, 1874-11-27
COURTHOUSE PLANS,
The Refusal Of the County Clerk 10
Sign That Contract
Mr. Egan Gives His Understanding
Of the Resolutions.
General Lieb's Reasons for Not
Signing.

A TRIBUNE reporter yehtcrdnY afternoon called
upon Mr. Egan, the architcet Of tho county hall
Of tho propoaed now Clty~11a1l, aud had tho fol-
lowing conyorsation With him upon tho present
hltc.. In tia ambitious architectural designs ot
tho Board Of County Commiasioners.
noportor--Will you acqualnt mo with vhas
yom kno. about tho dalay In tho aigning your
contract7
Mr. Egan-T do not know my rcnnon why Gan,
Lseb docs not sign 1t. have not seen him
since lo refused to do 80. I'M not awaso thai
tho ahsonco OF bis signature affects tho validity
OF tho contract. Tho County Attorney WAS in-
atructcd by q resolution OF tho full board to
mako ont tho contract, 10 made out tho con-
tract aud bond With the name Of tho bon1snon
fllcd In. The bond was for S2dU, 900 and it took
mo woak to get It. I deposited the bond last
Monday on tho Tuesday following tho 0hnir-
mau OF tha County Board called upon mo to sign
the contract, and did so.
nopastor-uava yau no idea OF the nature Of
Con. Lieb'a objections
h1r. Egan-1 havo heard tllat QUO of bis ob1oc-
tions ls that haye not boon appointed Supcrn-
tendont-that thorn Ia no wording III the resolu-
tons givng mo that poaition.
Reporter-What do you think about tt2
h1r, Egau--I hold TINT the rosolutionu Of tho
18th Of juno, by which am calict, upon to Ale
this large bond, directly dotlped my dnties az
Superintendent. As we'll rs Gnu recol!oct, tho
words are "a t1at dhali tako charge Of tho con-
htruct!on to complexion" md aEain, hold that
1t would 10 ridiculous thing to ask for so largo
bond unless the Buporlntonlenco woro
implied. Tho simple drawing out cf
tho pans implles no feanona'bllty; ~ ~
architect is called upon tnorely to provide tho
drawings, iu Which caao Ills responsibility ccaHca
With thoir acceptance by tho person ordering
this way. In addition to this tho percentage
a, a, upon Of per cont would bc an unusual
price for drawings alone. while 1t Ia tho usual
price for plans md huporntendcnco. Tho coli
! many times oftencr AS tho Building Committee
Bhali direct. THO resolutions referring to my
election apd contract aro datod Juno -, July
20. and Noy. ls II none Of .hoso too WORD word
showed. the dutioa Of ,suporinteadon5 aro.
! strictly implied. Hero Is another point Of
| objection which noticed in m evening paper
yostera.y to tho eset that my contract p1 w9aa
me to $4,000. The fact Of the mntter IL, Wat
am entislod to that sum whom tho isnit1ing:
Committee and tho full County Hoard approVo OF
my plans aud specifications which am to make,
and when tho copies and plans thereof aro do.
| positod with tho Board. It viii tako until next
May to accomplish this amount Of labor. ex,
peot to have To mako for this building over 2oo
| plans with ny own hands beeidoB what ny
assistants will do. In consideration Of this do
! not think that Tho pay Is excessive.
| Roporsor-What do you think Con. Lsohs
object IL In refusing to Bgn2
Mr. EgAn-I cannot imagine Everything IN
tue mattor has boon conducted openly; there
has boon nothing {uEtive In the arrangements:
i am Inclined to think That tho General wiM
Withdraw hs oppositIou wnol l19 has a. lookei ute
| the morts Of tho case. would liko to draw
your attention to thu a1tioso In this morning's
Tribune on the subject. It Bays that the rego-
luton Of tho 10th November, confirming, tho
@ffntf f1tnr
should bo previous arrangement NTH tho
Doard Of Public Works for tho city portion Of
tho building. Tbat is not tue tact at all! on tho
contrary. the resontons aiatinetly provided that;
Of Public Works., thon tho county Should
build tndonendently, only ohliging me- to to
produce such design as could ba
extended for city purposes At any future time. 20
aa to make IN harmonious whole. Another polnt
! wnB mnle TINT tho fact Of s1'3 eonstasa Dul'Is
s1gnoa with tile county would compe! tho City ta
accept my services. Tint certainly cannot bci
because II tho city build Independently Of q:
thoy were building at Jefferson, have to keeE
on ons side Of the dividing limo Of tho b11ilding
and tho City Archteot Oh tho othori amt II tAt
work Oh my side, tho 1nutual interests OF tue twa
architects would be 30 clearly Tho harmonizing
tho design that by declining SO to do they
would asnfy avs a1a ExS t9ez
them loth-a right the county has always held
and still holds over mo In tue preaont contract IN
case should neglect to do the bidding Of tha
Building Committee, OF tho Board ! may sas
tract finished with tho present Board IN order to
sase tho trouble which might occur through tho
opposition of oven new 1nomber.
heporter-That Is buslncas
AIr. Egap-That 10 what it ls.
The roportor also called on tho County Clerk,
With whom he had tla following talK:
for refusing to sign tho contract With J. ). Egan
| for tho erection Of tho now Court-1louao
Con. Liob--Ihcy are those: First, : viii not
attaeh my signature to q contfacs WINCH was noe
| ia epirit or letter according to tho resolutions
; passed by tito Board. Second, those resolutions
, aa I viewed them wero that . conference or un-
! jorstauaing should bo bad with the city authors
@ of Pan to the
lection Of plan. Third. this contract leayes 1t
nlttee On Public Works whether they siaali go
oau independently {ss o of eonay s city, n,f Sf0p
!. tho tic building, aud proceed forthwith with
iMts its erection undor lilo supervision Of Mr. Egsn.
Fourth tho contract ta E'3lns NJ II EEan M $ls o9o
3 toe, not word Of which was mentioned in tAa
. ! resolution.
= Ilcportor-Dy what authority, Goueral, do you
j withhold your agna.u1e as c!erk OF tho County
Con. Lleh-I do not know Of any statuto
y I which would give mo tho right to Withhold my
+ slguaturo, nor do know whether my signat1sre
is absolutely necessary for tho completion Of the
n contract ;,but do lnow, that public sorVa1>i
0 II !s my duty 70 pravont II within my power th:
o conau1nmatiah Of nlistaie IN which millions ol
t money arc involved, for tho taxpayers OF Cook
D County.
t Roporter-Do you think, General, that thero
q is any rr4ud connected With this transaction
i, Gen. Liob-I have not tho shadow OF Buepl-
i, ctou. do not know. I may say 1uore.-1 kuow
o some OF tle Commissioners who voted for the
resolution, who conla not, for my sum, DO ina9'
enced In their official action, aud think t.,La,
upon mature deIiberat{on, tits precipitate action
+. Mill be roeonsideYcd BY Tho Board II possible. >,
y Roportar-Do You knosY any Of the COMMITS
/ sionerA who voted for tho resolution Wlo coal1
j. bo influenced by money!
= Gen. Lob--l do not,
SPECIAL NOTICES..
" a Valuable Discovery.
DR. j. MILLER: pra9t,oEnS na5s1o;anh !hs4 = r. H