Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-10-13


.rer ne right comes rppernost, and eper Is j.s-
ttce done.
To Tie Editor Of The EUeHins Star:
Your last evening issue contains local item
Is follows:
."Charges Against the Mayor Dismissed.-The
charges Of malfeasance In once against Mayor
Bowen, in regard to which the grand jury have
within q few days past examined about one
dozen Witnesses, among them Mr.. J. H. Crane,
have been dismissed, the vote on sustaining the
charges being decided in the negative, but one
juror voting In the Affirmative
At whose instance those charges against the
Mayor were brought before the grand Jury,
am unable to say; but that the facts upon which
Connects were fully proven before the grand
jury challenge any one TO deny. have cen.
versed with about half Of the members of the
grand jury since the vote was taken, and every
one OF them have admitted to me that Il was
proved beyond question before them that the
May or had violated the laws Of the city, but
that, according 10 their understanding Of the
law, and the instructions they received from
counsel, there is no way by which the Mayor
can be reached. This instruction, am in
formed by one of the jurors, was not recei ed
source. From the long and freq uent con versa.
tlons l Witnessed between the corporation at.
torpey and the most Of the jurors while this
matter was before them, concluded that they
derived their information from that learned
Individual.
The first charge is that the Mayor deliber.
ately violated contract OF his own making,
which is fully proved by comparing the con-
trac: with the "GiH' and vouchers, upon which
money has been paid for work under said con-
tract.
only before the grand Jury, is that the Mayor
has, on SIX different occasions, set aside the
law governing the letting out Of contracts fer
grading streets, and virtually trampled that
law under his feet.
On page 232, OF Webb's Digest, under act Of
May "a, 1855, can be found the folio wing law:
ut shall be the duty of the Commissioners
respectively. under the direction and With the
consent of the Mayor, TO contract for any and
all improvements for which appropriations
may or shall have been made (when the ap-
at least ten days public notice; the work to be
given to the lowest competent bidder"
1 charge that the Mayor has violated this
law in six instances, as follows:
LIST. BY cont acting with Peter Mcnamara to
grade and gravel LIST street west. from Mary.
land avenue to the canal.
I'd. BY contracting with Patrick Culliuane to
grade and gravel L street south, from 9TH street
west TO 5th street east.
Sd. By contracting with Patrick Cullinane to
grade and gravel street south distance not
known, work to be paid in city bonds for both
Atm. by contracting with Stephen Tally to
grade and gravel 1 street north, from New
5th. BY contracting with Henry Birch Co..
to grade and gravel 2lst street west, from X
street north to Boundary street
to grade and gravel street north distance
have been informed by several members OF
the grand jury that the charges were fully
selves, who testified that those streets were all
let cut privately by the Mayor, not one OF them
having been advertised ten days, as the law
requires.
in regard to the application Of the law. claim
that Il is malfeasance in office for the iyor of
any city to violate its laws; that he is placed In
the Mayors chair to execute laws, not to vic
late them: to be the ser want Of the people, and
not their master. That the Mayor has no more
right to violate Corporation ordinance than
the humblest individual In the city. In this
opinion d! am sustained by the ablest legal
1t would seem. from the opinions of Mr.. w.
A. Cook, that the Mayor Of Washington may
set the law referred 70 aside at his will and
pleasure, and that there is no way TO reach
him; that while the President OF the United
States may be arraigned and impeached, there
lie no way by which the Mayor Of washington
may be reached. had thought we were living
under republican government, but it seems
not, as there is one man who is able to assert
ana mat mat 18th: I. M s Hon can 90
Bowen, Mayor OF Washington.
claim that every charge that have brought
against the Mayor has been fully proven be-
lore the Grand Jury, and leave it for the PEG.
TO reach the Mayor, that Is another matter
challenge any person to show wherein have
not sustained any charge made by the most
positive evidence: 1t will be useless for Mr..
Bowen to try and crush me by a combination
Of funky officials (who owe their ofYices to
him) and "bread and butter brigades" He NAV
seem to succeed tor a time,
"But truth shall conquer at the last,
For round and round we run,
And ever the right comes uppermost,
And ever Is Justice done"
J.H. CRANE.