Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-11-08

The undersigned, a minority of the Commit
tee to whom was referred Senate Joint Resou-
ton No. g. in relation to the charges against the
Public 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 contne their in
vestigations to such charges as were definite ana
specific in their character and not to consider
such charges as were general in their character
The first of these specific charges was that
Jones' Purvis 81 Co. 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 & 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, Purvs & 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 q Go. y 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 bel 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 Wins
and Heating brought to bear IN securing the
election of Jones, Purvis g. Co. as Public Prin-
tiers. The minority deem this practice of buy
ing the influence of possible or actual candidates
for Public Printer as reprehensible and cslcu-
lated TO encourage venality ard engender cor
ruption. In short, the minority find that
combination or ring was formed, consisting of
the Union and American, the Banner, the
Appeal and the Post, to control the cleo
tion Of Public Printers, 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
Ti.ptioR, now it is termed purely business
Transaction
The second charge against the Public Printers
is the presentation by them of faaee 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 Heiskelrs Report they (Jones, 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-seyen reams of paper,
whereas there are only one million, two hun
bred and siIty-four thousand ems of compost
ton, one hundred and ffty-six tokens, and, in
GLIDING 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 we'll sustained by the
proof According 10 the testimony most idUor-
able to Jones, Purvis & Co., they have over
charged the State six hundred and sixty-three
thousand, six hundred and eighty ems, at ST.
l27 per thousand ems, amounts to seven hun
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 COO
volumes of the book.
In the matter of tokens, Jones, Purvis & Co.
have charged for three hundred and thirty
while the Statute Code IL allows only two
tokens TO the ream or one hundred and fifty
four tokens for the seventy-seven reams in the
book. That there is an overcharge of one hun
bred and seventy-sX tokens or considerably
more than double charge These one hundred
and seventy-siX tokens overcharged, at 81. u!
per token, make an overcharge of one hundred
and ninety-eight dollars.
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 overcharges
for this book, too insignificant for further notice
The total overcharge for lst HeskelTs Re-
ports thus amounts to nine hundred and sixty
eight dollars and sixty-four cents, or over forty
three per cent.
The second specification under the second
charge is that "for 9Th Coldwells Report a like
oyercharge was made"
The minority are of opinion that this specif-
cation also, Is sustained by the testimony.
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 az Co, we find an oycrcharge of five
hundred and ffty-seyen thousand. six hundred
and slxty-siX ems, of one hundred and twenty
seven and one-half tokens and Of thirteen and
three-qudrter reams of paper. TIA other words,
mere Is an oVercAarge OisiZ hundred and TWEEN
ty-seven dollars and thir,y-seven cent. for ems,
an Overcharge Of one hundred and tJrtv-thrcc
dollars and -orty-lOur cents for tokens and an
OVercharge OF one hundred and ten dollars l0l
paper, making an aggregate overCharge of
elghIHunqre1 ana eighty dollars and eighty
tOrty-three per cent; the same in l-t He-keu.
The thru specification under the second
charge is that for the Appendix % the Logis
latlye journals loJ5-lu Jones, Puryis d Co.
nave charged for one million, one hundred out
seven thousand ems of composition, two hun
dred and thirteen tokens and forty reams Of pa
per, whereas the same contains six hundred anl
sixteen thousand ems seventy tokens, and, IN
Guiding wastage, seventeen and q half reams O
paper.
The minority find no overcharge for compo
sltiOn in the Appendix Of 69-7O worth consider
ing, the oyercharge being only from seven q
twenty-five thousand ems and 10 oYercharg
for quality in paper but do find an Oycrcharg
of one hundred and thirty-three tokens which
at sixty-seven and one-half cents per token
amounts 20 cghty-nine dollars and seventy
seven cents. But the minority find here gros
oYercharge in the price Of paper, which will b
noticed hereafter. The tg1irth specification un
der the second charge that "a similar over
charge was made tor the Appendix Of lS7O-7l.
The minority find here an overcharge o
eighty thousand and five hundred ems, two hun
dred and htty-seyen tokens, and five aud one
fifth reams OF paper. Putting the paper al ST
dollars per reaIn' the price charged, and tn