New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1866-03-03
speeiss Ccsnmittee on the inVest'g""0"
Of the Affairs of rile New Court'Aonse'

This ,ororpittee Of the Board of Supervisors
met purs cart 20 adjournment at o'clock last evening
,resopt Supervisor Fox Chairman Sgpe1Visofs Dunn
ard Biz sGiey Mr. Reeves Z. Setmes. Gers orson
Mr. Cgrx desired TO know If there was any persVVn
who bad charges 10 make in the matter Of the
sonstJ v,otion of the New Court House. -, :, hod
NJ .1osrrn DAILY here a., sroie oS ami sa,u
NJ Fox raid the Committee could not receive an,
cor n upicason but the gentleman wlsneu W l'e''
any the Committee might near ,be nsnsr was NOT
r. DAY. said be had none ana the paper ""s "O'
Mr. Fox ,hen repeated the question coro,,,,,oo
Sursryisor ELY said he appeared before the Commune
5,eb had been appOinted on his motion by the nal
sa tf tSo Board Of Supervisors TO Investigate INTO
,sts, of the construction of the New County Court
House lie had been invited 20 De preset oeio . Wy
Commit sce but In what capacity 1e couiu no. roy
When the Committee was appointed, LOT SCUM unea
.,ined yeason he (Nir. Ely) was not 6pPonleu On ~
,otgithstapding he had expressed desire that wien
M 10Y sai1 The reason why Mr.. Ely was not ap-
POINTED the Committee was tha1 lie hSu maui 'Ho
charges himself go. -. :, ,;a
not desire TO examine witnesses but he thought that
cyerfhne contained in the charges which he had made
could be substantiated he would, however IKE 10
ash Supervisor Stewart some questions.
Mt Fox desired that all witnesses might be put under
cath 90 that the public might understand VINO weie IN
tbe wrong and who were IN the flght Inc 0oHiuH'ee
cannot take any hearsay evidence.
Mr. Ely said he would like 10 hear Supervisor
Stewards statement lie (Nr Eyl desrea 70 s'E We
testimony under oath TO substantate the statements lie
had made. He regarded himself as awitness ana he
Rad made charges, and the Committee had teep pp.
pointed and they had invited him before them and ne
ready to assume tie obligations OF an oan anu "
he examined a witness
MI Fox said the Committee would take the gentle.
mans testimony; they wanted to get ~ the charges
Mr. Ely then sworn, and iesthed that DO did no,
know any more OF this matter than any other person
who had been invited he had made charges which he
believed to be ruei Of his own personal knowledge ne
EHa@inedS By Mr.. Blunt-was chairman of the spe
fONlrfH W
znan (Mr Blunt from April %, 1891 10 Jan &, let3
Ire clerk had informed him that thai was the time he
held the Craftsmanship Of the Committee; be dld not
know Of his own knowledge the report Of the Commit
zee which had been signed by him as chairman, was
not night. In answer to q question from MI Bnnt
Mr. Ely said be cond not swear positively wiener AT
Blunt on the same committee or not. NJ Ely con-
1inued it was 30 long ago that he was unable 10 sa!
anything positive npon this points during the earliest
stages oftke matter Of building Court House Mr.
was APPOINTED Apr 30 1851 The Committee on Civil
roprts fad nothing TO do with this matter Theextrav
xganee Of the Court House Committee could be more
readily Obtained from those who were inside and
what be had said all sDrmse. He thought that IN
the purchase Of iron years ago the contract for the
eaid iron was not completed. Tie believed the Commit
zee received proposals for iron. month ago facts
came 30 his knowledge in this connection that he wos
before ignorant Of Mayor Gunther had endeavored
at one time to air this iron contract IN a COM
Jnunication TO the Board which alleged that proper dill
genee had not been exercised In the matter Of award
ing this contract. OF his own knowledge be knew
nothing about the iron or the contract for IT, He bad
had nothing TO do with the contracts for either the
marble or bricks used In the building With regard 10
that portion Of the charges relative 10 personal services
az employees on the Court House. he had asceItained
from documents in the Controller Office, that two gen.
tlemen had received remuneration for their services
which should never have been paid; the Com mittee
did not pass these bills but the Board did.
He had copies Of letters which he had received from
fhres different gentlemen shortly after the execution OF
this iron contract; either Mr. 6pdyke Mr. Gunther
was Mayor at that time; lie (Mr. Ely) knew some Of
the most respectable iron men in this city who could
aud would give competent testimony as to the extrava.
Yance Of the Committee in this particular lie had heard
tha the Court. House good buildings he was bet
Ter posted in leather than in masonry building;
Ae had never heard that labor and materials
had advanced IN the last two or three years;
Sc did not know in 1871 whether cement
was worth 80 cents per barrel or 81;
knew nothing whatever OF the difference in costs Of
materials for buildings between the year 1901 and the
present time. According to the communication from
the Mayor there were only three persons who could
was submitted various Judges and the members
Of the Board at Mr. Titles house Did not recolcct
now what IL at that time Mr. Blunt objected to in
The plan whether was on the ground Of extrayagance
tI the iReapacty Of the building. He (Mr. Ely had
inquired Of the architect that time what would be tie
probable cost Of the building when finished and be
Informed that it would cost about $4,000 and now
that the building only half finished and 81 100000
had been expended so far he thought there
thing radically wrong; he knew nothing abont the rise
IN the materials since the contract first made.
In answer to question by Mr. Fox, Mr.. ELY said he
would like TO have Mesrs Fowler, Kirkland & Co. In
Centre.st. summoned before the Committee 10 testify
in the matter OF the contract for iron. That
firm had built the dome Ut Washington and
competent judges Of the value Of iron. For
four houses who bid. viz George r. Jackson, S. B.
Althouse. I. II. Crosse and j. T. ". W. Cornell He
would ike TO have these gentlemen brought before the
Committee to be examined In this matter. He did not
know what pay laborers receiving per day; did
not know whether they got 81 per day or more He
supposed the laborers on the Court House were re.
ceiving good pay he didn't know. He would take 1t
for granted that the wages paid there were good
Mr.. Fox then notified the Clerk 10 send for the gen.
tlemen whom Mr.. Ely desired might be examined by
the Committee
He did not know whether in lsGl Mr.. Stewart
the Committee or not had had conversations with him
and had fuil confidence in his Judgment builder.
At that time MI Stewart was President Of the Board.
and an e1-0ficio member o. the Committee. Mr. lily
did remember Of having voted for the iron contract
not; thought be did not He did not at that time
suspect anything wrong about it. His impression was
tbat although be voted foI the report Of the recommen
dalton OF the Committee yet he thought he
voted against the contract itself OF
his own knowledge be knew nothing Of
zion Of the new CourtHouse. lie though. ii the duty
Of the Committee to send for the gentlemen lie had
named He did not know OF Lis own know ledge OF any
person who had cognzaDce Of corruption aud fraud In
This matter. A Mr.. John Pettigrew knew something
of the matter and could give the Committee some in.
formation; Also Learned, Beals & co. He suggested
a. gentlemen because he thought they would be able
fam ed 10 the chsTges-tha Of bricks Their testimony
might show how many bricks had been used in the
bulffrg He was not willing TO go with MI Blunt and
measure the walls 10 ascertain how many bricks
il the bLllding
Mr. Fox here requested Mr. SelDes 10 notify the
gentlemen MI Ely had named, n be present on Tues
day neIt af 3 O'Clock p ~. to which time the Com
INIT adiOUt ned.