Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-02-19

tUo vi GIc pTONiStO1S VI bttfS law, 10 90 on
md let the contracts and push the work fol
'uchk an extent that it will be impossible
or us to interfere and set aside their acts?
SIR. IL Is folly-it Is worse than folly, to In
if we are unwilling to place our
selves in position to profit by our investf-
CATIONS. Reject this amendment, and frand,
and corruption may stare your committee |
In the face at every step Of their in ses
tigatiOn, but the sole result of their laborJ
will be the knowledge that the people
OF our State are again to be made to suffer |
from the dishonesty of those to whom a |
public charge-has bee1 .intrusted.
Your committee may find that no state
ment.of the dimensiops,' ARRANGEMENT and
plan OF this asylum, and of the building s
connected with it, has been submitted to a
competent architect,-that no plans, drafts,
and estimates have been exe-
cuted,T and copies of the same placed
In the office of the Secretary of State,
that no descriptions, stating the
parts in which the work and ma
terials for building will be let, togeth-
er with the time, places and terms of the
letting have been published in four'news-
papers of general circulation throughout
the State as the third section of this act
requires, and yet this knowledge of a vio-
lated law, can avail us nothing. They may
find that the cost OF this asylum will, when
it shall be completed, be more than twice
.GUTtt nuIuTt@l LiOucduu While ln6
law requires that no part of the work shall
be commenced. until arrangements have
been made insuring its completion. at an ag-
gregate, not exceeding that sum [$300 00O),
and yet knowledge of this fact will come
too late, to benefit the tax ridden people of
our State. They may find, as has been
charged by the gentleman from Washing
ton, Mr.. Buell) that the site selected is
unhealthy and unsuitable for an Institution
of this kind, and yet the time to change
that location will have passed and gone. If,
then, the Investigation of this committee
will amount to anything--if it will result
in making any disclosures similar to those
have enumerated, we have everything to
gain and nothing to lose by. this suspen-
sion; should any of the charges that will be
brought against these trustees be sus-
taiued, thousands of dollars will be
saved to the treasury of our State. II, on
the other hand, the trustees shall be found
| to have acted throughout in good faith and
in compliance with the provisions of the
law, we canlose nothing, as these contracts
can be let to better advantage at some fu-
ture time than at the present. Materials
for building and price of labor are now
and the probabilities are tnat they can be
obtained at still lower rates during the
coming summer. Besides. no work can
be done upon these buildings at this
season of the year. If the trustees
let the contracts now, the contractors
will be compelled to await the coming of
spring to commence the fulfillment of their
contracts, long before which time this in
vestigating committee will have completed d
its labOrs. There can be no good excuse,
then, for rejecting this amendment. The
friends of these trustees, and especially the
friends of Athens, upon this floor, who are
so confident in their belief that no fraud
exists in this matter. can with no degree of
plausibility oppose its passage. Ii they, as
they pretend, are really in favor of an in-
vestigation, they cannot consistently re-
fuse to suspend all operations of these
trustees in regard to contracts until that
| Investigation can be made. Sir, if we re-
| ject this amendment, we will declare that
the acts of these trustees shall have full
force anu effect, no matter in how many
particulars they may have violated the
law, under which they have acted, no mat
ter how much fraud and corruption may
be shown to exist. We will make ourselves
parties to their illegal and fraudulent acts
(if any there be) by our refusal to put a
stop to them, while we have the power to
do so. And the people who will be CON-
PEELED to suffer all the consequences of this
fraud and corruption, will hold us respon-
sible for our failure to interfere.
Mr.. SCOTT, of Warren, said, while he
had Offered the resolution to which these
amendments were intended to apply, he
Thought ali imputations cast upon the
trustees appointed to locate that institution
were unjust and out of order. He was
| willing that the proposed investigation
should be had, and until that investiga.
tion should develop fraud, he thought al
assertions concerning the integrity of the
trustees should be withheld.
| The yeas and nays were ordered on the
adoption of the amendments, and resulted
yeas IS, nays 2. So the amendments wer,
agreed to. @ aLs Ese &
PETITIONS.
Mr.. KERR, of Jefferson-A petition o
David Myers and other citizens of Jeffer
son county, asking for the passage of a Law
which shall provide better security agains
steam-bOiler explosions. Referred to tn,
committee on Commerce.
| Mr.. WOLF-The replonstrance of j.
Fiedeldeg and S05 citizens of Hamilton
county, stating that the wharf facilities fo
the city of Cincinnati are amply sufficien
for all business transacted thereon, and pro
testing in the name of the citizens alread,
| overtaXed against granting any power au
thorizing the City Council of Cincinnati t.
issue any bonds tor the purpose of an,
| wharf fextension-which was referred to
commitsee of nine-the Hamilton count,
delegation. ni.s sie aF
Mr.. SHERWIN-The petition of r. r
Hinslow, and 80 other citiz ans of Cuyahog;
county; Lyman Little and 80 other citizen
! of Cleveland; Gen. A. Tisdale and 81 Othe
citizens, praying for law to prevent shoot
ing ducks in the spring of the year. Re
! ferred TO the committee on Agriculture.
| Mr.. NEW Mantle petition of w. A
Frizell and 20 other citizens of Sciott
county, praying for change in the pres
ent interest law of the State. Referred tt
| committee on Interest.
| Mr.. SCOTT, of Warrcn-The petition o
| c. Ditmus and 96 other citizens OF WarreI
county, tor the repeal of the law entitlet
an act authorizing county commissioner
on petition of majority of resident land
holders along and adj jacent to the line o
said road, &C., passed March 20, 1867. Re
lerred 10 committee on Turnpikes.
Mr.. EAMES-The petition of j. ]
Blythe and 1l6 other citizens of Geneva
in money and the legaiizatiOn of ten pc
cent. interest. Referred to the committe,
| on Interest.
Mr.. SWETLAND-The petition of Rich
ard Cowley aud IS other citiZ ,ns of Madi
son county, asking free trade in money
Referred to committee on Interest.
Mr.. ROSS-The petition of the Board o
Education of the city of Columbus, for
| law TO extend for three years the provis
ions of the act to amend an act entitled al
act to amend an act entitled an act for TIN
support and better regulation of publi
schools in the city of Columbus. passed
/ February 8, 1915, and other acts relating t,
the same matter. Referred to a selec
committee of two-Messrs. Ross and Mann
| Mr.. RUTrER-The petition OF 7. j
| Strawn and 202 other citizens of Fairfield
| county, praying for the passage of an ac
authorizing the township trustees of Rusf
| Creek township to lew a tax to refun(
money paid on bounty to volunteers raiset
under a call of the President, October, 1854
and February, 1865. Referred to committee
OH Military Affairs. S-ao
Mr.. HUGHES, OF Highland-The peti
tion OF John Woodrow and 6S other citi
zens of Lynchburg, Highland county, ask
| ing the passage OF a law to prevent rail
roads from making unlawful charges 70
travel. Referred to standing committee oil