Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-11-03
MINORITY REPoR

Publlc Printers, beg leave to submit the folloW-
| ing
MINORITY REPORT:
The Committee, in investigating the charges
referred to in the circular of Col. John Baxter,
concluded, at an early day, to confne their IN
vesugatlons to such charges as were definite and
specific In their character, and rot to consider
such charges as were general in their character.
The first of these specific charges was that
Jones, Purvis q Go. had used corrupt means TO
secure their election as Public Printers, and
the specification Hereunder was that one editor
from East Tennessee sold the votes of three
members of the Legislature to them (Jones,
Purvis & CO. for money which they have since
paid; and that to another editor from the West
ern Division five hundred dollars were paid'
As to this charge and the specification there
under, the minority find no testimony going to
show that Jones, Purvis s. Co. paid any money
to any editor in East Tennessee, or in the West
ern Division, for the Uotes of any member of the
last Legislature. But the minority find that
Jones, Purvis s. Co. paid Sam. p. wins; of the
Athens Post, 500 for his interest in the public
printing, and that j. O.. Griffith & Co., (who are
part of the firm of Jones, Purvis & Co. paid
Mr.. Heating, Of the Memphis Appeal, $500 for
his interest in the public printing. 1t is clear
from the proof that this 500 were to be paid out
of the money received from the State for pub
lie printing; and that all this money was agreed
to be paid in consideration of the influence Twins
and Heating brought to bear IN securing the
election of Jones, Purvis 81 Go. as Public Prin-
ters The minority deem this practice of buy
ing the influence of possible or actual candidates
tor Public Printer as reprehensibe and calcu-
lated to encourage Yenality ard engender cor
ruption. In short, the minority find that q
combination or ring was formed, consisting of
the Union and american, the Banner the
appeal and the Post, to control the elec-
tion of Public Printer; and that the Post
and the Appeal were paid for their interest in
this ring and for their services in canvassing,
and that they were paid out of the proceeds of
the public printing. Once in the history of
Tennessee this would have been denounced cor
rltption now it is termed purely a business
transaction" .-. r-
is the presentation by them of false and fraudu-
lent accounts for printing done There are sew
eral specifications included under this charge,
the first of which is as follows
For 1st HeiskelPs Report they Zones, Pur-
Wis & CO.. have charged for one million, eight
hundred and eighty thousand ems of compost
ton, three hundred and thirty tokens of press
work, and seventy-seven reams of paper,
whereas there are only one million, two hun
dred and sixty-four thousand ems of compost
ton, one hundred and ffty-six tokens, and, in
Guiding the usual wastage, thirty reams of pa
per-"
The minority find that so much of this speci-
fcation as alleges an overcharge of six hundred
and sixteen thousand ems and one hundred and
seventy-four tokens, is well sustained by the
abIe to Jones, Purvis & Co., they have over
charged the State six hundred and sixty-three
thousand, six hundred and eighty ems, at ST.
Ia per thousand ems, amounts to seven hum
dred and forty-six dollars and sixty-four cents
an overcharge of more than fifty per cent, or
nearly One-fOurth the whole cost of the 600
volumes of the book.
In the matter of tokens Jones, Purvis & Co.
have charged for three hundred and thirty
while the Statute (Code ID allows only two
Or nd
four tokens for the seventy-seyen reams in the
book That there is an overcharge of one hun
dred and seventy-six tokens or considerably
more than double charge. These one hundred
and seventy-siI tokens overcharged, at 81 121
per TOKEN make an overcharge of one hundred
and ninety eight dollars. gIEfr
The minority also find an overcharge of three
reams of medium paper at $500 per ream but
this overcharge of twenty-four dollars in paper
is, when compared with the other oyercharges
for this book, too Insignificant for further notice
The total overcharge for 1st Heiskelrs Re-
ports thus amounts to nine hundred and sixty
eight dollars and sixty cents, or over forty
three per cent
The second specification under the second
charge is that ''for 9Th Coldwelrs Report a like
overcharge was made"
The minority are of opinion that this specif-
cation also, is sustained by the testimony
Jones, Purvis & Co., have charged the State for
one million, six hundred and forty-six thousand
ems, two hundred and ninety-one tokens, and
eighty-one and three-quarter reams of paper.
Again, taking the proof most favorable to Jones'
Purvis & Co., we find an overcharge of five
hundred and ffty-seven thousand, six hundred
and sixty-six ems, of one hundred and twenty
seven and one-half tokens and of thirteen and
three-quarter reams of paper. In other words, |
here Is an overcharge of six hundred and twen-
ty-seVen dollars and thrty-seven cents for ems
an overcharge of one hundred and forty-three
dollars and forty-four cents for tokens, and an
phor of h,,,1 Ill
paper, making an aggregate overcharge of
elght hundred and eighty dollars and eighty
one cents ter 9th ColdwelPs reports, or nearly |
IoTTIy-three per cent; the same in 1st Heiskell.
Ihe third specification under the second |
chargels that for the Appendix to the Legis- |
IatlVe journals 1869-70, Jones, Purvis & Co, |
nave charged for one million, one hundred and |
seven thousand ems of composition, two hum |
dred and thirteen tokens and forty reams of pa |
per, whereas the same contains six hundred and |
sixteen thousand ems, seventy tokens and. in |
cluding wastage seventeen and half reams of |
paper.
The minority find no overcharge for compo-
sItlon IN the Appendix of 69-70 worth consider
lng the overcharge being only from seven to
twenty-five thousand ems and ne oyercharge |
for quality inpapef but do find an overcharge |
of one hundred and thirty-three tokens which, |
at slxty-seven and One-half cents per token,
amounts to eighty-nine dollars and seventy |
seven cents. But the minority find here gross
So III sLS pTtCc VI paper, WHICH Will De /
noticed hereafter. The fourth specification un- |
oSr the second charge that "a similar over
cnTTFge arg was made tor the Appendix of ls7O-7lv
o;c,ht1, minority find here an overcharge of
Jred I .I9ousand and five hundred ems, two hum
SfGo Sftb ana ntty-seven tokens and five and one
dnIiars reas ms Oh paper, Putting, the paper at six
compostion o feH% sH6 the price charged and the
half cents per thousand ems anS ner token the
9re6 mar in this book amounts to two hun
ep oFercharge r IN the pres Sears Ia There is also
hereafter PPor u De hoticeu
The third charge is for drawing nav four
speeacaon ef 9f to the ePt tbde
Co, received pay once for the comno1;1; nGfV,s
said two Appendices when the 6onMroa,4a ~
therein were originally ordered by the hen' senate
that they received pay again for the sana nenaSe @
position when said documents were or;e,;no conl-
ordered by the House; that they receved ,aay,
third time for this same composition in pbs t5ss
Senate Appendix, and that they received No .he
fourth time for this same cnnnnsitios Pay, d