The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-07-25

after ADOPT them, but in ADOPTING improvements s
OF Which appear so essential to security, health,
land the requisite accommodation of the prisoners,
"keepers and warden. The superiority of the
"Bryant plan," adopted as thev say, "embracinp
'as it does all the features of the Dixon with the
enlargement of cells, the Improvement in ventila-
''tion, and the accommodations for the warden and
''his assistants, is very plainly manifest and ex
''hibits the part of the commissioner mastery
Qualifications for his present official position
"These improvements will give Baltimore what she
''has long needed" and believe the world will
think she needs it now much ever-a strong
prison with a multitude of cells. Or rather, SHE
might need it if she should be unfortunate enough
to get Mavnr less vigant than the present in
cumbent. daughter
They say ''the cost from the original contract
"wil be greatly augmented" and they 60 on tC
speak in detail of the superior merits of the BRYANT
plan, and then tell us this
"The committee deem it but just to say that at present
they do not think that great feature Of the improved
plan can well be dispensed with. They do not deem il
their duty to institute comparisons between the old OIL
Dixon plan, and the improved PLAN as the one
In the ordinance was adopted with the well expressed
determination to enlarge the lis improve the ventila
ton and furnish accommodation for the family of the
warden 1t is true, to some extent the City Commission
er mas gone beyond these named alterations but his
proved improvements are such absolutely de
manded, and reflect much credit upon his Judgment and
mechanical ability The contractors are wen knovn
citizens and to their credit the deem II due
to say, that instead of pursuing what many would
deem proper course asserting their LEGAL rJbts tba
propose to place the entire matter the hands of the city
TO furnish contract at satisfactory finish the
building with its improvements to allow in of dis
pue, the said contract to be settled by arbitration and
make the dates of payment in keeping with the financial
condition and ability of the city"
Now, what am trying to fix upon the Mavor is
a knowledge of this improved plan-a knowledge
that the Bryant plan was substituted for the Dixon
plan-a knowledge that the work was then going
and the structure was being built according to the
one plan, the City Commissioner having in part
abandoned the other. Ignorance on the part of the
Mayor, he tells us, was the cause of his taking nc
action about the matter sooner. This dishonest
commissioner had concealed the specifications of the
Bryant plan, until he disclosed them during the ab-
sence of the Mayor in the month of July or August
1891. The Mayor says they concealed from him
he had not the most remote idea that there were
any such things in existence He told us that he was
careful to read every official paper that came from
the councils or from any of its committees What
did this official paper of the month of NAV, 1857
tell him? "To facilitate a knowledge of the va,
rious improvements, the plans of each design with
specifications of the mnutest particulars of the
adop ed one, can be seen in ihe City Commissioner.
Office" just across the way.
Well, they sent sub committee to Boston, an d
that sub committee reported that actual examina-
tiOn had still satisfied them of the great supe
riority of the Bryant plan, and they recommended
that the work would go with some trifing alter.
atoms that they suggested, which would, to GER
tam extent diminish the price; and they recon-
mended a resolution that the City Commissioner
be, and be Is hereby authorized and directed to con-
tract with the Messrs. Reynolds. Now, gentlemen
of the jury, this first report was in the month OF
May. There was in the City Commissioners office
an official Letter of the 26th Of August lS56-
mean Mr.. Shannons letter to the contractor-which
the Mayor could have seen it any moment Here
the committee told him (and he told YOU that he
always read the reports) that they placed in the
City Commissioners office all the specifications.
and there they were, and they were left there for
the purpose OF being seen by any person who took
an interest in the JAIL and especially by those whose
duty it was to take an interest in it. What else
had been done? With what Mr.. Swami knew in.
dependent of this [holdngup a drawing OF the iaill
and what information this gave him he could not
be in the situation in which the poet places Ajax il
the lines so felicitously quoted by his honor the
Judge,
"Give me but light, ahd Ajax asks no more'-
AJAX had this, and what more light could he havei
This drawing was hanging up in his Office very
prettily framed My client, Mr.. Reynolds, had
really got the idea into his head that he was about
to make name for himself. He fattered himself
with this notion, and l think Mr. Dulany said the
same kink had got into the mind of the commits
sioner.
Mr.. DULANY.--No, Mr.. Schley said that
Mr.. JoHNscN.-Well you adopted it, just as you
did the Bryant plan, without objection rGreat
laughter.
1t is admitted that some of these drawings were
framed by Messrs. Cariss & Co.. on the 9th of MAY
l857-twelve pictures handsomely framed. They
were to hand somebody down to pOserity and Mr.
