Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-07-22
Leasing Of the Penitentiary.


/ the facts connected with the leasing OF thu
Penitentiary by the Commissioners. From
them 1.-THE Comissioners) We learn the fol
lowing
On the 18th inst when the bids wer,
opened before the Governor, as tie law di-
rectod, it was found that Mr.. REESE w
PORTER had the highest bid, which wa,
sixty three cents per diem TO the man. Mr.
I BRIGGs' bid was forty-three cents, and som,
others as low as thirty-fve cents The
Commissioners notified PORTER at once
that be was the highest bidder, and called
on him 10 execute his bond and give secu.
rity, rs required by Law; and that when
this was done that the convict labor Of the
penitentiary would at once be turned ovel
to his charge. He requested them to wait
until the following Saturday, the 18th, and
that they should meet at his Office on Cedar
street. According TO agreement, Messrs
HARE and SHANKLAND went to his office
and asked him if he was ready to execute
his bond and give the required security
No positive answer was given. In the
course Of a desultory conversation he ac-
knowledged that it was known that he was
not esponsible-that he was not worth any
money. He also remarked that he under
stood that they would not lease the labor to
any one who was not Union man.
The question of securities was again IN
troduced, when PORTER said that JOHN
HEREFORD and H. H. HAINEs would 20 in
with him as partners. The latter would
furnish $4,000 and the former would get
DAVID F. CARTER as his security; that Mr..
LUMsDEN, Of the Second National Bank,
would be 4 security or a partner. The COM
missioners informed him that if these names
we're attached to his bond that they asked
nothing more. During this time Mr.
BRIGGs was pressing the action Of the COM
missioners on his bid.
The demand was renewed on Mr.. PORTER
to bring up his security. He replied by say
ing that Mr.. HAINEs was out on the street
looking for securities, and that they would
be in soon, and asked postponement of ac-
ton one or two hours. Mr. HAINEs re-
turning informed Mr.. PORTER that those
gentlemen he named as securities and part
ners could not come to the Office, owing to
the press Of business. Mr. PORTER COM
municated this to the Commissioners and
asked them to exted the time until Monday
at y o'clock, NJ, the 10th instaat, and
that he would meet them at the City Hotel
and make the required bond and give Sc
cur tg as required, and that if he failed TO
give bond and security as required then he
would say nothing more about the matter.
This was agreed to, but before it was done
proposition was made to him, that if he
would 60 and get the names Of the gentle
men on a piece of paper, which he said
would 60 his security, or be his partners,
with the statement that they would be such,
that it would be sufficient and they would
require no more Of him, and would be will
ling to wait few days until he could make
further arrangements. This he did not do.
At the designated time he came TO the Ho-
tel, accompanied by Rev. Z. d. STEVENSON,
a Baptist minister, as one ofhis securities.
He was informed by the Commissioners
that they knew nothing about Mr.. STEVEN
sons responsibility, and could not entertain
him as security; that he was not the party
he promised at the preceding meeting as
security. They again demanded the re-
quired security, when he asked them to
wait until o'clock Mr.. HARE replied
that he would, and twenty minutes after, at
the same time informed him that it was ex-
pected that he would advance $4,000 as
payment towards the raw material and un-
finished work in the Penitentiary. He re-
turned at o'clock and proposed 10 execute
his bond. They asked where his securities
were. lie replied that there was Mr..
STEVENSON, and that VIM C. HALL was in
the hotel.
While this conversation was going on Mr..
Hall. told Mr.. CLAY ROBERTS, Of the hotel,
that he did not come there TO go PoRTERS
security, but merely to inquire into the ma
ture Of the case; that Mr. PORTER had been
endeavoring to get him and some other
gentlemen to go into the enterprise. Mr..
RoBERTs communicated thisto the Commits
sioners, who asked Mr. HALL if it was time,
who replied that it was; that he came there
at the request of Mr.. PORTER, but not to
sign the bond The Commissioners at once
acted on the bids before them, awarding the
lease to Mr.. BRIGGS, who has as his partner
Mr.. HIErr, Of Louisville, Kentucky.
So soon as Mr. BRIGGs was notified that
the lease had been awarded to him he gave
the required security at once, and gave
checks also to the amount of $1,000, with
orders to draw on them for any amount they
might desire.
So,ftrYI,sG FOR THE SPFCtrI, TIVE