, 1875-12-05
THE COUKT-HOUsr


4"o Aol'o"luR u copy OF Communicate
addressed to the Board Of Public WORKS h. ;, ~
lteet 1il1ey, and sent to that body yesten,,,. @"
| To the Board Of Pubic Forts u saf or, ~ ci.
e,,,s;an N s.:. aeem It ny duty to report Ia ~
Tor the Court House, in order that ~ ,ns,,t pasa
hot Oa m1aunderatood- deaire 70 rrnsori.. - @al
thor1ty Of your Board In tho pastn,u - es ~
tne teco1o o1 proceeding, and to hasuoniss ~. =
Ah4ll be preserved, 49, so1aattty
On she sth of August, 1872, The Council r.,..1
order authorizing the Msyor and Comntrojlar III
sate an agreement On the part OF the city VII ~.
that 0~<3 zaas1
The general exterior design of sssd tr,d,o, H.,
90 OF Uniform character and appearance A. ~ -
n1ses..er agreed upon by the Board Of County tas.
Chicago. '@1 - a's csy 1t
Tho agreement waa prepared and e1seut.t +, H..
foEm, eoseaintng ths sbove provision. ~ '9'&
On the 10th OF Octoser 1874 resolutann ~, 49,.
ed BY the Council u follows: "' '8'4s.
Hksotred, Tat the plan known u aRnnt,.
No. IN the collection submitted LOT CourtHo. ~
Gt,Hs b a9d Is hereby selected and adopsd u ,ts
plAn nter which to build such Court -Honee ana ~.
Hau tho Board Of Commissioners of cont cr,,a!!.
concurrtog, subject to such change md rnod,dc..
g may hereafter be desermined upon BY IL Cxnmo1
Gouad % ~ 'ae c.y of Chicago and the ceaaty Bord
scented said pau to the cost of couatrnction RI
building shzl1 oe verified. ''"A - uA
This resolution Of the Council va coaeo.7s, ia /,
tne County Board After thiBthe question of tbe y:
lection OF architects wzs discussed ia m. nrn.ss
lad 'e''
On ths eth of August. 1875, IN ordinance VA ps,&
by the Council. which contained tha following:
SECTION l. That MI ordinances md pa.ta ot MI.
n.nces, orders and resolutions in any manner nt,n
Ing or relating to the erection and eonaucoa u d.
1tT portion OF now ctty-Hal and Court -Houn q
the public square, commonly known II ihs cou,+.
Honse Square, the same being Block a. o.tRtpa Tom
of Chicago, or the preparation Of plans snd spsos
ttons therefor be, and the Same are hereby feped
The adoption Of this ordinance Was not etac,11ad
In nor any action taken on 1t By the County Board
But 80 far ss the record ahows up to t6st Elm In
County Board took no steps which would result IN 4
concurrent action with the Council changing sha Ru
concurrent action adopting the plan abovs named
It IL apparent however, that the Cnunc1 did not b.
tend any change In the original contract bexeea b,
City and County Board, Tor In tie sams osdfnans 4,
following WAS adopted:
sEc >. Nothing In this ordinance contained ahar b
10 construed ~ to in my manner Affect ar n M.
wise resciud, impair, annnl any contract q otAar
agreement nov subaisting between ths City 1t Cat
cago and the County OF Cook, either - 70 In phss
where said building II to be erected or c+h4r dim
pertaining to the erection and construction of saA
building Jointly with said County Of Cook.
