Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-08-31

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Washington, ID. q. Apr, ~, 1859.
Corporation Of WasAtngton TO John Donoran, Dr.
To work dons for grading, under contract OF
cate of February %, 1883
q street NORTH, Fourth Ward, namoer
of cubic yards excavation IS,C22, at
Under at sDprcved Noyemscr .. iss:, s''0'; -
q street north, Fourth Ward, number
Of cubic yards embankmAL SPAS, at
Under act approved Nov. q, 1s6s:
First street east, Fourea Ward, mum.
Der OF cnbIc yards embankment,
1.6Se, at IL cents, under act approved
November 81, 1868 ............... 1s5 90
2.7s5 IS
1 recommend the above amount be pad on
account of contrast.
CHARLES H. BLISS, CITY Surveyor.
Approved for 2,745.3S, April "a, 1862
>. J. BowH~, Mayor.
II Will be seea by comparing this bill, W hica
Is certified 10 by Charles II. Bliss, the City
Mayor, vita the eontr.ss ia. s..s;a u, the
anount for excavation on K street, is all that
the contractor is entitled to, excepting for q
east Of second street, ana from Aiassachusetts
avenue, near North Capitol street, which was
put into Il street; but all OF which, in the
opinion OF competeat Judges, will not amount
TO more nan 500 cubic yaIds. which, at eIe ven
cents per yard, would amount 70 $50, and
mat the amount paid tor eRbankment on q
ana First street. lass the Aforesaid eo8 is fraud.
ton has been cheated to the amount OF up.
ward of si.OOO, for the contractors benefit.
On the 18th day Of May S3,OOO more were
paid on accountof X street, and on The 18Th
day'ef June 5000 more on account of NJ street.
making IN all So,7i5.3S that has been paid on
account of contract which reads that s'no
part 81 Ae appropriasfon.Sllb be paid until the
the commissioner of the ward, ana the assist
ant commissioners"
The work ON NJ street was not commenced
VI m q ha lar NJ Ar1On -
served that ~, eO0 are paid on account of that
street on the 10Th day OF June, six weeks before
The work was commenced.
The Corporation laborers in the Fourth Ward
have not been paid for three months, and in
reply TO nay repeated requests Of the Mayor to
pay them, ne has informally replied that he
vanced 10 MIR. John Donovan alias James X.
O'Bierne Il Co. in plain rfola:ion Of Idr, would
have been amply sufficient to have kept the
men paid monthly, as the law requires they
1t appears from the foregoing that q fraud
has been committed by which the Corporation
of Washington has been defrauded OF upward
OF one thousand dollars, Q,OO0, and that the
principal 10 the fraud Is the Hon. Sayles J.
Bowen, Mayor Of Washington, and that his ac-
cessories are Charles II. Bliss and James r.
O'Bierne &c 90.
1 deem it my duty also to call your attention
TO another circumstance, which, In my opin.
Ion, exhibits, If not a deliberate interest on the
pat OF the Mayor OF the city to set its laws at
unwarraItable.
About the LIST of October, 1863, Mr.. Andrew
Gleason Zone of the aforesaid contradictory
entered into contract to grade and gravel Sd
street west, from h street north to New York
avenue. i gave him permission to take a
sufhelent amount OF gravel TO gravel said street
from the east side of North Capitol street,
between L street north and New York avenue
on condition that, after obtaining q sufficient
amount of gravel for SAID street, he refill the
excavation. When the street was finished, 1
d1Pl nS1 IN mn rnva fha
SON would not sign it until he had lett North
Ca 1Itol street in as good condition as be found
II. He took the bill, saying he would procure
the names OF the Assistant Commissioners to
III that he would Immediately fill the excava-
I ON on North Capitol street 10 my satisfaction.
and return the bill for my signature. Isawno
more of the bull until found it on file in the
Registers office, and, TO my astonishment, saw
that S6Oc, the original Appropriation, had been
paId on II. A deficiency bill, amounting to
S227.2O, was then pending before the Councils.
L TOOK The DILL TO the Mayo asking why be id
IT without my signature, as the law
He replied that IL was an oversight
and said Tell Andrew Gleason he will not
receive the amount OF deficiency until b. com.
plies with your requirements
Ten days aiterwaTd the deficiency was paid.
he bill Is now ON file in the Register Office,
where II can De seen, without my signature.
and the excavation still remains untitled Oh
North Capitol street.
1t can be proved that the said Gleason has
boasted That he would not fill said excavation,
aud that the Mayor would continue TO approve
and pay his bills without the signature of the
Ward Commissioner.
II seems that Mr. Gleason Is correct in this,
as the Mayor has since paid the extraordinary
sum OF SS,7i5 81 10 Messrs. o. BieTne Gleason
i 60. on account of grading and graveling the
aforesaid named streets without my approval
Or ever asking me If the work was being done
IN satisfactory manner.
The work In said streets mp to this time has
not been done according to contract both X
i'd @ streets being from three to ven feet too
narrow, the grade at several points too low,
Ind containing not more than one.half the re.
luiyed amount OF gravel.
/ am satisfied, from all the circumstances,
hat il has been the intention Of said contractors
rom the first TO slight the work, and to intimi.
late me into an approval OF IL In violation OF
ne contract, and the law that am sworn to
Ali Of which Is respectfully submitted.
]. II. CRANE,
Commissioner Fourth Ward.
P.S.-Since wiring the foregoing have seen
In order in the handwriting Of the Mayor,
Iiven about he first Of this month, on the Fret
National Bank for $4,000, which has also been
authorized to retain said amc unit out of the FIRST
axes paid In this year, making in all S1l,7i5.5S
hat have been advanced on said contract,
which, IN my opinion, greatly exceeding the
mount then due.
Coancil bill to pave the carriageway on Yer.
was taken up, ana after a long dis ssion as 20
he principle OF paving the avenues by the Cor. |
lordCOn, &C., participated In by Messrs,
crocker, Connolly, Moore Champion, McCa th.
an, Stewart, Davis, and others, during which |
Mr.. Croker eloquently advocated the i'm |
'rovement of the city, thst We may at once and |
oreyer crush out the agitation for a removal |
If the capital, and was seconded by others. the |
I'LL passed. Council bill in relation TO scay- |
myers fees was returned 20 that Board az their |
)wn request. Several Council bills were re. |
erred to the appropriate committees. |
Mr.. Davis introduced a Joint resolution for |
~ p iuiment Of a committee two members of |
he BCa.d Of Aldermen and two OF the Board |
~ Common Council, sto act in CONJUNCTION
With the Mayor 10 ascertain in what manner |
he Washington Canal can be disposed OF to |
he best interest OF the city, either by lease or |
~ disposing Of the whole right and title OF the |
~ bill or otherwise at as early q day as pos. |
IDLE; that the nuisance now created ty the |
anal may be abated before another summer, |
Ind that the citizens Of Washington may have |
ne benefits Of the same as q means Of navi.
,ation.''
Mr.. Moore commended that the canal was the
property Of the city, and necessary to the drain.
lGe OF the city, and should be dredRed out and 1
Iept clean bv the Corporation as q sanitary
measure. The streets were kept clean by the /
lty without looking to derive any direct rev. /
nue. from the work. He moved that the res.
tuition be referred 70 the Committee on the |
ssnineton Canal; and after debate the mo-
The bill for establishing high and normal
cheol was taken mp, and MI. CLARK moved |
hat a. confederation Be postponed one week; |
greed TO. Mr.. Connolly offered q substitute |
% the bill: which was referred to the Com. |
nittee on Public Schools, and ordered 10 be
printed In the journal.