National Republican., 1876-02-10
DISTRICT GOVERNMENT.
tHTERR0GiT0RIES TO B! LsSMRED
WHAT CONTRACTS ARE and ARE nor ORIGINAL
IfOld Ones Extended, Why 60 an l Wherefore
Were RIaiTS Made Because Needed, and Why?
CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY BOARD or AUDIT
WHAT CONTRACTS AREAHD ARE nor OREINlL
IfOld Ones Extended Why 60 an l Wherefore
We're R.IaiTS Made Because Needed, and Why?
CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY BOARD OF AUDIT
COPIES OF ALL PAPERS, &C., WANTED

House Committee on the District OF Columbia af-
ford pretty good evidence that Congress, or at
least that COMMITTEES OF it, designs becoming per-
manent resident Of the National Capital. What
this committee does not want to know in detail
would be difficult to imagine. Annexed are the
questions propounded to the
District Commissioners.
In pursuance Of q resolution that passed the
House of Representatives on the 3lst Of last JAN
uary, the Committee on the District OF Columbia
Of that body have proposed the following inter-
rogatories to the District Commissioners, the
answers to be returned under oath and in writing,
duly verified by affidavit, with ell convenient
speed:
lst State the number of contracts Of the Board
of Public Works which the Commissioners found
TO be incomplete ar the date of the passage Of the
act Of June 20, 1874, which they have recognized
as legal obligations Of the said board. Give in a
tabular form the number of said contracts; the
work required to be done under said contracts;
the amount expended thereon by the Board of
Public Works; the name OF the contractor and
the amount expended by the Commissioners;
also, the total expenditure, and which Of said
contracts are now complete, and II incomplete,
how much is estimated TO be sufficient to COM
plete said contracts entered into by the Board Of
I'd. Have you extended, enlarged or modified in
the amount Of work TO be done, or otherwise, any
or all said contracts: II yea state 10 what this
enlargement, extension or mOdihcatfon consisted;
whether It was confined to work done on the same
street, avenue or sewer, or whether IL was made
to cover work to be done on the same street, ave-
nue. or sewer, or whether 1t was made to cover
work to be done on contiguous streets and ave-
nues. the building oInew sewers, gravel pits, Sc,
grading, parking or curbing, &c, parts Of the Dis
trlct remote and distant from the Streets avenues
or sewers mentioned and included in the contracts
recognized as legal obligations on the 10Th OF
Jane, 1874. Give the cost of such extensions, en-
largementS or notifications, If any were made.
Also, state whether these extensions were given
to the contractor under the Board OF Public Works
in all cases. II given by others, state why SO
given; II given to the
CONTRACTOR UNDER THE BOARD of PUBLIC
WORKS,
state whether in any case other parties offered TO
make these extensions az z less price than the
party who did the work. State in detail the
amount OF expenditure incurred by the COmmis
sioners for work, labor, materials, &c, on such
extensions, enlsrgements and notifications over
and above tho cost CT the work required to be done
tracts recognized legal obligations of the Board
OF Public Works; giving location OF improve
ment,' character and kind of Improvement, and
the name of the contractor and number Of con-
tracts so extended, enlarged or modified.
Sd. If you answer that no extensions enlarge
ments or notifications OF the contracts OF the
Board Of Public Works recognized as valid obli-
cations at the passage Of the act of June 20 1874
were made BY you. you will explain: lst, as to
contract No. as, E. L. Barnes, contractor, on
page $40 OF Commissioners report. ID, do. 4l5 to
Peter Mcnamara. Sd, do. AL, to Daniel A. Con-
molly. +th, do. sol. to John }. .Shipnan. 9th, do.
7O2, TO Tompkins Ruckel. 9Th. do. Isl, to Jo-
son.
it'll. Did the Commissioners have any improve
ments or work done TO complete contracts which
appeared on the books Of the Board of Public
Works to be completed, on which full payment
had been made. If yea, give the number OF said
contracts, the name Of contractor, and what work
done and the cost thereof II you answer nay,
please explain as to contract 13l, Joseph s.
Weems, and how Joseph Shnolenski succeeded
pleted by Weens; also 10 contract No. o3c. James
A Wilson, contractor: also as to contract No. 2SS,
billiard x Morton, contractors.
9Th. State whether you made any new contract
or contracts for improving streets, avenues side
walks or building sewers; If so, state what
contracts were SO made, and the name OF the
and cost, and where located. If you answer nay,
explain as to contract No. l.o9i, A. Gleason, con-
tractor; also contract oS, Charles Stewart, con-
and all extenSions Of either or both. Please
furnish to the committee the "Histories Of con-
tracts, prepared at the engineers Office, stated
on page 176 Of the Commissioners report, and
also those referred to In page ST..
