, 1877-01-28
THE SThTE-HOUSE BUSINESS.


checking this horrible scourge?
| =@---
THE STATE-H0UsE BUSINESS.
The State-House at Springfield is com.
pleted; that is to say, the Commissioners
have expended the whole sum Of money
So, 500, ,000, authorized to be expended. As
the Constitution expressly required the com
pletion of the work for the sum named, and
| us the money has been expended. the pre-,
sumption is that the work is complete: We
regret to hayo it to soy that this presumption
is not warranted by the facts. The Com
missioners report that they have used up eli
the money, and that it will require from
$3.50, 900 to SGGG, 900 to finish the building.
Tho Constitution adopted in 1870, before the
| contracts were let for this State-House, pro-
yides:
The G eneral Assembly shall not appropriate out
OF the State Treasury Or e1penl on account Of the
! new Capitol grounds, and construction, compile
ton. and furnishing OF the statc- House, sum ex-
cecdtng in the aggregate 50, 500 0o0 inclusive Of
| all appropriations heretofore made, uithou. first
submitting the proposition for additional ez-
pcnditurc to the lcgal voters OF the State ct gen.
e1a election, nor unless majority Of all the votes
cast ut such election shall be for the proposed e.
| penditurc.
It can hardly be claimed that there is any
ambiguity in this provision, or that any man
having intelligence snough to serve as Com
missioner could labor under any mistake as
to its meaning. Nevertheless, the three Com
ed all the money at their command, and the
building is incomplete. In the report of
these same Commissioners made two years
ago they informed the Legislature that the
whole work would be done at q cost within
the sum limited by the Constitution.
Though the Constitution was adopted as
long ago Us 1870, these Commissioners did
not discover that there would be deficiency
until since the adjournment of the Legisla-
ture in 1875. The foundations Of the build
ing cost S4G5, 5,GS7. In 1850 the plans and
estimates of the architect we're submitted to
I, committee Of the Legislature and of ex-
perts. This Commission made many changes
in the original plan, which changes increased
the total cost S293,1o0, which made the
whole cost of the building above the founda-
ton $3,031, ,040. Including the cost of the
foundation the tota! sum asked WAS So, ,49G,-
1888. On this basis the State Convention
limited the total expenditure to So, 500, 600.
This was seven years ago, and during that
time there has been liberal reduction in the
cost Of all kinds Of labor and Of ali materials
The Commissioners, after going on nearly
SIX years under the delusion that there
would be money enough, now havo the cool
impudence to brave public opinion in the
following gushing manner:
At the date Of their last report the Commission
confidently expressed the opinion that the cost
OF the building would come within the constitu-
tional limit towit $3 SEQ, COO. Before the close
Of the year 1875, 1t became evident there would be
q deficiency 1t has arisen from different Causes
AS before stated, these changes increased the
cost much beyond what the Commissioners had an-
tcipated, and now they only say, that, though
the building will cost more than originally esti-
mated, md more than the people had been assured
it would cost, yet it will be grander, maenla-
cent and imposing in its appearance, more sub |
stantial and permanent, more beautiful and sym
metr1cal In Its proportions, much finer and richer
in Its nish and more complete in oil its parts and
still cost from 81, o00 600 to 81 00O 600 less than
it was stated under oath By prominent architects
and builders before Investigating Committee |
tIlE [oA4A VIC EActLcu 4UI Gfcu H1kcE LUG
original design.
The Commissioners see some things which they
could wish were different,-which they would
change were the work to be done again. But in all
their acts in the past, relying and conading in
The good taste, judgment, and skill Of the acting
architect and their own judgment as to what would
promote the interest, please and command the ap-
proyal OF tho great Of the people, and acting
honestly with that sole purpose in view, they have
IT +s{ |
its present unfinished condition tender it to the
people through their representatives,, not faut1ess,
3ut as possessing many e1cellences oud beauties,
Ind submit to them whether or not the Commits
'ioners have rendered fair equiyalcnt,-a Just
ind equitable consideration.
The Increased cost Of the building is
charged to certain changes proposed and
adopted in 1869, year before the constitu-
ional limitation WAS made. All these changes
n the plan were known and carried out in
he interval between 1869 md 1876. And it
vas not until the Commissioners had OBJ |
aimed the last dollar that could be appropri-
ted that they discovered there would be |
! deficiency of $6G6,ooo. The people en-
'loyed these men to build State-House,
complete, for $3, SOC, 600; until the Com
nissioners had got the last dollar ont Of the
Treasury they insisted that the work would
10 finished within the limited price; nnd
low, in return for the So, SOC, 900, they hand
ver a building which they say will cost ,
|666, GOO additional, or nearly 90 per cent
nore than the sum designated By the Con-
itution. We do not question the honesty t
+ the Commissioners. We do deny that
hey have acted ingood faith with the people.
hey have kept es secret the fact that their !
tyle Of building would leave this large def
ieucy, Or they have gone along heedlessly or {