The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-03-27

An ordinance directing the issue Of city bonds
bearing interest," to the amount of $3.50 OOO and I'M
posing additional tax of two cents on each S1oo
worth of real property for the next fifteen years,
passed the First Branch of the City Council on
Thursday evening. The new Jail is the object thus
provided for. All who are cognizaut of the facts
concerning the building of this Jail, well know that
fraudulent collision and gross deception were
the means through which alone we have been
brought to this unfortunate necessity. 1t is now
time for the press of this city to give definite drec-
ton to the well founded opinions in regard thereto
which have been loosely floating through every
other kchanne by which information is disseminat-
ed among our wide community. Men who have
been struggling long to realize from patient and
honorable labor a competency for themselves, or a
patrlmony for their Children are weary of making
good from their scanty earnings the deficiencies in
the public funds created by the criminality or the
recklessness OF public servants. They demand an
account as well from the unfaithiul steward as
from HIM who has connved at his lnalfeasance:
from the wrong-doer who is primarily responsible.
and from the witness whose "silence gave CON-
sent"
The City Council, by resolution of the stb Of
q
cordng to the plan and specifications of Tbos. h
D. M. Dixon, but with certain prescribed atera-
uons, II the City Commissioner should deem such
to be advisable. The report on which this resolu-
ton was based stated that the proposed alterations
would not affect the general plan,' and that the
cost of the whole building would not exceed $780,
600. This report was signed by Mr. j. P. SHAN
NON, then City Commissioner Messrs H. R. &
j. REYNOLDS, being the lowest bidders, were en-
ployed to build the Jail for Slo2, $50, upon the
DIXON plan, and were to be further compensated
for the alterations which the resolution contem-
plated, and which, it was supposed, would cost
about SIS, 900.
The Jail was begun under this contract in the
fall OF 1856. From the pery instant of its commence
me'a the builders and city Commissioner proceeded
to construct upon the BRYANT plan, sphich aoas es-
sentially different from that Of Tie Mssrs. Diron
and achich had been deliberately rejected 5u the Com
mittee Of the City Council, because a Jail on that
plan would cost at least $3.50, OOO This scheme
became so generally noised abroad. that on March
24th, 1857, MIR. SWAMI called the attention of the
Council to the matter, stating that she was rather
forced to the conclusion that the proposed building
would require much larger outlay than the Coun-
Gil had reason to infer from the report of the COM
mittee," and advising the appointment of a COM
mittee to confer with the City Commissioner and
the contractors. On May 4th, the Committee of
the Council to whom the Mayors message had
been referred made report in which, after admit
ting that the BRYANT plan had been adopted, they
take decided ground in favor of its prosecution
although they say 'the cost of the original con-
tract will be greatly augmented" and they con-
clude with an invitation to the members to exam
inc "the plans of each design, with specifications
of the mlnutest particular of the adopted ONE all
of which were to be ''seen in the City Commits
sioner's Office
On June 18th, the same committee made n fi,r-
ther report wherein they say that the contractors
had furnished them with an estimate of the amount
needed ITO complete the building according to the
plans and specifications submitted by the City
Commissioner and furnished by Mr. G. ]. F. Bay
AMT" and that the sum of 1858 900 would be
requisite. They appended to this report resou-
tons authorizing the builders to complete the Jail,
with triiing modification according to the BRy-
ANT plan, and proposing the issue of notes to the
amount OF S244, 900 in addition to SlO6 900 pre-
viously provided for. These resolutions passed
Inc FIRST and were rejected in the Second Branch.
on July 9th, resolutions repudiatng the action
OF the commissioner and the responsibility of the
CITY tnereior We're offered in the First Branch and
almost unanimously voted down. Still the build
ing proceeded on the BRYANT plan and was randi
ly pushed forward month by month and with
every step of its advancement an earnss4 ;ra;oaa
hon became more apparent in the communty 40
all these facts began to be developed. - ;.
On September 10th, Mr.. SWAMI informed a.,
Council that during his ''absence in August ), Tho
Commissioner had handed to the Comntro,ler
1.-THE Specifications under which he was bpd;nr
the jail and that they were the specifications Of the
BRYANT plan, involving cost of $3.50, 900, as he
was informed by that architect Then when far