CONTRACTS FOR THE PURCHASE OF MATERIALS.
7th. Have you made any contracts for the pur.
chase Of materials for the improvements of streets
avenues, alleys, bridges or sewers? II yea, fur
with copy Of bill showing from whom pur.
chased, what material purchased for what pur.
pose used; whether there is any amount Of such
material on hand, and, If so, the value thereof;
state also whether payment was made in cash or
in 8. .e5 bonds, and whether at par or at market
",
is meant by the last statement on pages 4ls il9,
Commissioners report, 1875, where it is stated
that the balance Of material required for the
contract work" now on hand December, 1875
amounts to $40, ,723.07.
Sth. State whether you have entered into any
contract whereby you have agreed to make pay
ment in 3.65 bonds at the market value. If yea,
state the nature Of said contract, with whom
made, what improvement was contracted for,
what and how much has been paid thereon and
what is still due, and il anything has been paid
in 3.65 bonds, at what rate of discount were said
bonds taken by the contractor.
9th. State what number Of contracts of the
existing obligations Of said board at the passage
Of the act Of June 20, 1874, were made or pur-
ported to be made between the 1st of February
and the 10th Of June, lS74 and how many of said
contracts purported to be made between the 1st
and goth Of June, lS1i Did said Commissioners,
or either Of them, make any examination Of said
contracts with the view Of determining whether
the law governing the execution OF said contracts
by the Board Of Public Works had been complied
with? II neither Of said Commissioners made
said examination, to whom was referred the bust.
ness Of ascertaining whether these contracts were
valid obligations or not: Did you take the
opinion Of the attorney Of the District to each
OF the contracts recognized by ycu, or did he give
his opinion as to their validity orinvaldity in the
lump? II yea, furnish the committee with a
purportipg to be made by the Board of Public
Works as binding and yslld? If yea, state the
number Of said contrhct, date, name OF contractor
and the subject Of said contract.
THE TAXPAYERS PROTEST.
10th. Did not number of the taxpayers o.
and protest against your recognition OF many OF
all OF these contracts recognized by you, because
son that they exceeded the limit prescribsd-that
is to say, 0C0 900, and because the said Board o.
Public Works was prohibited in the organic ac'
from making contracts to bind the District to the
payment Of any sum Of money except in pursu
ance Of appropriations made by law. and moi
until such appropriation shall have been made
fNar hNo NAaN . NNSx,A
you obtain the opinion of any disinterested and
Well-iniormed lawyer as to the validity Of these
contracts: If yea, state who this attorney was
and whether his opinion was in writing; and II in
writing, furnish copy. Are you not defending
in the courts Of the District against suits brought
on some of these contracts, on the ground that
they were made in the absence of any appropria
tion, and has not the defense been so far success
full? Is the attorney who is defending these suits
ne same psIsGn who adysed !SI to rscSgII'
cations Of the Board Of Public Works?
QUESTIONS AS TO REPAIR WORK.
Question eleven requires a statement in detail
Of the amount expended since July, 1874, in re-
pairing pavements laid by the Board of Public
made, the cost ofsuch repairs, by whom repaired
name Of the original contractor, amount paid
open to bidders: whether any Offers to do ths wors
for less than the price paid by Commissioners
If these contracts were paid in 3.65 bonds or did
contracts require such payments were any con
tractors for repair work paid any sum In cash
and if SO, the sums SO paid and to what con
tractors.
Question twelve asks whether the Commis
soners took opinion Of counsel as to their powers
under the act of June 20, 1874, to order repair
work TO be done and TO be paid in 3.65 bends, re-
quires the name Of said counsel and his written
opinion or If not in writing the substance Of hi:
or their opinion, and II the work was done under
the Cemmtssioners construction OF the powers
conferred upon them by Congress to state under
which clause or section Of the act referred to.
Question thirteen asks If the Commissioner
consulted the board Of audit before beginning
such work as to whether the board would issue
certificates on account OF said repairs, and
whether The hoard agreed with the Commission
ers that the cost Of the work was q part Of the
floating and unfunded debt of the District or Of
the Board Of Public Works, existing at the time
Of the passage Of the act OF June 30 1874 OF
whether said board held that the cost of such re
pair work were claims existing at the passage O
said act, or created thereafter and arising out
contracts made by the Board of Public Works
and whether all claims for this worI were pre
sented within the time prescriber By the sfxtl
section Of the act referred to, I'D II not why not
WAS ANY AUTHORIZATION ASKED FOR RErArRs
Ques.rvu fourteen asks whether the Commission
ers In their itemized statement Of appropriation
1 made to the secCnI session Of the Forty-thir
Congress any sum was asked for the repair 0
concrete and wood payements during the hsca