Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-06-22

OScu COutiHtsCu uOH II W tiiC piCoSHe ltulC
ION the plan commenced by MIR. FILL
more and his architect and that in
carrying out that plan, "the round sum
of 81, Cos, 900" has been expended ?
We have shown by statements of Sec
rotary DAVIS, that the naked walls are
all that has been left of the FILLaoRE
plan. Those walls were not completed
to the roof until year or more after
Mr.. FILLMoRE left Office. The whole
interior construction, arrangement, de-
sign and finish have been carried on by
Captain MEIGs, under the direction of
Democratic Secretaries of War, acting
under Democratic Presidents of the
United States.
On the 18th of August, 1856, Presi-
dent PIERCE sent a message to the
House of Representatives, transmitting
a report of the Secretary of War. in
reply to resolution of the House, of
May 26, 1856, in relation to the Capt.
toll and Post-office extension. In that
report Secretary DAVIS says:
-"Capt NJ. C. MEIGs, superintendent. has
the general control of the work, makes all
purchases, directs all construction. employs all
agents. and disburses the funds
Again: In the report of Capt. Macs.
(see executive document, number 139,
first session of the 34th Congress-, J
will be found the following passage
Capt. MEIGs's own words:
MONTGOMERY C. MEIGs has, under The diree-
ton Of The Secretary Of War, general authority
and control OF the work, and of all prisons
employed thereon designing tie achole interior
construction and arrangement Of The building; de-
| cides the style OF designs, plans and drawings
| of modes Reconstruction appoints all agents
and persons employed; superintends the fore
men and is responsible for the construction
and execution OF the work generally"
Capt. MEIGs, as we have shown by
evidence taken from Secretary DAvIs's
first annual report, was, within month
after Mr.. FILLMORE left Office, appoint
ed by him, Mr.. DAVIS, superintendent
of the extension. In the face of this
and all the other officially recorded
facts which exist, and to which we
have referred, Gov. HARRIS asserts
that "the engineer who superintendS
the construction of the Capitol extern
sion, and who embellished that costly
edifice with forty thousand dollar doors
and seventeen thousand dollar windows
was appointed by Mr.. FILLMORE" and
that he stands there till this day az a re.
preventative of the prodigality of the
FILLMORE administrationw Has Gov.
HARRIS given himself Over to reckless
and unfounded assertion? Has he be-
come habitually careless as to the cor
rectness of his statements?
Gov. HARRIs's statements in regard
to the Washington Water Works, as
reported in the Union and american
are as destitute of any foundation il
truth, as are those he makes in respect
to the extension of the Capitol. II,
says that that twas another item of ex
travagance" which Originated" will
the FILLMORE administration-that i
'passed the House in the same bill will
the Capitol extension project" - tina
there were sixty-two members wh'
voted against it, all of whom wer
Democrats but three, and that it wa
supported by every o position membe
but three. This is little else than
tissue of inaccuracies.
The measure did not originate witt
the FILLMORE administration, but wit
a Democratic Senate,
BY reference TO the COngressiona
Globe, vol. "a, part 3, page 1912. it ap
pears that, in the Senate, on the 23rt
of September, 1850, on motion of Mr.
Mason, one of the Democratic Senator
from Virginia, the following amend
ment was attached to the Civil AM
Diplomatic Appropriation bill, whicl
bill had passed the House of Repr
sentatives, and been sent up for the &C
ton of the Senate.
To enable the war department 10 max
such examination and survey as may be NJ
cessary to determine upon the bet and mos
available mode of supplying the city of Wast
ington with pure water, and to prepare n pla
and estimate of the probable cost of the sam,
to be reported to Congress at its next session
five hundred dollars
1t was thus the measure originated
introduced by Democratic Seuator an,
passed by Democratic Senate.
From the Senate the amendmen
went down 10 the House, and on tn
9th of September, 1850, was concur
red in by the House, toithOMt oppositio
from any quarter, and without call O
the ayes and noes.-See Cong GloJ,
vol. 81, part 2. pages 1890 and 1895
This was the first tine the matte
came before the House just on
month after the Diplomatic Appropria
ton bill, into which it had been put b.
the Senate, had passed the House
Gov. HARRIS says sixty-two represer
: tatives, h mself included, and all Dem
ocrats but three, voted against the G.
, vii and Diplomatic bill which contain
ed the provision, and in voting agains
, the hill, they voted against the provi:
ion. Bat the b II did mol contain tn
provision ,ohen they voted against tn