Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-05-23


George FOllansbee............ 1850 81
Henry Gantz.. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 11,437 as
+ f. Sreeg ..................... 99aI %
y. &c oTeke.. ...........s...... S,0OO W
Walsh & Gleason. ............,... 1905 IS
Bartlett Williams ......... 81 All 4S
Thomas Lucas (about) .............. 1000 90
hlOcIt OlcdsOD. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. OO,ioZ W
AloeIt 0leasOn.. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. o,49o ~
We have before stated that. In the reports
OF the Commissioners and of the board of
audit, made at the second session of the last
congress, the estimated debt of the District,
furdable in 3.65 bonds, was stated at $40 O06, :
5li66, inclusive of the debt then audited and
Inc unadjusted claims presented in all the
eeignt classes OF Indebtedness. We append
certified to December 1, 1874, in each class,
and the amount as estimated by the board
0I audit then outstanding and unadjusted.
These aggregate grand total of $40, 0O6, 514.66.
These estimates, 1t will be recOllected, were
made after the Commissioners and the audi
tors bad been engaged in the discharge of
lhe1r respective duties for the period of five
months, and after the time had ex pired with
In which claims could be legally presented
for audit. By the answers OF these officers
certificates have been issued in these eight
classes aggregatiDg Cess bonds Cancelled
81 ,900.) ga sol 1853.
or this sum of certificates issued by the
board OF audit, S13 ,I43 $50 have been convert
ed into 65 bonds, leaving the sum of seven
hundred and fifty. eight thousand two hun
dTed and fifty eight $500 dollars (S758 25S.53)
To this sum OF. ...................S758,23 8 50
must be added work audited and
not certified on the desk of board
Estimate of engineer OF work done
ana rot reported TO board OF audit 121 ,535 Is
Making a total OF. ,O09 AZ
OF uDconvertec certificates, accounts audit
ed and not certified, and OF measurements
not reported TO the board OF audit, and which
would have beeh entitled to conversion into
CO bonds but for the Joint resolution OF Com
sress OF 18th March last,
This would have increased the 3.65 bond.
Ell deot To the sum OF 21f $50 ,2j9.42, being
S4.iig I3 81 over and above the estimated
debt ON the lst december, 1874, and Sd, 595.-
25S.s9 In excesf of the amount Of the fundable
debt OF the District, as estimated by the
joint committee OF the last Congress. There
should also be added the amount of dam
ages done To individual owners, on account
OF the unauthorized Improvements by the
commissioners, which your committee have
no means of estimating. Whether these par
ties have any legal claim against the Dis
trict, that can be enforced In a court of JUS
tiee, or not, the equity OF their claim for
compensation is quite as well founded as
that OF claimants who have been allowed
compensation for injuries done to their prop
erty by the late board OF public works, under
the act OF June 20, 1874, to the amount OF eight
By comparison of the estimate OF the
debt OF the District made by the Commits
sioners and the board OF audit on the 1st
amount allowed and certified, If class be
excluded, IL appears that the aggregate esti-
mate was greater than the actual amount
allowed and audited in the seven other class
es, Dy the sum OF e114 ,0S7.43.
The great increase over the estimate OF
december, 1874, is TO be found in class A.
which includes the work done on unfinished
contracts OF the board OF public works, on
extensions and notifications of those con-
tracts, the repair work of last year, and
some other less important items This class
ONT rNr-na g. -
December, 1874, of q, 90s, 036.2S. We might
assume that this sum represented the illegal
and unauthorized debt of the District, Gre
aled by the concurrent action OF the Com
missioners and OF the board OF audit, less
claims allowed for printing, counsel fees,
balances To contractors for work settled for
measurements not approved by the engineer,
ano Tor work done On their own premises by
citizens, which. in the aggregate, cannot ex-
eeea $50, because, IS we have before
stated, eoth the Commissioners and the
board OF audit, by their reports OF December
loIi, and estopped from claiming q larger
DEBT In this class against the District than
The work in class 4, which was authorized
by the Commissioners, and certified by the
board OF audit, during the year 1875, in the
large majority OF cases was done under con-
tracts which were exhumed and resurrected
rom the grave, and appear to have been
either Cancelled by the board OF public works,
abandoned by the contractor, reported as
complete by the engineer ofthe board of pu b.
lie works, or executed during the investiga-
ton OF the joint committee by the
defunct board OF public works, in fraud
ofthe action of Congress; and the fact
that by these reports, and by their
own showing. they would expend in
the completion OF unfinished contracts
more than a million OF dollars that had
been estimated by the joint committee for
this work should have admonished these Off.
GERS that they were exceeding the authority
conferred upon them. But that we may do
no Injustice 10 these officers, we will take
the figures, 10 be found in the answer of the
Commissioners, (pages 1i2, 1iS, and it ap-
The extension-worko OF Commits (s1 ,I35 DOB 90
siOners amounts to......-.......l 299,33O 95
Measurements not returned 10
OoarQ OF auolt.... ...........-.... III o3l 80
Material purchased and on hand. 10i, 260 IS
s3,09l, Oi6 10
III we have not greatly misconceived the
Intention and meaning OF the act Of June,
le5 4, there can be no doubt these officers have
added this sum to the debt OF the District,
not only without warrant of law but against
their own construction OF their powers, as
soown by their report of December, 1874. 1t
viii be observed that the whole increase OF
s4sos .oS6.2s has been made during the year
DEBT nearly as large as was made during
any year OF the reckless and illegal man.
agement OF the board of public works: and
law that, according TO the opinion DR. its
OF the District government, and TO prevent
any further Increase OF the debt OF the Dis
tr1ct. has been construed to authorize An
enormous expenditure and an unbearabIe ADJ
dition 10 the burdens OF an already over
TIE old funded debt amounts TO-. IS, AL, ia. n
And the S.G5 bonded debt amounts
II, l43, 250.0O