Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-03-12

himself, except what he was inform Il by the
proper accounting officers Of the District; had
no knowledge that tickets against the loan bill
were carried to District Attorney Cooks office,
and there kept, and refused to parties making
ipplicsti,n.
by Mr.. Eldridge MIR. Searle was EMPLOYED
as the architect of
THE MORRISON BUILDINGS;
when II was nearly completed the legislature
was in session, and the appropriation bills were
pending; witness called on Mr.. Searle for an es-
innate; he gave witness An estimate at first be-
lew sis.O00, and then a second one of s4S 900;
subsequently, when witness heard of the bills
amounting to SSi. 0o0 he was very much sur
prise d, and placed the whole thing in the hands
OF committee, who put the matter In the hands
OF experts, who examined and reported n ,on
each bill; all the bills except two were paid on
the report OF the board OF experts; they cut down
the amount of the bills very largely; had never
heard Of $40 600 being paid out Of the contingent
fund on the Morrison building; the whole cost
OF the Morrison building, deducting the cost OF
erecting the fire proof building, was thrty-six
nerd, Mullett and Magruder were the commit
tee appointed to overhaul the bills; no member
OF the Board OF Public Works had any contract
with the District government to the know ledge
OF witness.
BY Mr.: Harmer.-witness has never inten-
tlonally declined to furnish any information to
the District legislature; if any inform alton was
Kept from them il was an omission and not in
territorial.
By Mr.. Roosevelt:-F street was cut down for
the Surveyor that the present grade was the
original one, and also to benefit the drainage
in that section OF the city: most of
THE PAYMENTS NOW BEING LAID HERE
nave been tested in other cities; have not de-
teImned yet which is the hest pavement:
Chicago and San Francisco have used the
wooden payements for !many years, with ap-
parently satisfactory results; concrete pave
ments have been tested; the finest payements
witness ever saw were the concrete payemeuts
in Europe; did not consider the pavcmcnts now
being laid here AZ untried pavements: wood had
stood travel in other cities; has personally ex-
amined the pavements in Chicago, and found
Them in good condition after they had been laid
Tor YEAR,; thought it judicious to incur large
expense to lay these pavements here.
BY Gen. Chipman:.The pavement on Penn.
SSivania avenue, in front OF the Presidents
house, was laid under dsadvantageous circum-
stances; no members of the Board of Public
works went to other cities to examine pave
nents, but individual members when in other
cities did examine the pavements: every means
were taken by the board. by inquiry and exami-
nation, to become familiar with the hest i'm
proyemeDts; one member of the board is now at
tending meeting in New York TO become ac-
quainted with the best plans; Mr.. Mullctt, a
member OF the board, is a competent engineer;
MI. Brown is the member of the board now in
New York.
by Mr.. Green:-All the members of the board
EXPIRE ssed opinions As to the pavemcnts and
which should be laid witness was at a meeting
OF the Board OF Public Works in June, 1s7 l.
when Gen. Meigs, DIR. Hall, and Others were
present; after that meeting the board did not
change its mind
IN REFERENCE To THE CANAL;
determined to fill up the canal because they be-
heved II TO be the best and most feast BILE plan
fcr It's Improvement; never heard of the idea
that the canal was filed for the purpose of ac-
commodating railroad in the future; in June
the IDEA was to keep the canal open to q certain
point, but now majority of the members are
OF the opinion that the canal should be closed
BY Mr.. COttOn:-Witness did not remember
expressing an opinion after the meetingin June
that the canal should be kept open; expressed
himself in favor of doing something to do away
with the malariOus influences of the canal; did
not RENE mher expressing an opin ion in favor of
keeping open the canal, but might have done
BY Mr.. Crane:-Had consulted the advisory
board about the Improvements.
Mr. Crane put many questions to Governor
Ccckc in reference to subjects which had al
ready been inquired about by his colleague Mr.
Greene, but Judge Poland, acting chairman of
The committee, stopped him. and again notified
the counsel for the memorialsts that IL could
not he Permitted to have all of them examine a
witness upon the same subjects
BY Mr.. Phllips:-The principal of the
"a 600 o00 loan bonds is payable in currency
Adjourned until tomorrow morning al 10
O'Clock.