Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-23
IRREGULARITIES %
Report or the COmtsifttee Appointed
60 Investigate the Acts OF the Chair.
man of the street Committee.

o 10 Investigate the Acts OF tie Chair
f man of the street Committee.
:. To the Board of Aldermen and Com
o mon Council Of Nashville, Gentlemen: =
II Your committee of conference appointed
I'll by your respective bodies to investigate the
i alleged Irregularities committed on the par
2 OF The Chairman OF the Street Committee
o and others, In the purchase of broken
t rock Tor the use of the corporation, would
respectfully report that they have carefully
t read and examined the written testimony Of
f the witnesses taken before a special COM
3 mittee appointed by the acting chairman OF
t the FINANCE Commit ZEE from their mem
oers consisting of Councilman Iitterer and
Aldermen Chamberlain and Wilson, and
, nave caused number of said witnesses
and others to come again before them and
testlfy In regard 20 the matters and
thDgs set forth Fin said testimony
ana Others involving the alleged irreg-
ularlAes so committed, and your COM
, nittee are unanimously of the opinion that
sne report OF the said special committee is
, more than sustained by the facts adduced
IN sald written testimony, and the further
testimony taken before us, and we believe
that the Irregularities Ito use mild express
slon) practiced against the corporation in
Ibis department, shows such a disregard
upon the part Of the chairman of the Street
COMMITTEES of the duties and responsible
ties connected with his Office, as render him
unworthy Of the high trust which is neces-
sarily reposed in him by virtue Of his Of
lice, and units him longer to exercise the
powers and privileges of the same.
We find that early in the month Of Octo-
Der; and soon after his induction into Of
flee, he purchased and agreed to purchase
from the lessees of the penitentiary 100,-
600 bushels of broken rock at q cents pei
bushel, to be delivered at the penitentiary,
certifying on account, for 10000 bushels of
the same, for payment to the treasurer of
the city, towit: the sum of ST. 800, which
was paid, when in fact bat very small por-
ton of that amount was then broken and
ready for delivery, and so far as your COM
fnittee are informed, none of this rock has
been used by the city.
We also understand that he took up and
certified for payment on the I'd of Decem-
Der, 1872, certain piles of broken rock on
the corner of Priestly and College streets,
purportingto have been broken by one r.
| II. Huff, and purporting to amount 10 AGO
bushels, when in fact, from the testimony
| Of VIM. Garrett, who aided in breaking
them, and VIM. Hsslam, street overseer,
who directed the placing of them upon the
streets, the rock at this point did not ex-
coed in amount 1900 bushels. R. II.
Huff was, at the time these rock were bro
ken and taken up by the corporation, an
employe OF the city, and engaged as sub
officer in this department. The proof fur
Their shows that these rock were taken up
and paid for number of days before they
had been officially measured, and in
tact before portion of the rock purport-
ing to have been received by the city had
been broken (see the date of bill for these |
rock in hands of city treasurer, and see |
testimony of VIM. Garrett and others as to |
time the rock was broken.)
We find also from the proof that the |
chairman of the Street Committee took up |
and certified for payment two separate bills |
for broken rock, for one w. l.. Adams, On
the 10th and 23d days of November, 1872, |
respectively, one on the corner of Spruce |
and Cedar streets, and one on or near the |
old State quarry, the former purporting to
contain 2,341 bushels, and the latter 4,276
bushels, when, from the actual measure
ment made by VIM. Haslam, Street Over
seer, and G. R. Cotton, The first contained
only PIT bushels, and the last only 1889
bushels, thus showing that the said chair
man approved of bill, or two bills, of
rock wherein there was deficit in the ag-
gregate of 8 1851 bushels, which, at 81 cents
per bushel, would amount to $l35.13.
The testimony shows that Adams was
paid for the last mentioned lot of broken
rock at 81 cents per bushel for 4,278 BUSH
els, and from the testimony of Geo. w.
Smith it appears that be, as former chair
man of the street committee, had purchased
broken rock at point contiguous to this
pile, during his administration, at II cents |
per bushel, and had bargained to take these
same rock at like price whenever the city
should need them.
The proof further shows, as evidenced by
the testimony Of Frank Brnsch, taken in
connection and compared with the approved
account presented by Adams to the Treas
urer for payment, and which was duly paid,
that the rock had not been measured, nor l
the number of bushels sold or designated 9
to be sold, until after the account for the 6
same had been made out and approved by
Mr.. Penteeost as Chairman of the Street 1
Committee, and paid by the City Treasurer.
The proof further shows that Mr.. Pente- {
cost certified to the bills for the rock sold to {
the corporation by r. 81. Huff and W. L. I
Adams and others, as containing a certain
number of bushels, taking and accoun Ing
for % bushels to the perch, instead of 20 t
bushels, the actual measurement, and that 6
shey were paid at the rate Of 25 bushels to
the perch, (see testimony of. F. Pentecosf t
and be ascribes the fault of this error to in t
formation derived from VIM. Haslam, r
street oyerseer, which is denied by the lat 9
ter. i
Your committee would further state that 9
-ha, bouo loarpod from Goo w Smith | .
former Chairman of the Street COMMITTEES. b
hat at the time be reI.nquished T
his office to the present incum- j
bent, there was on hand, not +
yet spread upon the street 52,605 bushels of a
broken rock, lying in various parts of the t
;ity, which had been taken up and paid Il
or, and that the exigencies of the city did c
not then demand the wholesale purchase 3
made from the lesses of the penitentiary, c
md especially upon the terms made in the I
premises. b
They would also state that four out Of t
i've of their number are members OF the 9
treet committee, and that they were not q
convened as committee to take into con- e.
liberation the necessity, or expediency of Il
my Of these purchases, nor spoken to indi- y
'idually, or otherwise, in reference to the a.
anne; that they have learned that the chair o.
nan Of said committee, has been and is ST
low contracting for, and making large n
Expenditures of the city's funds upon the
treets, alleys and sidewalks of the city N
Without the action or sanction of the COM Oh
littee of which he is chairman, ia an arbi- b
rary and unauthorized manner; that he in
as allowed and directed quarrying and ci
lasting to be done on Bsll street, and other N
Jreets of the city, blocking up the same as d.
noroughfares, without the action or sane ~
on OF the committee aforesaid, thus rem al
ering the corporation liable for prospective ca
amage suits; that he has employed hands IN
nd sub-otticers in the street department b.
Tlthout the sanction of the committee and de
gainst the wishes and Judgment of the te
treet Overseer, whose immediate duty it or
to employ the hands in this department, La
nd superintend and direct their labors; We
nat he has used the public property of the vi
ty for personal and private ends; that he at
as directed the use and employment of &c
le public carts and mules and men in the tn
nploy of the department to the advantage I'M
and profit of private individuals. bu
We have learned these things from sources ella
hich we deem reliable, and it is with deep di:
greet that in the discharge of our public up
-