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

BOARD or ALDERMEN, August 3Jsh, Isss.-
The Char Vice President Bakery laid before
the board communication from Acting
Mayor CTocker announcing his approval Of
Also, communication transmittins the account
of the Corporation with the First Nations,
Bank 70 date, as foilows:-Dr-Special tar,
S3l,g77.s9, Third, S9,ALIs; Fourth, $500 31
Fifth, SEl.l5l59; SIKH. S2G,3iOS Sc: Sayenth
sE,l69i school fund, go, 56U2s; surplus fund,
Sgt3: Totai, s2sa-i S,S2. cr.-f.A. 30. well,
general .nnd, s5s,cse.S9, water tax fund, s25,-
45a.}-i metropolitan police fund, SIi,I9I.li:
school house fEod, 81, lbs 30; gas fund, ss4,-
1ci-56 10 years Oocds, S6l, -6i 90; Balance S55-
2H.52 Total, S27t,l22.Ss. Corporation DIR. to
balance, August ,sOth, S55,21S72. Referred to
Finsaee Com nit,ee and ordered to be printed.
Ihe CnaI also laid before the Board several
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES from the Surveyor enclosing
estimates N answer TO resolutions of the Board
as'folioWs-oTe stating cost of grading East
CaptOl street, from I'd 10 ilth east NJ S2,6e6 As
gr1yelling sane, IS, SIS; one stating cost OF
correcting the grade of NJ street north, from
AN TO 1tR west S5l4--O; grayeling and reiaytng
footways, g., $3.50, one stating cost of grading
Fifth street. east from i 70 NJ north, SsI7 IS:
gravelkDgl "a 76 grading Six IN street east from
10 NJ north, So. Is; gravelling, 1854 rs: grad
ing Il erreet north from LIST 10 Boundary east
Sl,759-2O, gravelling, s2,S5O4i. Referred to
improvement Committee.
The Secretary then commenced the reading
OF communication from the "OHice of the
Washington, ID. e." The document com.
mence5 by referring to certain facts which, the
writer said, bad come 20 his knowledge, impli.
Catlng gentlemen high in Of cial position, in
gross fraud and maIfeasance in ONCE. The
reading had proceeded only to the top of the
second page Of foolecap-no names had yet
and interrupted the reading TO INQUIRE how
tnat paper calIe before the Board, who was
The winter, and did he sign himself as a citizen
or an officer of the corporation! Was this
n 1ai offioo
He would like TO know something of the docu.
nent before the Secretary proceeded any fur.
rher.
The Secretary stated thar the paper was
headed as ne had read already, and was signed
by Commissioner Crane of the Fourth Ward
MI. Moore hoped The Secretary would be al
U~eu ~ proceed with the ating without any
Mr. Connolly objected 70 the further reading.
ard moved 10 lay the paper on the table,
MI Moore commended That the ms ton was not
an order, rs the communication came from an
onleer of the corporation, and the reading had
aiready been commenced.
The Char, amid some excitement in the
enanoer decided that The motion TO lay ON the
farle was in order.
Mr.. Moore appealed from the decision of the
Chair, and SAID the Board had NO right 20 sue.
press the reading OF an official communIcatIon
addressed 10 the Board
After short and sharp debate the yeas and
nays We're called on sustaining The CHAR, when
Mr- Moore going TO the Secretary desk and
examining the dOcunent) sald:-"rhIs paper
Is from the COmynis sloner Of the Fourth WSrt
and exposes gross frauds that have been per-
peraled upon the people OF Washington by
CONTRACTORS, and ~ should ba read :"
The decision OF the CHAIR was sustained
yeas, Messrs- Champion, Chase, Connolly
DAVIS, knight, and StewaTt-6; nays-Messrs
Clark, Emery, Moore, Mcrseil, and NcCi.h-
Tan-S.
as soon as the vote was announced, MIR.
Moore arose and loudly exclaimed: "A most
OUTRAGEOUS decision, Such vote is q disgrace
10 he Board"
The yeas and nays were then called on Mr..
Connoily's motion 70 lay the communication ON
the table, and II was lost-yeas, Mesers Ba.
ker. Connolly, and Davis-3; nays-Messrs
Champion, Chase, Clark, Emery, Knight,
Moore. Morseil, McCathran, and Stewart-Y.
