The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1859-06-24

Bile Misetatofnouts
lffom ne Oppo.itonl
In the report Of Governor 1Iapie'A
speech in thiqplace, published IN the Ufi-
ion and Ameficyn, Of the 4th of May
last, there occurred the following passa-
ges;
lie tGovcrnor Harri1 charged, flificnnofo,
that under that 1.-The Fillmorol administration had
been originated and commenced large proportion
Of Ne works Justly clafsed ns .exuayaeant, aud
which having been eomsnonced, Subsequent admin
lstfations have bad 70 carry on. This he chnl-
leneed biz opponent 70 deny.
The Civil md Diplomatic Appropriation Bib
which passed a. the session Of $50. undor the In.
auence Of the Fillmorc Standardization, contained
clause for the extcnAiol ~ The Capitol, "aceor-
a,g 9 ', go P.a q coy >. aeos'd y ne XII.
tcct aa he may appoint 70 execute the same Tho
amounts which have been expended ip completing
this work on the plan conmenccd by Mr. FILLMORE
aud his architect foot up the round o. 81 1875,
600. and the work is not yet completed. The pro-
position to commences This vorh paced tho Housc
Of Representatives, Ahgnu ~, 1850. or the %
members who voted againsf this bin, bat three
were then In opposition 10 the Democratic pnfly
aud two Of them, Mossrs Toombs and Clngmnn,
have since Joined our party.
The Washington Water Work., another item N
exineagance originated with the same adminls-
The Capitol extension project II has already cost
the Government g. 405, 500. Thcrcwere 90 mem
bers voted against il. II was supported BY every
Opposition member hut. three and two OF them
have since become Democrats OF the % whoYo-
ted against il, oil 'cere Den'oerafs b@ three.
In subsequent speeches, as wewill prove
if denied, Gov. Harris has affirmed that
he, being a member of Congress at the
time, opposed the extension of the Capi-
tol, and he has charged, in express terms,
that that measure was originated by the
Fillmore Administration
In his speech at Columbia, he asserted,
as we are prepared TO prove, if it be de
MED, that the engineer who supelin-
tends the construction Of the Capitol ex-
tension, and who embellished that costly
edifce with $4,000 doors, and Sl7, 900
windows, was appointed by Mr., Fillmore;
that II was deemed by the succeeding
Democratic administration unsafe to re-
move him; and there he stands till this
day. representative of the prodigality of
the Fillmore administration"
Governor Harris was representative
| in Congress during the entire four years of
the Taylor and Fillmore administration
He was an eyewitness of the transactions
which he undertakes to state; he partici-
pated in the Legislative proceedings OF
which he speaks he was one of the sixty
two who voted against the Civil and Di-
plomatio Bill of 1850; he cites thatvote
TO show that those who voted against that
bill were opposed to the clause, which he
says was contained in it, providing for the
extension of the Capitol and he takes
special pains TO tell his audience that OF
these sixty-two las he would have it be.
heved) opponents of the extension, " but
three were then in opposition to the Dem
4 ocratic party, and two of them have since
become Democrats" ~
| All the foregoing statements by Gov.
| Harris in regard to the extension of the
Capitol, we repeat, relateto facts of which
he had personal kns,oietge at tie time o.
their occurrence. For their accuracy, there
fore, he must be held to strict aocoun.
liability.
To the truth, then, and to the testimo-
| ny;
/. That the extension of the Capitol
originated with, or was originated by, the
Fillmore administration.
Utterly untrue in point of fact
The measure originated solely with
Congress, without recommendation or sug.
gestion from President Fillmore or his
heads of departments, or from President
Taylor or his heads of departments.
In the Senate of the United States on
the Goth of September, 1850, the Hon
jeff. Davis, then and now a Senator from
Mississippi, and Secretary of War during
President Pierce's administration, offered
the following amendment to the Civil and
diplomatic appropriated bill which had
Rcnreseniat;vns and sent I'm 10 AZ Co.,
ate:
0ror ,bo o,,on.;on % a..
cordnr 10 sncb nlans as NAV 10 adoDtod H. ~, IV
joint committee Of both Houses of Congress SICO.
900 for each wing This appropriation 70 be ex.
pended under the direction of the President oft
United states and he shall be authorized to ap-
P pso ,% i0"'''' 10 carry on Tue pan or plans
Here was the origin of this measure
IL was proposed by Democratic Senator,
ana adopted by Democratic Senate-the
state OF parties in that body at that time
oeing, Democrats, Savings, 24-Free
Sollels, :, 1t passed the Senate without
even the ayes and noes being called. (See
Congressional Globe, vol. II, part 2, page
1920
fhereader Is requested to note partic-
ularly:
1. That under this provision of the SEN
ate, the plan Of extension was to be agreed
upon and adopted, not by the President,
but, by the joint committee of the two
Houses OF Congress. 1t was made the du-
" OF the President to appoint an archi.
tect TO carry out such plan as the commit
tee should adopt, andtodirect and super
intend the expenditure OF the appropria-
iion. So
2; That this provision of the Senate was
and n;n,n,,,ot;o auinsnS 10 Sile Tiyil
1spn5', szAPllvl,risatioil pli1' Wiich
i''' '. ~ ~ ea''y Passe" ehe mouse OF Repre-
sentatives. This amendment, therefore
together with the other amendments of