Reynolds thought he was to be one of those immor.
talized; he was not satisfied with having very
beautiful picture of the edifce as it was to appear
when finished, but he wanted to state to all future
times who it was that brought upon the face OF
this earth the original of that pretty picture. And
he really seems to have thought that he was bv nc
means entitled to the exclusive honor of having
done it, but be thought his honor, Thomas Swami
had right to share in it, and he was not only anx
ious to give to Mr.. Swami all the credit that such
a work might reflect upon him. as having been car.
ried on during his administration, but he really
was generous enough to give us the name of the ar
chitect, and was equally generous in giving the
name OF the City Commissioner, and the names o
the special conn ttee OF the CITY Council, by whom
the building was to be especially superintended.
Look at them, gentlemen of the jury, while
shall read them. My eyesight is bad. and | ma,
not be able to read correctly, but shall try to d(
it. The question is, as you will bear in mind haC
Mr.. Swami any knowledge in the month of Nav
that this building, represented in this drawing
was about being put up-that Mr.. Bryant was the
architect, Mr.. Shannon The commissioner at the
time, Mr.. Reynolds, the contractor, putting it up
A, 3 and c, the committee of the City Council, su
perintending it, and his honor at the head of this
corporation? Did Mr.. Swami know ANYTHING
about all this? WHY, gentlemen, here are letters
as long as your finger. In the first place this
drawing is called "View of the new Jail at Balti
more, Mary yland, !" and what comes next? Does il
say, to be built? No. gentleman, but erecting
bel built; is not that word there d? Yes, there il
ls. Well, who is the architect Whose skill
brought JnaG original structure then being erected
into existence? Look right under it, right in the
centre, following the word in the same line:
directing under the superintendent of J. p.
SHANNON, City Commissioner; GRIDLEY j. F.
"BRYANT, Architect" Mr.. Reynolds put his own
name away off to the right-a sort of skirmisher-
that was sufficiently conspicuous for the con
tractors; but in the place OF honor we see "THoMAs
"SwANN, Mayor" and away off here 20 the left
the names of the Joint Special Committee of the
First Branch and the Second Branch. He had all
this right before him. 1t seemed to puzzle hi.
honor exceedingly to account for his ignorance
with this picture before him; and when he was or
the stand he foundered about good deal, by tell
ing us that he let everybody put up pictures il
that office. | trust there not the true pictures
there of everything that has occurred in tina
office
Then I asked him, ''Have you no recollection
Mr. Swami, OF seeing any of the names on that pic
ture?" ''Yes, SIR was the reply; ~ have an in
distinct recollection that saw the names of thu
Building Committee" Then / asked him. "Havt
you any recollection either distinct or indistinct
that you saw your own name?" "Yes sir" sale
he, 81 have an indistinct recollection that saw my
own name there" Well in the very best nature
possible (for did not dream that | should have
got such answer as did said |, ''wl YOU now
just II the jury, if you can, how your own name
and the names of the special committee, which YOU
recollect to have seen, stand on the paper locally
in relation to any other names ?" "Well, do moi
know" was the reply. Then in perfect good ma
ture presented the paper to him, saving, "TherC
is your name, there is the name of the CITY Com
missioner and there is the name of Mr.. Bryant the
architect, and here is the of the contractor;
now will you explain to the jury how you could see
your name and see these other names without see
ing this name Just in the centre? ?' Said he, 81
leave that for you to dOp'
Why, gentlemen, that is the highest compliment
that ever had paid to me in my life, to suppose
that was capable of any intellectual process o.
which his honor, the Mayor, was not capable
Laughter:l 81 leave that for you to dol" gave
in-I could not do it, and if he could not do it, anG
if you cannot do it, what is the result? 1t is thai
he did see the name of the architect in the month
of May, 1857; he saw that the building was ther
being erected upon the plan of that architect hC
saw that that plan had been adopted and that the
building was going on under the superintendent Of
his commissioner, Mr.. Shannon. To say therefore
gentlemen of the jury, that he was ignorant of all
this, is to speak in language which children could
hardly be deluded by. He knew-the councils
knew, as you will see by their report in Nav and
their second report in June-that the building was
being put up upon this plan; and the court saw that
if that was known, that is all that necessary
in order to bind the city by this contract, whether
it was originally authorized by the resolution OF the
Sth of July or not.
THE CoURT.-If they knew it and did not reject it
Mr.. JoLNsoN.-Well, may it please it your hon
or, they I'd not reject it; for they said nothing
about it; but paid for all the work done according
to that plan. And how cruel is the statement Of
his honor the Mayor, in reference to this commits
soner, Mr.. Shannon how grossly uniust Mr..
Shannon, he saws, had induced him, from time ia
time, in repeated conference" before the lst OF
March, to believe that this building would cost q
great deal more than the estimate; his own com
mi.tee had told him in the month of Nav, that i,
would cost great deal more, and It would be
worth great deal more, and all the specifications
were on hle; and In the face of all this he turns
the commissioner out of office the 26th of Au-