The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1871-05-10

and then for the legislative Off
GERS to charge the State s92,5O0,
paying you the face of your bills
and pocketing the remainder?
Mr.. Hsrdenburgh-Of that [
leave you to judge: The way of
it so far as we are concerned il
this: Last Summer l was on
duty in the store. Mr.. Stuart
was among the Thousand Islands.
Mr.. Sutpben was also away. l
wish you to know that those
gentlemen bad nothing to do per-
sonally with these negotiations.
Of course, they stand by my &C.
ton, but it was not their personal
action. Mr.. Dennis came to me
and showed me an order from
Franklin J. Moses, Speaker Of the
S. c. Assembly, and also signed
by the Lieut.-Governor, saying
| that there had been $685. 900 ap-
! propriated for refurnishing the
Capitol. lie wanted me to allow
him a commission on the order if
he would get US the job. He was
chairman of the Committee on
Refurnishing. l did not take at
first to the idea of commission. 1t
was not our usual way. 1 asked
him if we would be paid in cash
or in State bonds. He said in
cash, and all we would have to do
would be TO send in our bill when
the work was done. After that
we talked again about Commits
sions, and finally it was put at the
usual rate OF ten per cent. or less.
The work was to be done
by the first Of November. | at
tended to little else but arranging
tho articles and getting them
shipped. They were in and ready
on time. l did not get the money
as l expected, and I spent two
months of this Winter, from Jan
uary 3 to March 8, in Columbia
trying to get my payment. What
bills went in I do not know. For
fear Of being mis-idcntifcd with
such a thing as lobbying I never
went into the capitol but twice all
Winter, and opco was to see the
chandelier lighted up. The most
/ did was to make out my firm bill,
s21,29469, and to send it to the
| Governor and to Mr.. Dennis. !
was told afterw ard that the bill
appropriating money for my bill,
for Nicol & Davidson, and for 9th
er bills had passed. came home
with the following check:
II TIE House OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Columbia, S. c., Feb, 1871.
To the Treasurer Of the State Of
| South Carolina:
Pay to John B. Dennis, or Or
der, twenty-ono thousand two
hundred and ninety-four 69-100
dollars, for expenses of refurnish-
ing and reftting the State House.
F. J. Moses, Speaker.
Attest, A. O. JONES, Clerk.
I put this check in the bands
of Henry Clews Il Co., New York,
for collection, and You sec it is
| endorsed J. B. Dennis, Stuart &
Sutphen, Henry Clews g. Co., and
Hardy Solomon. The latter is
President of the State Bank Of
South Carolina. 1t was protested
with the statement that no funds
so designed had been appropriated
by the State or were in the State
Treasury. 1t seems the Governor
had vetoed the bill for appropria-
tions after it's passage. In that
bill the payment Of my account
and of Nicol & Davidson had been
provided for.
Eagle-So you have not yet
been paid.
Mr.. Hardenburgh-No, sir not
4 cent; not my expenses not the
money l advanced to get the
things out of freight. The sum
owing on the bill is s21 294.69. 1t
is a fair bill, q bill which any one
is at liberty to examine our books
to see is fair and just. In regard
to the s92,50O l know nothing;
that is nearly twice our bill and
Nicol & Davidson's put together,
as l have told you.
Mr.. Hardenburgh also said that
the carpets he furnished were the
exact quantity which Mr.. Dennis
ordered and the curtain back OF
the Speakers chair was furnished
il accordance with the directions
of Mr.. Dennis and the Speaker
himself, who were up North last
Summer, and who left directions
with Mr.. Hardenburgh what kind
Of curtain was needed. He went
over the curtain item by item-30
yards Of silk fringe at $3.50 a
yard; a full piece Of brocatelle at
nearly sl2 a yard in gold; tassels
at $3.50 pair, &C., all paid for
by MIR. Hardenburgh in the Ne"
York market. The worst thing
about the case is that Mr.. Harden
burgh paid cash for the goods he
furnished, cash for their shipping
and freight, cash for pntting them
up. and is now denied even the
payment Of the bill which is just,
and the bill itself seems TO have
been doubled by the Legislative
committee not for his benefit but
for their own