New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-19
THE NEW CAPITOL.
,,,,,r UNI, rqE RuupING COST Z

,ScevAsEp fIIE COST-sL0wNEsS OF ThE BUILD
,xa,s CONSTRUCTION AND LACK OF TRUST
WORTHY ESTIMATES OF THE AMOUNT NECESSARY
TN CoafPIgTE ia PROPOSAL THAT AN ARClii-
,pcr nE AUTHORIZED TO MAKE ESTIMATES,
surTRINTKND ITS CONSTRUCTION, AND THAT HE
nv HELD RESPONSIBLE POR IFS EARLY COMPILE
lion.
70 me Editor Of The TRIBUNE.
SIR: II may be possible that tho people Of the
etote of New-YOTk who have to pay the taxes, ana
who yearly groan under their burdens-see senator
Audrewss recent pamphlet on this subject-do moi
care whether State Capitol which has over anu
over again been solomniy pledged by those IN
charge TO cost mot exceeding the sum OF
100000" is in reality being madc TO cost
go noo 600 or Sl5OCOO00 or even as seems more
lkclv from the most recent Developments, to touch
tbo ronnd sum of S9JO00O0O " with some modifca-
tons"
Ihaye DELAYED q reply to the temperate though
mistaken communication Of Mr.. Commissioner Mer-
rift nm ier date Of Jan. O. until could thoroughly
study Tic latest e, ldeuce before the Committee OF
Inquiry given several recent occasions, the last
printed being believe on the 10th Of December
1874. So far as relates to tho plans OF the Capitol
and the cost If the building mp TO the present time
ind that TIE testimony Of the architect in charge
rs Just taken before this Committee, more than cor
rOborates every paint stated in INV former com
muncatiOn on tbs subject. Gen. Merritt toinks
that have very title acquaintance with the mat
ter" bat assure him that have had the best oil
reasons for watching it attentivcy' and that kno"
particularly well j1st whGt undertook TO state In
chat communication. Indeed, careful perusal oil
Con Merritts own letter viii servo to show that ia
every essential point Wac exactly correct now
bcr 10 rei-at. clteQo iCaly. that design for the
Capital. on wnicA ny uano stands as JOINT archi-
feet" vii, the presell iaclmbont, was submitted to
the fr.t BJard OF Capitol Commissioners Nov. 13
1851 aud g. them adopted, as well by the ether
Board ,he Commissioner Of tho Land Office. on the
samo day; that tenders of contract, the lowest
Of which was S3G905,O wero by mo de-
Iivcred 10 thc Board moi long after; that this
lowest BID thus delivered, included an estimate
from the Granite Railway Company of Boston, the
oldest and strongest concern at that time III tue
business of cutting and supplying White granite III
the country; f,oi tho Architectural Iron Company
of New-YorS firm too we'll known to need any re-
marks from me- for al the cast and wrought iron
work r,cuit,d; ald from Mr. j. I. Smith. the
binder ci the IRRITABLE Life Building. Of the Park
Bank of the DroXel Building, and of Booths Thea
ter for all the brick aid stone work and all other
mason work o,m.l te. l. uds for the whole were
60 lie entered into at the discretion Of the Commits
aiouos. lrVeat that this plan was the first one we
adopted. that it considered a very beautiful
and appropriate, thOugb rather expensive build
iug-at about SiOO0O00-that tho Commits
sioDers had repeatedly assured all those in
interest. ard particularly the Constitutional
Convention of 156s-WheIo the proposal to stop the
whole business camo very near being adopted-that
hey bOuad aid pledged themselves to limit the cost
within tac lboye-uamed appropriation and that
thus adopted by both Boards on the 18th of NOvem-
her, 1871 10 was not until Aug II, 1883, niue months
after these moderate properly prepared and honest
bids had IN good faith boon made, aud by me repeat
ffsa H,ar hat q
alroity slid 10. that this design be adopted with
such alterations and notifications thereof to DO
made hereafter as may be cOa,ij desirable
Notifications!
With tits word the trouble commenced The
present writer, who was, again aidrm. the sole
author of the design, was soon conveniently dropped
from the service # the Board. and then commenced
that long series Of shutting ana preyarication which
has landed the whole affair where 1t now IS. Six
millions spent and calling the doric story the first
or the second, as you will, according to whether You
consider the basement Or podium as part Of the
orders of the building not. with three stories OF
the exterior yet to build and with the interior as
Yet untouched; the towers unproyided for, and the
terrace put altogether ont Of sight-whO s there in
his senses who believes that less than S2OOO00tO II
put into the same lcaky hands, will ever see the
completion Of this dismal business or get the State
out Of this apparently bostome53 Slough Of Dosp'nd
ton through s. pages of close crOss-questioning,
reveal little else than IL am not able to answer"
or 81 cant tell exactly" or Il have not those
figures at hand" or at is impossible for ms to
mako closer approximation" In short, the whole
matter has been so shufled from one Board of Com
Ipissioners to another from them 10 the then Gov
ernor-Fenton-from hin back to the Board, from
them TO the architect, from him to the Superin-
tendant aud from him back again to some " uncOm-
pIeted estimates" that with the utmost desire TO
discover where these uncounted millions have gone
TO- il is as yet impossible for the Investigating Com
uiittee in the language of n classical and wel-re-
Inembered game 10 tell where the little Joker is"
No, gentlemen send a cotton ship to with fire in
her hold send an active Israel;e to bay god for
you unlimited. GA u Black Friday send she-wolf
US . pu.5e to a f,mdling hospital; but never as YOU
would keep Within the line Of sanity send shifting
and irresponsible Board Of political Commissioners
to build a pablic building for you " with modihca-
tons."
Bnt canro. the dcta, % this work he asc ,rtained
and the future cost of its completion bs reduced
AID Gxll u certainty Every architect who
Knows hio tlsnc5s or vio cares for the good fame
and docsrt rcpIte OF his profession, now 50 sorcy
compromis, l. will unhcsitatingly answer &c Yes" Is
. not LigI time. then, for an entirely different
courssl Ii such line of procedure be but adopted
by tho present Legislature aud honestly followed
out 10y their successors. tine future works of the
CAPITOL may vet be carried on with a degree Of
efficiency. economy, and honesty of purpose. FROM
which-Whcther Intentionally or not 1t Is not for
me TO say they seem hitherto To have been divorced
rs fat a. the east is from the west The past may IN
degree he retrieved. the design restored to lite
pristine dignity, simplicity. and beauty and the
a.. L..s