, 1875-04-01

wlll a'srnt i" shs so.si"'I"p. errisol Al, upon
~ ' ' i. n. Mcco,,
r. T.. MEARtrT.
J0n4 1isE.
It Ia to ba added that Merritt and Mccoy
votod for thu bill approprlaltng SB0D, ,ODi fur the
completion of lilo Hlalo-1iouso which tlior dill
after al tho teat'nlony had becn takoi. and no
objection WINS run:io on either side to tts l'aHa~
hge, though, II tera wore any frNud III tho lnai
ucr In which tho work WAS being prosocutod,
tlon vas the tlme to hayo ma1o 1t known.
sttS0n1TY nEronT.
d minority report wa8 submitted by Mcarra.
Jonen and IlralHo,l, IN which Ia embodied tho
correspon,!cnco belwcen Tic Committee at.d .bu
Stata-fiouso Commissioners. the latter relating
Tint at the close OF tho fscal ycar ending Nov.
90. 1874. thote remained s1ncxpon'od tho tum Of
making .Ior lcp'y to gu. .402.o3 tha. a',ln OF
1nonny had 1,cen drawn ont of tho TfoaHury in
advance OF ita payment to any con-
tractor fo. work aono or accepted
contractor for work to 10 done and acccptcti;
tint in their opinion tho Anm OF eSu0 0D will bo
reAuitod to comptoso Tho building according to
tho original plan. The Committee also maJo
deteilei statement Of ali tho noieyh paid out for
:ha. al, t1s material and labor lad
besn procured, aor, Or done et the lowest
market; market prices. Ihe COMMITTEES dI,covc1od
aTa*cra Of tho Commissioner. but, MI tho con-
trRry. find tllat nil tho nancy has boon faithfully
applied for labor aud niAterialn for tho uso of
tho buildings that nono Of tho noneya have
hecu advanced In contractors or others before
tho work WIS dono, or mator'aln furnished, aud
that In ITO instance has work and material bce,i
paid for until tho aano WAS delivered on tic
Btate-lloNso groun1s-oxcopt tic Htono-cutting
at tho FeMitcntiary, nor t1ion Until satisfactory
proof that tho work had boon lono. Payment
Tor htone before the delivery nn tho State-iIoltae
grounds has beon informally nado over aluco tho
PesstontarY first undertook tito work. and such
i1o'1so fund was ntnplo for tint purpose, and It
seams to tlio Committee Eoasoiatlo aud proper
tiat prepayment should thus bo maIo.
For vartolid good and sufficient roaaonB tho
la!tncs's administration. whon tin pon!taatary
first began to cut tho ato1o. 10 pay forthe stone
Slon qnarrlcd and delivered at the prison, and
70 pay tho pcaitentinsy for tho cutting monthly,
Warden: Tl,ese payments monthly were only
nay'nei1ta. matao IN u running account. kept
botweon tho stAtc-flous aud ponilcntiary funds,
and to 10 adjusted on private soltlemcnt.
a.; Tho Committee lpS no reasonablo oblectsonto
llouso and PenitentlaU. funds The two
Commission aro hut branches Of tho Executive
Department OF tho statct and there certainly
could bo no danger or loss to tho Htato-IIouso
fnnd and, as Inatlcr OF fact, no such loss has
happened. On the contrary. a,l tho Htone cut
Inns already been placed In tho building, cSccps
portion OF tho dono stone, which, II IL expect
cd, will bo during tho coming summer. Tho
Committee express The orinlo, tia: the building
has boon constructed OF tho bcut material, md
In tho boat manner.
II would geom nlso. from the evidence, that tho
Stnto-!lonso Commissioners bavo mado great
reductions Of tho expenditures on many paria Of
tho building holow tho original estimates, whi,o
tlloy Increased In price othors In order to hayo
tho work iirrncr or bcltor.
II ielatinn to tho additional resolution re-
curing tho Conmitsco to investigate the 1ola-
tNse tea aoM o n'd sss.s be-
and tho rcnftcntlary commisaionors and
delivering Sos and mases,s tsnsn5sts to aa1 sss.
House Commissioners, eso., tho Comtnitteo 70.
WIS ostab!iahotl by tho accond section Of 81, net
approved A1arcf, II, 1860. and omitted an net To
amend "Au act to provide for tho erection Of n
now btaso-lio1lse," approved Fob. 2J. 1867, and
to amend an act supplementary to MI net to pro-
vido for tho erection og d new 6tate-1louae, np-
proved Fob, 25. 1867.
Tue Committee do not wish to be untaeratood
as inloralng tslo practice Of signing bIank
vouchers, yot under th9 syato!n OF checks aud
ted through auch practico ia impossible, and nll
blank vouchers which llavo nctually boon used
correspond with tho estimates n,ado, md tho
1nonoys have sll been proporfy accounted for.
Whan aa Warden Of tho Penitentinry can in no |
way be attributed to his refusal to sign vouchers
In blank ms the ast letter referring 10 that Was
dated Doc Z. 1873, soren month"; prior to his r.
movai, and Wham'a appointment nj Iel,itentiarY I
Commlssioncr followed Immediately nftcr iB ,p- |
nova! Ms Warlcn which fact IL con,,,icta rofu-
thtion Of tho Idea tlat A,v OF these act. by lin
Induced his removal az Warden.
Tho report concludes au follows;
This investigation haa coycrod period o.ceeliua
Two uiontl1a Tin Committee has icon aided bv q |
skful accountant VII TIA. been brought to the Ca]i-
at for tho purpose Of examining Tho records at,d atcs
!tonograp'icr. Me hare brought Witnesses bofore US
som a parts Of the State. and tho eannny OF every
neraon key 10 throw light upon tho subject las bc1
aEcn. All records Of tho State Oommitsoncrs Ind
!'o Aulioss otllco hnve been laid open 10 view Tho
ilsestigst!o has heen conducted with an unusual d.
y ths Whole n,ator, tho undersigned find
hat tho state.1iouaa CommiyslouSra hayo
itEchar9r1 their dutlns will rpro zcaf
ND 0ielity, aud II any hnys been comtuIttetl
M l,ey wore srrors q Judgment as to matters nbout
Which reasonable Intelligent would naturally df.
errors not dcfnctiEE Ia tho slightest tegrea from
snlsotmcd regulations for lroblty aud urFiEhtuots
shlch tho gept!otncn composing tho Boari Of Biato
lohte commas!onetb hava long and floacryodly eu- |
oyea ~ th!s State Ana 90 fsr tue relations Of tLa
10 ind tho Penftsntiary Commissioners have uuifosu,
hhow1! good practical Judgment, and nanitcstcd |
uch 1rH1es of diligence aud Integrity aa 10 mtrit
hs appreciation Of the pooI4o.
n. ". rnaxsoN,
A. II. JONES.
Quo thousand coplcs OF cach rcport Eoro Or
erod printed for the u1o OF tho Houso.
OTHER STATES.