Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-12-15


In the House, on Friday last, Mr.. Jones,
OF Caldwell, submitted the following ma
jority report for the special committee to
investigate the alleged frauds by the public
printer:
The special joint committee of the Senate
and House Of Representatives, to whom
was referred a joint resolution of the Gene
raj Assembly, ratified the - day or No
Vember, 1871, respectfully submit their
report with the evidence taken, for the
consideration and action of the General
Assembly.
The resolution under which your COM
mittee acted, required report, LIST
What was the contract with the public
printer
I'd. Has such contract been violated
Sd. If violated, by whom
4th. Amount of funds improperly drawn
from the treasury, for the public printing.
In answer to the first inquiry made by
| the resolution, the committee respectfully
| refer the General Assembly to the original
| contract signed by James I'll. Moore, public
printer, and by the legislative committee,
Which contract is hereby annexed.
Your committee, in order to answer the
other inquiries of the resolution, proceeded
| to summon and examine large number of
witnesses, and after thorough examination
and mature consideration Of the evidence
| are of opinion that the contract, as explain
| Ell by MIR. Moore to the committee at the
| time the same was under consideration, has
not been violated, and that no funds have
been improperly drawn from the treasury
| by the public printer, or any one connected
Herewith.
| Your committee, with the permission of
the General Assembly, will submit for con-
sideration brief synopsis of the evidence
in regard to the contract, &c.
| By the concurrent testimony of the Leg
| islative Committee, heretofore appointed to
contract for the public printing, and the
| public printer, it is established that there
were two contracts made, the first of which
was changed at the suggestion Of the COM
| mlttee and with the consent of Mr.. Moore,
the contractor While the last contract,
under which the public printing has been
done was under consideration and before
| the same had been accepted by Mr.. Moore,
| he proposed to accept the terms offered by
the committee, provided he was allowed to
count by the letter ''m," and that he was
asked by Mr. Jordan, one ofthe committee,
what was meant by counting printed mat
ter by the letter "m," and that Mr.. Moore
explained by actual demonstration, what
was his proposition, by measuring printed
matter in the presence of the committed
The contract was then made and signed by
the contracting parties. Your committee
find that the parties to the contract did not
understand it alike at the very time of exc
cutting it, that the committee of the House
reported contract different from the one
signed, and such a one that no intelligent
printer would make. On the very day of
making the contract, Mr.. Moore gave in
struction to Mr.. Maroon, the foreman in
the Sentinel office, to measure by the letter
''m'' as proposed to the committee.
Your committee are satisfied, that the
legislative committee did not believe when
the contract was executed that the mode OF
computing had been changed, but only a
reduction OF the price; and that the said
committee were satisfied that the mode pro-
posed was the cheapest and most favorable
to the State.
The evidence proves that Mr.. Moore was
only nominal contractor, and that Mr.. Tur-
ner of the Sentinel was the real party in
interest," that he would not have been ben
Gifted or interested by an increase or re-
ductiOn Of prices, and that he has not SUI
9 perintended or directed the printing or max
ing out the accounts.
Mr.. Turner had EOthing to do with the
terms of the contract, did not know what
mode Of computation had been used, and
never i'll any way controlled or directed his
foreman; that all the accounts for public
printing have been made out by the fore
man, Maroon, alone under the direction
given by Mr.. Moore on the day when the
contract was executed; that the chief clerk
i'll the auditors office constituted himself
. chief examiner of the public printers &C
count, joining with him Mr.. Parish and that
9 all accounts were examined and approved
by them; that the auditors clerk Mr.. Rob
erts, proceeded entirely without authority OF
! law, and is now a fugitive from the State
The evidence proves that the printers who
! examined the accounts could have, at any
time, discovered any improper computation
: of the printed matter.
Your committee find that no explanation
8 was made to the legislative committee about
the mode Of computating printed matter by
= the |Em' quadrate, notwithstanding that
! mode is the one generally used throughout
the United States and prescribed by the
| Typographical Society OF the Printers I'm
: | ion. And that is the mode under which
: the journeymen printers are paid in this
city, and that mode would have been more
| favorable to the State, and was the one
used by the public printers for the last five
> years. Your committee find that none OF
the accounts of the public printer have beer
paid since the question of error in his mode
, of computation was raised in September
: last, and your committee would recommend
: the passage of a resolution directing the
Auditor to audit his accounts, provided the
printed matter is counted by the measure
ment of 'Em'' quadrate. This resolution is
. recommendedbyt the committee because they
are satisfied that the contract made fol-
the public printing by the committee was
: believed to be most favorable to the State
! and because no explanation was made o.
this measurement. The committee exc
cuted the contract under the belief thai
tie mode proposed by the public printer
was the cheapest one in use among print
, ers, and that the public printing would be
l done cheaper than heretofore under the
other contracts of public printers for the
l last several years.
: The committee think this arrangement
i 4 would be fair and just to the public printer
. and to the State.
. Signed j. NJ. WORTH,
Chairman Senate Branch,
. E. JONES,
Chairman House Branch.
E. 3. WITHERSs
Mr.. Justice, from the same committee
of