Mr.. Moore then moved that the communica-
ton be referred 70 special committee of three
agreed 10, and the CnaIr said he would an
Bo0nee the committee in The course Of the eve.
The following is the communication in full:
OFFICH OF CONF OF lNPROvsMBNfs,
CITY HALL, WAsHINeroN, August y, 1853.
10 use Honorable Beard Of Aldermen and Board of
Common Council Of ta> City Of Washington
GENTLBNES II respectfully ask your at.
fenton 10 the following facts thai have recently
OPT aion, implIcate gentlemen high in offic,al
position IN gross frauds and naifeasance in
Before proceeding to give a detailed state.
msnt Of said facts, allow me to say that while
regret exceedingly the circumstances which
compel me 10 arraign before the Councils one
whom In days past have delighted 10 honor,
fell that cannot honorabiy with hold the facts
from you. feel, that silence on my cart under
the circumstances would be a CRIME and that
each days delay in bringing the matter to your
attention renders myself liable % the imputa-
tion OF being party 70 this fraud. 1 trust
therefore, that the delIcacy Of my position in
PreieIrIng charges against my superior in ONCE
will be con idered, and the facts receive that
attention at your hands which their import.
anGs demands.
The facts, which are susceptible of proof, are
lou nUReR 49, "a a.
Mr.. John Donovan entered into contract with
the Corporation of Washington % grade and
gravel h and VI streets north, from North Can.
Itol 70 Second street east, and First street east
from TO street NORTH for the sum of slsyen
(II) cents per cubic yard for grazing and ten
llt) cents Per square yard for graveIing The
mayor directed me TO draw up contract.
which cid In the usual form, and presented
10 Fam Tor his approval In the presence of Mr..
John Donovan, the contractor After care
fully reading sand contract, the Mayor wrote
on slip OF paper the following words. which
he directed me TO insert in the contract, to wit:
'.And In case any surplus earth from any one
street named above Is deposited In any other
Of said streets, the contractor is tc receive nav
only for excavation or embankment, as he NAV
Fleet. III paid for excavation on one street he
snail not be paid for nlline another street with
, ne sams EARN Inc Mayor, in explanation.
lowest bidder for these streets II thew are esti
mated separately, but by regarding the whole
c%,i,ss 90 as one street. and BY PAYING for the
measure the most. We find BY q careful esti.
mate That we can save to the CorpOrattou
about Sl,s00 1 think that amount vortn
saving, and feel II nay duty TO award the whole
four streets 70 Mr.. Donovan. .YCu know. % be
said, "rnat the work on @ and First streets
viii be all filling, and the dirt will have 70 b
brought from X street, 90 that by this contract
We viii Got q and First streets graded for
nothing" i inserted the words ss directed,
Wben tne Mayor again took the contract, read
10 carefully, and said. I" That will do I then
read % carefully TO Mr.. Donovan, asking him
n he understood it, He replied thar be did,
And expressed himself satisfed with IT, The
ontracf was then signed IN my presence John
J. Bowen on the second part, Messrs. james
K O'Beirse ma James Dalton nter,ue into
seearity with the said Donovan In the sun Of
IS, GOO for the faithful execauou OF the work.
10 n proper for NE 70 say, In this connection,
hat, according to my oooer walton and belief,
IL Jonn Donovan has not nov, and never
has had, any interest whatever in said con.
,tact but thaf the real contractors are james
x. " Berne, Andrew Gleason. and James B.
fIy; Messrv. O'Beirne and Fry since told me
Iepeatediy thai hey, with Mr.. Gleason, were
me Only parties interested. i hays observed
tnat MI donovan works with his shovel in
company with the other laborers Ia not seem
LIZ 10 nave the superin tendsnce Of auv mart
oI We Wofk. when Questioned by me In r..
k1o 70 tne work. though Claiming 10 be she
contractor, ne mas manifested q derrss Of i~no
rancesn regard 70 the whole ms,,sr sa,;,sIv
ECON psaole with the theory that he is the
six weeks after the work had been com-. Soox'
MesSrs r.. ~lIonCc0s