The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-11-03
TIE NEW STATE CAPITOL.
ruO vIITTON DOLLtRS STOLEN IRON
mr. pEOTIE or 1IfE STIIE.
.,., ur Harris Hastily Resigned his once
49, t,pItoI Commissioners An investigation
maj stopped short Of the Real Facts or -
:. .1nnniIr NNIndIr-A NcrN ActINc Mnn.

!. .,rmntlr SwIndIc-A Very Active Man.
,fu,Ny. Nov. 1.-The charge made 10y
W.D.m VI. Tweed that Mr. Hamilton Harris
tot received commissions from various con.
A.. TORS who furnished materials for the con-
.,..tl.,n oi the new Capitol at Albany. while he
,,s. one II the Commissioners. calls to mind
.n. fut- tina; were brought out during m in
,.,.4iion before committee Of the Senate in
a.....ars 1874 mud 1875 Il was shown tina, Mr..
Inff was one Of the first Commissioners of
uatlmIiilIng. he having been appointed in lsGG
before any appropriation had boon made 10y tho
t...-'ifure lie remained Commissi oncr
unid 1873 when he resigned while an invcsti-
cation Wa. in progress thereby. ms II was gem
Grail, believed az the time saving himself from
removal under charges which would have been
made before the Governor. During these ninc
wears Mr. Harris WIS the most active man in
ill.,. Board of Commissioners; in fact he was the
commissions H. resided in Albany. and was
constantly ON the ground. while the other Conn
mssioncrs resided in different parts of tho
STATE and came to Albany only occasionally. to
approve without n thorough examination. what
hal h.on done 10y Mr. Harris
The Ar-t appropriation for work upon the
nw Capitol was made by the Legislature in
Isl. Then plans were adopted. and the total
o.tuf thn building. when completed. was linz
uuI fo siuNuuuO. In 1870 some changes in the
or't.uu, ans were made hut the Legislature
W armcd hy the Commissioners that the
clai-.s would not involve any material in
O. .-r ln iis cost. In 1874. however when only
on -tlirl II the walls above the foundation
Dr..rorplctcl. the report ~ these same Conc
uI--.ou.r- showed that ~ 347 500 % had been
expended and the architect who had originally
GN.l ihr total cost Of the building. when CONE
Il.i.l. 40 si0oOOOO. now estimated that it would
q. -, .f..t ft Of
lrn.lus its cost up 90 over twelve and one
guHlt.r millions of dollars.
Tine evidence before the committee which
made this investigation shows that there
WIS the utmost rceklossncss and misman.
nsnmont. II not something worse. on the
lau oi the Commissioners. Large numbers
Of men were employed who never did any
work except Ia draw their pay. A horde
Of INSPECTORS. whose duty was supposed To- Doe to
inspect the lumber. brick. cement. a.. cost the
State according tn the books of the commission.
FROM 600 10 upward Of siuu week. The car-
peutnr work upon this hhll,ling. when wu- Sup-
po~ 1t T.. he hutlt entirely Of stone hHd, ur 10
juno. 1874. cost tho STATE sll3.G99. Those who
hak" visited Albany will remember tho little
rough hourd building ia which the model of the
Now Capitol Is housed. That cost the l.upl' II
lne Stnte. arcordng to the books of theCommis-
tlun.rs, t997 90. and took 80 days luhur to
luId. Any builder in this CITY Who could not
have built IL in less than week. at "a cost not to
eA,'od $3.50 would soon find himself out of work.
carp nt-r work had hnrsainrd with a.. COM
. -~i"nrrs. or n"r' rrol.rly. WITH Mr. Harris.
llui 'mpluy,i; AMI in"m lac hr'd all ne
I.ru he wanted for $3.50. thus pneket'ug Ir III
9 II ni''y on rv"ry man Unto th'~ tim. there
hIi been no luiuHrs work on tle building. 4
ug o' the pliin"St and r.ugh"s; rhura Ter.
So mis- contractor divided his p"rqui-lics
OBJ SON" one. ne certainly hnd very ini thing
n. %. TIL" lumber used IN tins building of stone.
Jl in thr same date. cost over sJH.uuO-ur.
rl.N'r charged as used, though the testimony
.f N b ~ = ~
1f 'iI p same contractor. where ull further trHr,
Of % WIS io-i The amount of hardware u-.
Anon tul- stone building 10 fore its walls were
'-tNIrd conn 'Ht"l. I~ aston -hiug. II ro~t IN
Oh" Agsrreat" j6u2j.t6. oi which on. item IS
nu.ty-hve paio'k- and door locks had also
" bought iorthi- huiiding, Ia which door
iaN lNl yet hNnn l'hr'u IN" only other IN
stan" rrm"mheroia bund ns recurring "a
',r. i = do1rI W re hunS ,thqt ~ Tie SiNih
thr management 81 Mr.. Harry Genet over
.fm -lrise ana hammer lunii' :. 2.ili pounds
Of NAt" lead. and 1872 cedar pals were said to
~aNs OF this building. while the temporary
.umuiug and gas fitting cost slO,it6ll But.
sum 6l sl422 - which was expended for
It.i1sraphs- nou-h money To- hay. furnished
III thn tunnil-- Dti"r- anu contra tDrr, Ia we'll
h. each member of the Legislature, with u pic
tur" ed every stone in the building.
The Investigation also demonstrated clearly
that the State has been swndlcd out Of hum
i.'ds oi thousands 81 dollars by system OF I'M
oann,"d bidding that rivals the Ialu."st DAYS
)i thr Canal ling, together with MVOrtl-m 10
certain contractors and companies. In THIS
NH' o." stat" was made 10 pay over go per yard
iOt limestone which was furnished tu the Gem
va. Railroad Tor Us bridge IN Albany az SO prr
rhr j. Granite which 10 was agreed 90 deliver -
l. State at a. cost of s2i.iO per ward il found 70
nav" "~t. und"r certain modiii. alons Of the
VniN asre'd to hy the Commissioners. not
h' tnW ;ll3 yard.
N.u-U4l' barrels moro were paid fer than the
Us owed could nay" been possibly used up
oJun'. i7'i. and the price paid was one.thlrl
1