marine Hospital is utterly
| at variance with the truth MI. Ball has been
grossly imposed upon by the master mechanic
OF cleveland, through the master builder of
| Louisville. In proof Of this, will give a
Drief history Of the work, and state facts which
cannot be controversies
| In Io45 an appropriation Of S., 1893 was made
TO construct the Cleveland Marine Hospital.
WITH that sum put up the foundation, walls,
and basement story. No further apuronria
ton was made to continue the work untiI af
ter the Mexican War, it was being resumed
unaer my charge, with fair prospect of its
speedy completion, but Gen Taylor's death
brought about change of Cabinet, and Mr..
Norwin, the newly appointed Secretary of the
navy, removed me to make room for one of
ms friends, Mr.. John Coon, then a clerk in
the department Of the Interior Mr.. Coon
remained superintendent of the building until
the present administration came into power,
when was re-appointed. Up to this period
the Work had been carried on by hiring me-
chanics and laborers at a certain per dieSa al.
lowance The more expeditions and economi.
clai system OF having it done by contract. was
adopted by the Department, and having made
my estilAa ate for completing the work, before
approving 1t, the present Secretary of thu
treasury, sent on Capt. Bowman an able en-
giheer to examine the building and report the
smount required to finish 1t This was done.
ana bis report being in conformity with nv
esumate, the appropriation passed, and con.
tract favorable TO Government was made. NV
" which the Hospital has been completed, and
~ Workmanship and material, is inferior to no
other building in the country
AND when we take into consideration the
frequent interruptions in the progress Of the
work, running through period Of ten wears
Il! .ne nature OF the ground upon which it stands
inc cost OF grading ten acre lot, with rough
Diohen oank rising sixty feet above the lake,
ineo which double row of piles had To he
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