Nebraska advertiser., 1870-03-10
OFFICIAL REPORT OF COMMITTEE
Appointed by the Legislature to
Investigate the Acts Of the Land
and Bdfldfng Commissioners.

~
and Bdflding Commissioners.
The committee appointed By the
two Houses to jointly Investigate the
kofiicial acts of The State Commission
ers of Public Lands and Buildings,
have had the matter under considera-
ton, and have examined several wit
~nessesses who were supposed to have
a knowledge of the facts concerning
the reports current throughout the
State, and publicly. charged in certain
newspapers, published.i in the State OF
certain populations and frauds, &C.,
and from a due consideration of the
testimony thus taken, and examina-
ton ofpapers and books to as large an
extent as time would permit, and suf-
fciently to satisfy your committee
that the commissioners have sold the
saline lands of the State 10iittHO,B due
regard for the LdaO that they exceed
ed their authority under the law, by
selling Saline lands without first sell
ing all the Lincoln lots, and by selling
more of the lands and lots than was
required to obtain. the amount of the
appropriations made by law. a.T
From the testimony, we find that
said Commissioners advertised extern
siveiy throughout the country that, on
certain days they would sell lots and
lands at Lincoln, and, on those days
a great many people came to Lincoln
to buy lots and lands, and to accom-
MEDIATE those who had come for the
purpose of buying land only, the
Commissioners sold some of the land.
That owing to the present location
of the Lincoln Asylum the commits
sioners have obtained IS acres of land
In this vicinity on very advantageous
terms, though your committee are of
the opinion that such tract of Iand'was
not a consideration for such a location
but was in the nature of a partial do
nation to the commissioners, withithe
hope of getting their influence to as
sist them 1.-THE %citizens) in building up
a little town in the neighbOrhood of
the asylum. A'A
That tie commissioners have been
somewhat careless and have paid esti-
mates on the erection of the asylum
when sufficient work and material
were not furnished for the asylum to
Justify the estimate at the time made.
The contractor fer the asylum has
also contracts for buildings in which
the Governor and Secretary of State
are interested, and said contractor has
obtained funds on estimates for the
asylum with the view of using the
funds Immediately in furtherance of
the erection of the houses of the Gov
ernOr and Secretary, and in like man
neT has also obtained funds from said
parties on estimates for their houses,
which applied to the work and mate
rial of the asylum.
The testimony also shows that there
has been about $4,000 drawn in excess
of the work done and material fur
nished oil the contract for the erection
of the Asylum, but in the opinion of
MI. Hunt, IN of your committee,
who is an experienced builder
and contractor, who examined said
work and material furnished, the
State can suffer in no material inter-
est so far rs the contract for building
the Insane Asylum is concerned.
. We find that lots and lands bid off
at the public sales in 1869, in the ag-
gregate sum of near $50, 900, yet re-
main indebted to the bidders to whom
they were struck off. That the money
due thereon has not been paid to the
commissioners.
We find further that the commits
siOners never promised to such pur-
chasers any time on said sales.
The testimony fully establishes that
the advertising for bids, and the let
ting Of the contracts for both these
buildings, were conducted in q fair
and impartial manner; that there was
no %favOritism shown to any one; that
no person whatever had any advan-
tage over others in bidding for the
contracts of either building, and that
the Commissioners, nor any of them,
received any consideration whatever
forwarding the contracts to the par
ties who obtained them.
That the commissioners the public |
sale of lots and lands put forth all
proper means to further the interests
and advance the welfare of the State,
by selling the lots and lands at the
best prices; that but few lots were
sold otherwise than at public sale, and
those were sold to rectify errors i'm
numbers of lots and mistakes made i'm
the hurry of bidding at the sales, and
in some instances to encourage the
interests of Lincoln. and thereby fur
ther the public benefit. We further
find from the testimony before us that
the commissioners had no individual
interest in the letting of contracts for.
the erection of public buildings as in
the sale of lots and lands, other than
any citizen of Lincoln and of the
State. $3.50
That the commissioners have pur-
chased property ia Lincoln as other
individuals and thereby showed their
in Lincoln by their works and
property by men in such high offices
Of state, the State has realized q large
amount of money over and above
what coIld have been anticipated
That largely owing to the efforts of
commissioners the State property in
has brought, and is worth
larger sums; double the amount
contemplated by the Legislature one
year ago. That the commissioners
found upon obtaining knowledge of
buildings, that the appropria-
ions made by the last session of the ,
legislature were insufficient to erect !
suitable buildings, and in view of the
act that the State had realized a larger +
sum out of Lincoln lots than cOntem- i
increased the size and cost of 9
he public buildings. .
That the State needed public build 7
ngs equal to those. contracted for, and +
he State has and w~illrealiZe sufficient
means out of the Lincoln lots and j
aline lands to erect such buildings, =
when done, it is hoped will be i
credit to our young State. T
T. b. STEVENSON,
S. A. FULTON,
JAS. S. CHURCH,
g q RnrurorEn q