, 1870-04-16

Ane Nuut1o4nee Oh fost Offices and Post
hoads IN the House. of Representatives
have presented q report in the casa Of fhe
New York and Boston Post Office buildines
which i1npeaches both the vesacity and The
competency of the Supervising Architect.:ot
the Treasury. When the site Of the New
York Post Office had been selected, CON-
mission waa appointed, which obtained
from 6vc Of the most competent architectso
shht city a plan and estimates for the build
ing. This plan proposed to toconstructa build.
ing covering the entire site, with a covered
carriage-way, by which wagons loaded with
mail might be driven into the building.
These plans were approved by the Post
master General and Secretary of the In
terror, and Congress made an appronris-
ton Of 600, ,000, for the commencement of
the building upon that plan. But the Super
sisng Architect WIS not to be thus batied,
Without any apparent permission Of any
person. he set axide the plan of the build
ing previously approved, prepared q nav
plan OF his OWL, and proceeded to mike
contracts which the COMMITTEES ahow to be
ett1avagant and reckless The estimated
cost OF the building proposed by tho New
York plan WAS Ss,542,os0. The building
proposed by the Supervising Architect viii
have 10, 600 feet less area than the other,
and his estimate OF its cost is 90, ,s6f f,OS9.
Though only 5000, 600 had been approp,i-
ated, the architect has mado a contraet,
without authority Of Law, for the granite,
and dressing Of the same, for the ontira
building, which, according to his own esti-
snnte, viii amount to bstween 81, 500, 900
and $4,000, 900. Advertisements ask
ing bids for furnishing the stone
for the foundation were published,
and the architect acceptad the bid
OF tha Dix Island Granite Company, aud
thereon made contract for the stone and
cutting for the entire building. The COM
pany offered to furnish the stone for 65
cents per cubic foot, and the contract
agrees to pay them IS cents per ton (of II
feet), moro than the bid, for all tho stone,
and the government is to pay the expense
and cost Of working, dressing, insuring, aud
boxing the stone, which tho company
offered to deliver. The committee state
that, under similarly worded contract for
tho Charleston Custom House, certain nAr-
biz column capitals cost IS, 200 each, when
even larger ones vere furnished for the
Capitol at Washington for $1,000. The
committee give the particulars of like
reckless contract for the supply of the stone
for tho Boston building
The Supervising Architect, when asked
why he disregarded the original plan OF the
New York building, and why hs got up an
other, stated that the Now York officials
were very much dissatisfied with it; that he
reported this fact to the Secretary OF the
Treasury, who went to New York in person,
and, Oh his return, directed him to prepare
new plans for the work. He adds, "I did
not prepare any plans until was directed
by the Secretary" In another place he
say9: "And the Postmaster General and
Secretary Of tho Tteasury, after examining
the case, concurFed in my objections Ito the
New York plan) and approved my plan"
Secretary Boutwell, testified that he had
no recollection Of ever having examined
the New York plan for the building; had
no recollection that the Federal officers of
New York mads any complaint as to the
plan of building and could not 1eoo1lect
having directed Mr. Mullet to prepare usv
plsns- Postmaster General Cresweu testi-
fed that he had never examined the ozigi-
nal plan Ct tho New York building. He
examined and approved Mullets plan but
never compared it with the other.