National Republican., 1874-05-29

dirt.
THE statement of Mr.. Cluss in relStior to
the old sewers was here submitted to the COM
mittee.l
JAMES A. MAaRUDER RECALLED.
By Mr.. Bass: Q. You have found thevsrious
vouchers to which you referred the other dsy
A. Yes, sir l desire to make short state
ment about that. l want to state about this
paper that Mr.. Wilson showed to DR.: Blake
with nv Endorsement. 1t reads: "Mr. Lay, II
YOU have the inspection Of this issue certin-
cate" 1t is bill Of tagging which the board
had bought from Mr.. Evans. There is the re.
ceIpt Of the tagging, (produeing IT, knew
the tagging had been received, suppose, from
the way that Endorsement is worded. Here is
the INSPECTORS certificate that he has inspected
that much Tagging, and it exactly corresponds
with this bill Il was a mere order to settle
the bill if everything was right, which it seems
h was. Tie Inspection is dated on the Sd Of
February. The bill is dated on the 7th Of
February.
By the Chairman: Q. Could he not have
done that without that order from you, If he
had choseni A. Well, no; do not think he
would have done 10. He might have done 1t.
@. Whysnotl Why would he not have done
sol A. Because he Is very careful about these
things, unless some member Of the board tells
him to do it.
@. Is there any understanding, or arrange
ment or order by which he Is not TO do 1t until
the board directs fti A. There was no reason
Why he should not have issued the certificate
without the order; none in the world: Inc
Inepection had been returned 70 his once as
SEQ much received" !" and there wss no reason
why he should not have done it.
o. is the auditor empowered to issue certin-
Gates without the order OF the board! a. Yes,
sir For instance, II there is measurement
returned there from the engineers office he
has the power to settle it according to the en-
kineer's measurements.
o. That is TO say, the engineer-in-chief, the
auditor and the treasurer can pay bills with
r. out the board knowing anything about lit A.
The board refers this to the auditor; the engi-
neer refers his estimates to the board; the
board refers them to the auditor; then he can
issue the certificates. They come to me for
payment
O. But is not the action Of the board neces-
sary, that is, nominslly necessary, in order to
secure the auditors certiiCatel A. l do not
understand you exactly, sir.
Q. Docs not the auditor require, nominally
at least the action of the board before issuing
certificate? A. He requires the action Of
some member Of the board. This had been re-
Cerred to him by the board, and therefore it
did not require anything of the kind.
O. How was it referred TO him by the board?
A The probability is that this was brought to
me with pressure. do not know the fact;
4 eIn OEiJ sL1IlLlg pIODdDLlLiCS- Lie plOO
abilities is that this was brought to me when
there was a pressure upon the auditors office
as there very frequently was about that
time; frequently there would be twenty, thirty,
or forty people there, This man wanted to get
his certificate. l wrote Mr.. Lay, "lf you have
the inspection of this issue certificate"
Q. Why was that necessary! A. Simply to
get him in there to get Mr.. Lay to DO 1t at
once.
By Mr. Merrick: Q. To give him precedencei
A. To give him some precedence, probably,
over some forty other people; that is why ex-
actly.
By Mr.. Bass: G. How did the board refer
those papers to Mr.. Laya 4. They ordered the
clerk 10 refer them to the auditor.
Q. They did not order their payment A.
Well, no, they did not order their payment; but
that means q settlement. The papers are re-
ferred to Mr.. Lay, and that means that he
shall settle 1t.
@. do nc. care particularly about those
vouchers, but want to know whether or not
the action of the board Is not necessary as a
voucher for the auditor; that is, as authority
for him to issue these certifcatesf A. Yes, sir;
that is, not for every certificate. When pa
. per is referred to the auditor of the board, a
measurement for instance, it is not necessary
for him then to have another order from the
board TO issue q certificate upon that measure
ment If he finds It correct. He hes to go over
that and make his calculations and find what
is due the man on that estimate.
Q. Let us run through this process. The
engineer Cert!hes his quantity! A. Yes, sir.
Q. That paper, then, goes to the boardf A
That paper goes to the board.
Q. Then the board refers II to the suditor fol
pricesi A. R0ters it to the auditor for settle,
nent.
Q. The auditor Gxes the prcesi A. He has
the prices; he has the board prices.
d rafa tn no 10
menti A. Yes, sir.
Q. Is that the exact form of the reference
A. This is the form Of the reference.
Q. And that is essential A. That is essen
Q. As authority to the suditoEl A. Ye,
sir.
Q. Now, suppose there is no such reference
but the engineers certificate, instead OF pass
ing through the board, should go direct to the
auditors office, could he III the prices or make
q settlement! A. Yes, sir; he might dc
that.
Q. Under your regulations and plan of doing
businessl A. Yes, sir.
Q. So that the engineer and auditor and the
treasurer can aG Just accounts without any &C
ton ofthe boardl 4. That might be done.
Q. l see it might be done, but can It be don't
according 70 your system1 A. Yes, sir; II could
be done according 70 our system.
By Mr.. Stanton: 9. Does. not the engineer
require authority Of the board to make meas
urements. A. Yes, sir.
Q. And the auditor has evidence of instruc-
tions to the engineer to make the measure
mentl A. / don't know whether he has that
evidence or not.
By Mr.. Wilson: Q. Look at that paper vol
haze ia your hand, and say whether you ever
made any order in regard to thatl A. do not
see any order on L.
O. What evidence Is there that the board
ahO huf7 A ba Fao4
is the board ordered the tagging, aud here is
the inspectors certificate. Hold on moment
There is an account made out against the
Board Of Public Works.
Q. Is there anything at all In the paper that
you have in your hand indicating that the
board ever. saw that account 4. No, sir.
Q. What Is there to prevent you, under slrni.
lar circumstances, putting through thousands
just Ike itf A. For material, nothing at all.
Q. Have you got that bundle of vouchers
that called Cor tbs other day with youl
Witness. Yes, sir. wish TO say in looking
over these papers found made a mistake il
saying it had no Endorsement Of the board upor
It. There is an Endorsement by the board upon
ii, which reads as follows: February 4, 1873.
Respectfully referred to the auditor, by order
Of the board. Edward johnson, for assistant
secretary"
Q. How are these orders made-at formal
meeting OF the board alwsysl A. No, sir; the
vice president of the board does II.
Q. Then, when these matters come IN here to
the Office, the vice president refers them, and
that reference is entered upon the papers as
being done by order of the board? A. Yes,
sir.
Q. So that virtually the vice president, for
the purposes OF the account, is the Board of
Public Works A. He has authority from the
board to do Il.
Q. You say, then, that that was done by
order of the boardl A. Yes, sir. The board
never would, II we sat there TO discuss these
matters, be able to do anything.
Q. find, on page 9, report of 1873, this re-
port made by you:
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS.
DIsTRICT OF COLUMBIA, )
WAsHINGToS, November Is 1873.
SIR: herewith send my report of receipts and
payments from July l, ISL, TO November =, 1878,
shoWing-
Total receipts sI4Tso oea IS
Total payments 8,ss6, ,9S5 81 81
talance on hand sl,4O3, ,237 Is
Very respectfully, yours,
JAMES A. MAGRupER
Treasurer Board Of Public Works
Hon a. r. Shepherd. GoUsraor, 6c.
Q Did you have that on hand at that time,
A. Yes, SIR
Q. b whsti A. In sewer-certifcates; they
are chFged on the other side there.
Q. snce you have paid them outl A. Yes,
sir.
By NJ, Bass: Q. You gave us the other day
the tra1actions Of the checks you drew. took
nm certtcates with VIII Won now eyplair