Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-07-09
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
The CustOm-hOuse, Elevator aud
HatchIe RiVer-Speeches aud
Resolutions.
]. Il. McDAvITT.

The chamber Of met yes.
terday afternoon, President Eiseman in
the chair.
HoN. CASEY YOUNG
being requested to speak, said be thanked
the chamber for a chance TO express his
gratitude for the. support its members
had given him. He would give a brief
statement Of matters Of legislation Of a
local interest. In reference TO the addi-
|%tional appropriation for the custom
house, he had a great deal Of trouble
about it. 1t laid on the calendar three
months because of the opposition Of the
speaker and others. 1t was put through
in the last hours Of the session. Before
the ink Of the Presidents signature was
we'll dry, while he (Col. Y was in the
courtroom engaged in a criminal law
case, Secretary Sherman closed the con.
tract for the sandstone. He (Col. ~
called Immediately at the treasury de.
partment and asked the reason for such
a course, and learned that he feared q
suit for damages from the sandstone
contractor in the event it was not given
10 him. He (Col. ~, in a not very
pleasant interview with the secretary,
protested, aud be promised to reconsider
the contract and give the work out to
the lowest bidder. Col. Young thought
il the chamber would take action aud
send on a protest it would be Of avail.
He believed Secretary Sherman had
erred through a mistaken sense OF public
duty. 1t was a violation of law, and
against the interests of public economy.
The sandstone had been declared by ex
perts as worthless, whils Tennessee
marble had been pronounced the hest
building material in the land The
original appropriation was for $500, 900,
and the additional appropriation for
SIS, 0OO, which would be ample for the
work.
As to the wharf and landing repair,
congress must first authorize a survey
aud estimate Of cost. This he (Col.Y J
had been enabled to have done, and this
work will be commenced at onee.
Colonel Trezevant offered a resolution
: being the Chambers protest joined to
: Colonel Younga against the work being
ltb Out Ou lnc SubbOu--OuSO NhA q sou
chance be offered for all TO bid.
: Mr.. |. NJ. Hill said he did not believe
y in protesting 10 a hurry. He read from
the Congressional Record to show thai
6 the bid for sandstone vas $67, 900, and
n 1852, 900, $l6l, 900, $3.50, 900, $2l5. 900 fol
D Tennessee marble.
: Colonel Young said that was from
4 Suyder's lawyer. Snyder 1.-THE sandstone
o mani di3 not put in the lowest bids
Q There we're four bids cheaper and The
sa ndstone had been pronounced worth
6 less. He Colonel YouRg) had letters
for better stone, even for marble, at from
r $1,000 to $4,000 less than the bid. L
was a fraud, an outrageous fraud, on thu
part of the architect of the treasury
He Colonel Young) proposed When be
q returned to Washington TO see If tht
: doer of such fraud could hold his Office
! after an investigation of this matter
Snyder has n at sustained one dollar o
injury, and they all owed it to the peopl,
. Of this country to stop this attempt q
fraud.
% q PROTEST.
:. Mr.. T~rezevant-" About its being thu
greatest fraud perpetrated / have m.
doubts offer this as a communication
from the president of this chamber Il
Secretary Sherman" He then read thl
letter: THE Memphis Chamber Of Com
merce most respectfully but earnest.
- urge that no contract for the construC
"a ton of the Memphis custom.house out o
Tennessee marble be made until ampl
advertisement for bids therefor be invite
4 by the secretary Of the treasury"
THE ELEVATOR.
Mr.. Cover offered the following:
That this chamber extends its earneE
/ sympathy to the Memphis and St. Loui
q Packet Company in the severe losse
sustained at orr landing, and, thorough
ly appreciating, as we do, the value I
Is, our trade OF the elevator so unfortunate
IN " destroyed by fire, the chamber desire
that every inducement be rendered b
our merchants and municipal suthoritiC
IS that may insure its reconstruction.
I'd Resolved, That inasmuch as there
no reasonable doubt but that the receT
destruction by fire Of the elevator an
'e steamer Capitol City was the result
in~cendiarism, this chamber, in behalf
IL. the business interests, and citizens get
ia orally, OF Memphis, respectfully urG
upon the mayor to offer a reward
$1,000 for the apprehension Of the incs.
DC diary.
nd Mr.. Hill said: IL am opposed to offe
ing the reward. That is going too far.
do not object to Offering sympathy. Tn
costs nothing. If my house burned dow
they would offer no reward. | don't b
lieve in that sort OF a thing"
Mr.. Goyer said he believed the rewal
should be offered. The resolution gre
out of the remarks OF an evening pape
%, published on Second street, which cut
the packet company, and rather exultr
over the burning. He believed the CT
owed it to herself TO correct this. /
az had no idea the incendiary would ev
y, be discovered. Colonel Trezevant col
~ cided with Mr.. Goyer.
w. Mr.. Allen amended so as to make
~. read that the authorities be requested
~ do all in their power to discover the
cendiary.
Mr.. Goyer said he had a letter fro
uS the packet company saying it did Il
~ intend TO rebuild, but that it was reaI
"s to co operate in any manner the bu
oh ness mea of Memphis should say.
moved a committee Of five be appoint
to digest a plan to rebuild the elevat,
=, Adopted, and Messrs. Cover, N hi
Hanauer, j. c. Nicely and Jas. X Spe
y, were appointed said committee.
BIG HATCmE RIVER.
- BY Il G.. Buchanan:
Resolved, That the chamber of co
H.. merce appoint u committee to con
10 with the proper authorities in the col
ties Of Upton, Haywood and Harden
looking to the passage Of an act by
next general assembly for the opening
Big Hatchie river by requiring the Nc