Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-03-28

The Board of Commissioners dis
patched to Mt. Pleasant, by the present
State Legislature, to examine into the
condition Of the famous Insane Asy-
lum building, and ascertain the cost of fin
ishing the same according to the original
plan, have, at last, made a report, and
laid it before the General Assembly.
They report that the building is yet
thcre-still contains its four hundred
and seventy rooms, none OF which are
finished. There she stands, look ut her.
Already two huadred and sirty thou
saul doNoys Of the peoples money have
been expended on it, notwithstanding It
was declared at the beginning that on
" fifty thousand dollars would be re-
quired for its construction, and yet full
one hundred thousand dollars are want
ed THE commissioners say $92, OOO) to
put it in running order. This sum will
not, in any human probability, finish the
huge structure-that monument Of the
folly, reckle isncss and fooishness Of the
Opposition, aud from time to time, as
often as the Legislature convenes, the
treasury will be assailed by the hungry
leeches that preside over the destinies
Of the State.
Regarding this matter, the STATE
journal thus aptly speaks:
Tho plan by the adoption Of which the edI-
fee has proven to be so heavy q burden upon
the people. was fully understood by those who
had the matter in charge, At its inception
They kneD when the second appropriation was
asked for. that the building could not DO fin
ished for any such amount, and thus, in the
language Of the Committee. "they have carried
out their favorite measure by procuring pol
icy, which. in its tendency. csmpeIs the Legis-
lature to make heavy and unexpected appropri-
ations a. the only means Of saving past sxpend
itnres from total loss"
10 this manner has the State been led into
an unconstitutional Indebtedness and unless BY
burdensome taxation she shall retrieve her
credit, bankruptcy will inevitably follow.
Who have been responsible for thsf The
Committee gay that the Commissioners. Gov.
Lowe and Clarke" who have not acted with
perfect candor, and who hsvs not told the truth"
well knew that had the Legislature bsen
spprized Of the probable cost OF this institution,
It would never have consented to it's commence
msnt. much less its continuance.
But the most inexplicsbls proceeding which
has attended the erection of this building 10
the payment Of s,oentythvee thousand dollars
interest on the money which the State or its
agents held in their own hands,
To keep two hundred and sixty thousand
dollars in gold in its own possession involved
the payment to Mesrs. Saunders of nearly one
tenth that sum a. interest
Unacquainted - We are with banking, and
the heavy expense attending the safe keeping
OF 90 large an amount OF money, we are unable
to deny or admit the correctness OF the charge;
but it it be true that it 10 worth one-tsnth Of
sum to safely retain the other ne-tenths, We
shall claim that Elder Peck is an honest man,
and that Breslin and Gibson, supposed to be
defaulters, are heavy creditors OF the State Of
Ohio: Now, the parties who have been bene-
htted BY this institution are not the insane, but
the firm Of A. h w. A. Saunders.
It 10 clearly shown, by mass Of dispositions,
that they shaved Asylum orders" at the rate
Of from ten to fifteen per cent, which business.
doubtless, brought them in no lees then fifteen
thousand dollars. Add to this the interest. and
1t transforms itself into the comfortable cum Of
forty thousand dollars. Therefore this invssti.
CATION has clearly shown four things: First,
That the Commissioners wilfully deceived the
Legislature in regard TO tho cost Of the build
ing. Second. That it is projected on scale
unwarranted by our wants or our ability to
pay Third, That there has been paid, with
out color flaw, the sum of twenty five thous-
and dollars; and fourth, that Grimes, Kirk
wood and Hsrland wilfully contorted Wins
lows letter 10 suit their own purposes, and
that instead oftwsnty-fivs thousand dollars,
not less than six times that sum will complete
this stupendous folly