Now, when the above contract WI a1aeuted nd
the parties thereto united upon general pl1a th,t
plan became part ct the contract md va not sab.
ject to change except BY concurrent sction; md tn
above saving clauses 70 far - that ssaxA
plan for1ns part Of the contract, ssV0 +
proceedings ct the Connc, for 1t viii b rsuaabasd
that there II u vation Of the Council .dopto3
Eureka" As follows Subject to such ehsugs nd
notifications as nay hereinafter be dsaszmaad upn
By the Common Council Of the Cily od Chicago nd
the County Beard."
question was raised ~ to the power of sas Council
to make public improvements, and m optntaa ~
the authority to tho Board IT Public Work, md y
action Of the Council was he'd with xefefen"e shds,
and the repeating ordinance waa adopted, szTtns ~
contract snd the adopon Of tbs plan and Ill thas saa
implied.
further ordinance was adopted, not It n tnerar
ststent with the contract and tho above esp0a1&
ordinance, which Ia As follows: Auz. 3. laa}
As QTdere6-Thst one afchitecx shall b. appointed
whose duty SHAH BE- to prepare the psesss.z1 PIN.
and specifications for the erection Of ths tJt pr
don Of tho new CitJ-Hall and Court-Houss upoa
Block 50 in the Original Town Of Chicago commonly
known a the Court-House square, and tae seossA
exterior design Of the same to be Of sueh Uniform
character and appearance ~ aha1 be agreed up1 z
said nrchttect and Board Of Public Worn md I'D
County Commissioners"
This recognizes the contract, for It spsaa d ~
" citys portion, which had been determined By saa
contract It also provides for uniform de&tga a.
ternally.
the purpose Of prepar3n; plaus bad. Of oonse. -"
course. first to the contract which required uudon'
ity. and which I concurrent act!on: md seeosa
70 the adoption Of = plan BY 10th Bostds' n "as7
the ides Of uniformity WIS not lost night o.
It waa my duty, US understood Il, to folbT eoa
general plan IS had met the Joint appso7A q @ eoa
bodies, and which had never bean changed o3 'a@3
Joint action
Now. vsa appointed On the 9Th of Augms ana q
The 11th Of August the county, }ust two dsys ~,
adopted independent plans {or it, portion aoo ~
steps to comp1ete the sans without any eoosoa11
with me or the Beard Of Public Wosfs. IN pf. .2.
ueze adopted absolutely and without ssfssenes p
nterests Of tha city or tho idea Of general uunoa{
10 far Is tho c1sy waa concerned, and tn atchtn
he county proceeded, aad contracts var ae'os1''
7efore any Joint conclusion was arrived Il
1nasmuch - the contract originally pfos1aa !u
inform dcsign, and the joint resolution sdoFaax
olan providing for joint acting IN cass ny en se
vas necessary Or desirable md no saea !rs L.
ier which was appointed requires uniformly s.rsr
ernaj design ahau be determined " ns p.ss n
authority Of tbs city and county. nttsfay ~ ~ ~ "a
,urtion OF the bn1ldng without ths eoneu1ztnoe -
,rope1 authority af tbs city II to tho exterior
Ind every day the county procesds VAN ~ p as
i IT. own plan Only rendet9 nore aamean sts, ~ Th
he Bosrl ct Public Work. o proeee1 u tas 1 n;sn
greeting upon uniform lian, bu:, until 1aea ~, -o.
) agreed upon, cannot eee how tae con1Es ~
eed in viaw Of the exieting contract.
/ understand Mr. Esan ia IN favor q uno1r o,.r
Ian, but that he IN 80 tied up by Roasus. Hs.,s sths
dopted BY tho county. without eos1sulsason ~. M
ity author.aea and .! eont1tes a{e;.n plsa b.
Rree to ~ bin Uniform plan.
MT computations vtth NJ Egan iead nas . " ss
oncluson. for Il understand him CORRECTLY n E II.
. cannot change hin plan without authority ff0e' -
I desire, therefore, that ths proper su.nt1 a.
lty shall determine my duty IN tbs pssnases' N'@'
ny be advised how to proceed ~mt
In tho position have deaned I An sa1tamea " y
.ea1 advisers, who consider It thoroughly n ~
acs with the action Of both Boards. .na Tm1xr
anclusions drAwu- 1HoA0 .,1.,.x
Wbile the Board has not officially eoaaoes
lin docnmeut, it il understood thss theJ 90 on.s H.
link vsy highly Of it. ADD will dirscs NJ AaA''
, obey instructions, or quit.