The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-04
MANAGEMENT IN rHE EMPIRE STATE
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Publicity, without responsibility and free from the appa
rent restraints OF public opinion laws We refer 10
what is called ihe Contracting Board body In which
is centred all the obbing the State with the power 10
| give and withhold, 20 bind and TO loose
Originally intended TO ia subordination to the canal
board IL has gradually assumed superiority OF function
aud lar higher range of patronage and is perhaps
Of the most effective agencies centring power ar
the capital aud exeting Influence upon legislatures and
conventions
IL had It's inception in the corrupt nine million bill
aud survived that measure having been excsed alive by
some ltaatian operation, from its body With what
comprehension OF its purpose acted its very begin
ming may be Judged 10y the that made of il ia
! the celebrated lettings Of 1851
We may be panloned for reverting to the speech OF
Israel Hatch, in the assembly OF 1852 in exposure Of
the workings of this scheme
Mr. Hatch disclaimed being politician in the ordina.
y aceeptaon of the word is office seeker one
looking Ton public rewards and official employment nor
did he come 70 that house seek notoety Nor was he
partisan upon the question Of the Erie canal for he
had refused to act with his party upon every occasion
when they arrayed themselves against measures for the
enlargement But that policy fixed he felt an in.
teest IA the honest distribution and expenditure OF the
money appropriated to it. and it his socude in this
respect that arayed him against the corrupt cabal at
Albany, and its ramifcatons through the State
Mr. Hatchs speech complete unraveliing Of tho
cunning web OF intrigue about the lettings, and
which held the State bound and paralyzed in its meshes
IL Is not necessary To revert to this exposure which by
its character and consequences marked nm era ia the no
tcal history Of the State it is not forgotten by the
| democracy Let us, however, quote passage from Mr.
| IL IS remarks
cit is alleged and do not believe in can bo denied
that the difference between the bids on which the con
tracts awarded and the lowest bids which were re-
ected, amounts to average of about 50 per cent or
THREE MILLIONS or Not only the spirit Of the
canal law but the declaration of its friends its passage
based on the uniform policy and practice of your public
officers for more than thirty years. required that when
work to be let by sealed proposals. the bidder making
the lowest and most favorable offer was entitled to the
contract, as matter OF right supposng there
good and sufficient reason for not treating with him at
all No member OF this house will venture to assert any
other rule Has this nine millions of work been contract
ed for this safe and sautay practice That Is the
question called upon to investigate If this house
does not take the necessary steps to inquire efficiently
into these Lettings it does adopt firm consistent
rule OF action to the expenditure of this large amount
of money involved and the fearful consequences to result
from attempting TO smother and up the inquty
that is chagedf do not check the corruption in the
bud--the contract PATRIOTS, the exclusive and
sell entitled friends of enlargement will return next
year, and the year after and on, until the treasury
exhausted We who the true friends Of the canal
must perform duty to the State and if possible
! rescue the canals from destruction.
| I" have, from the best information could obnain
taken some pains to examine OF these lettings
the western division of the Erie canal and will refer in
few instances to what appears upon the face Of the
! papers
" have table taken from the published lists of bids
on the western division of the Erie canal have made
it to be published with my remarks but will detain
the house with reading it, The number of sections OF
work put under contract is 100 Not than twelve
Of these have been let to the lowest bidder Seventy
three OF these sections awarded not to the lowest
responsible bidder but to persons, where there in
some instances more than hundred lower bidders
single section, and among them several we'll hown
contractors and persons of undoubted responsibility On
section firm bid Sl64 665 less than the person who
awarded the contract and another firm offered do
the work for $50 less than the favored individual
who obtained the contract and what remarkable both
of the firms which made these offers awarded other
| adjudged sufficient. Why then, WAS this Partially
shown and Sl64 SOB Of the public money thrown away
ask, sir If this house is prepared to shrink from pro
| bling such transaction as this ,
''The aggregate amount of the differences the west
division, between those who have been favored by
the special board who violated the law and the instr
tons of the canal board in making this distribution and
| the lower bidders that rejected the sections
awarded to favorites and who yet obtained other jobs
where they in turn were unaebd, will not TALL much be-
| low $3.50 900
.'These are but specimens Of the folly fraud which
charactezcs these lettings as far as they have come to
! light. Upon the papers unexplained, the subject is
wrapped in mystery, and there difficulty in ira
cling the bidders in all their toruous windings You nd
contracts awarded where there many responsible bid
ders rejected, and those who rejected In their turn,
getting other contracts where tables turned the form
er competitor is rejected he being the lowest
These differences are, in my Judgment runous 70
the State and the interests of the canals They jobs
of the worst description, and will not bear investigation
discussion The canal has not only been saddlcd with
all the debts due political partisans past services
but great and glorious work has been seized upon
| source of private speculation.
The struggle is undoubtedly between the power vest
ed in this hoase and the interest combined by the cna
! lettings they must submit to to them, The
cry is rescue part If we yield the whole
ecutive and legislative power, the treasury and the ca
nails, are in the hands OF that combination, and there
will be free independent legislation until that
power is broken by the sovereign people. If it true
as alleged that there is such corrupt combination that
legislation is under it's control and the State officers
overawed say to politicians II myself in the
ordinary aecepation of the term that there is moral
power in this question: of public Justice which
will ultimately override moneyed combinations contracts
and everything else not based the enduring founda
| tons of right
1 We need not go into the details which Mr. Hatch
brought forward to illustrate and prove the positions he
SO energetcally and truthfully held.
Nor need refer to the overthrow of the corrupt and
unconstitutional bill, and of the breaking up and dis
comiture of The cabol who had under its cover dis
trbuied the spos Of the state to their followers The
movement in condemnation OF II did not stop until an
amendment Incorporated into the constitution to the
effect and in the words that All the contracts m
work materials ON any canal shall be made with the
person who shall offer TO do provide the at the
lowest price with adequate security for their perform
ance.
But The contracting board, we have said survived
its orignators and the policy which called il into being
1T lay for while pcrdue exercising its anomalous powers
with caution and secrecy and in obsculity With lime
however it has developed areachipg comprehensive
attributes and it has learned the art of evadng the
mandates of the constitution and reversing its practical
workings.
IL has at last grown to be the sentiment of the public
"a ,attt. Al. Hama