The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-02-28

action until he found that the parties to it could
not obtain the assent of the City Council and that
the public was becoming indignant. All these
matters we repeatedly commented on, and proved,
we think, 10 the satisfaction of the community,
many months ago. We do not propose TO discuss
them again, and we only refer to them 10 show
that from the beginning Of this whole business.
the interests of the city have been absolutely at
the mercy Of those who wished TO plumber MS
Under such circumstances it is not surprising that
the Jail was finished as well as begun, in fraud
About the facts, there can be, we presume no
doubt. The report of the Committee on Police
and Jail, which was made to the City Council on
Monday evening, is conclusive. The Committee
has evidently made the fairest and most care
iui examination and it has set forth the result of
It's iabors so clearly and dspassonaeiy, that no one
can challenge the integrity of its statements. We
subjon few extracts from the report
The undersigned first directed attention to the so,s
caH separating the from the prison ward
The mortar in this wall freely examined by those
present, and was admitted all hands to be defective
sseneu 10 nave no cohesive property whatever being
readily removable from the Joints in large fakes and
cumming with the easiest pressure 1t was obviously
dehclent IN lime Your Committee will notice hereafter
the various excavations pleaded by the Commissioners
and the contractor.
Passing into the Jail proper cell taken at random
for the purpose Determination happened to be in the
fourth story OF the South wing, in the eastern corridor
with no other implement than q common penkniGe a
number OF bricks were without difficulty removed from
the pavement According to the architecs' specifcl
tions which the undersigned read aloud in the hearing
OF all present this pavement should have been thor
oughly grouted by pouring in thin cement groutng
II the specifications had been complied with in this par
tlcuaT, the pavement would have been only water
proof but immovabe. The cement would have become as
hard the brick and the floor could not have been dis
placed except by breaking the bricks themselves
The cells being series Of arches floor of this par
TIC lar cell was OF course supported the crown of the
arch beneath it. and upon what should have been solid
concrete filling the pandes of the arches on either side
property this concrete throughout the entire structure
should have been made with cement. This was not CON
sstent with the reduced costs the plan submitted by
the Messrs Dixon, and adopted by the Mavor and CITY
Council the specifications of which required this concrete
Milling to be made of spawls of stone and bckbats bro
ken small mixed with gravel and sharp gritsaud and
thoroughly gouted with the best fresh lime
mortar.n
The pavement of this cell having been removed as sta
ted, in spot directly of the spandres of an
arch your committee authorized expect after re.
moving an inch two of sand in which the
was laid, to find concrete filing Nothing of the kind
appeared The spandre filled with dirt rubbish and
stones, down to the brick arch composing ceiling
the cells below, with appearance Of mortar and no
trace of lime