The daily gazette., 1881-04-15
rrsa Yesterday. H.as. na,asn
LEVY COURT.

0OMHlDEHAT1OM OF A. OWENS CLAlM
FOR Loss SUSTAINED IN THE ERRs-
TIoN OF THE NEW COURT HoUsE.
The session of the Levy Court, thi,
morning, was one Of more than usual
interest. The business before tho body
was the consideration of the claim oi
losses sustained by Mr.. A. Given, the
contractor for building the new Court
House. Mr.. Given, owing to the non.
| fullfilment of the contract of A. Gram.
liseh, sub-contraotor for the stone
work, claims to have lost sic, 900 aud
in order to make himself secure he
petitioned the late General Assembly
| to pass an act authorizing the Levy
Court to reimburse him to the amount
of SIC, 900. The Assembly passed the
bill. but reduced the amount to 50, 600.
Mr.. Given, after the passage of the
act, presented it together with his
claims, to the Levy Court, and it was
referred to the Building Committee,
and upon motion to- day was set apart
for hearing arguments for and against
the bill. In the meantime Mr.. A. Ii.
Silver, chairman of the Building Com
mittee, and T. p. Chandler, the archi.
tect, had been summoned to appear
before the Committee to-day.
When the Court assembled, on mo-
tion of Mr.. Febiger, the claim was
taken up for consideration, and Mr..
Given was given an opportunity to
explain.
MIR. Given in explanation stated the
after he had received the contract for
erecting the building he sublet that
contract. Mr.. A. Giamlisch was the
lowest bidder for the stone work, and
before he awarded him the contract
he examined into the security offered
and thought it to be good. A short
time after the buildin0 had been COM
menced the sub contractor failed and
over "a, 600 was attached In his, MIR.
Given's hands. He thereupon exam
ined into the condition of Gramlisch,
and found that neither he nor his seeur-
tiles were worth cent.
Mr.. Febiger to MIR. Chandler, the
architect "If the sub-contractor
had fulfilled his contract would MIR.
Given have come out all right ?"
Mr.. Chandler, ,-"Yes, SIR"
Mr.. Given-"Yes, sir, / would have
made about $3,000."
Mr.. Febiger to Mr.. Chandler-"Was
there any disposition on MIR. Given's
part to shirk the contract ?"
Mr.. Chandler -"No SIR"
"Mr. Febiger-''That is what sup.
posed, for l knew of my own personal
knowledge that his reputation as
contractor sands very high"
Mr.. Febiger to Mr.. Chandler. Gould
Mr.. Given have shirked the contract If
he so desiredp
Mr.. Chandler. 81 think not SIR"
MIR. Given. / could have done so In
many instances If so desired, but | was
determined TO erect building that not
enly the citizens If the county but of the
State would be proud OF.
Mr.. Febi2er te,Mr. Chandler. Aftar Mr..
Given had taken the work upon tbe
failure of the contractor GramlIsch, was
the work done as economically
as though the sub CONT actor had full
filled the contractp
Mr.. Chandler. .--"I. was"
Mr. Febiger--"I am sa,istied.D
w. q. WhlteIey, Esq. said that he had
drawn the sub contract and never knew
OF more, or one half so much inquiry 70
be made as to the ability OF sub-con-
tractor as in this case.
H.. Feblger 20 Mr.. Chandler. aDid
you ever know since you have been an
architect, OF contractor being more
searching In regard TO the bonds OF his
suo-contractors than Mr.. Given was ?
Mr.. Chandler, mo sir, they were
well scrutiniEed."
This seemed to end the interropa-
tions, and Mr.. Febiger said that The
question now before The court was
whether it would allow Mr. Giyen,s
claim or not For his part he leans
ed somewhat toward Mr. Given. but
IN this case we are not instruct ted
by the Legislature to refund the
amount, but it is left to our own
In this case a contract
was made by the Levy Court with
Mr. Given, and if the Levy Court
had thrown up that contract, where
would the county have been placed
Mr. Given claims an increase IN the
amount OF work done, and If we
should allow it, it lays us open to
All losses on contracts given out by
the county
II think" concluded Mr. Febiger.
that the matter had better go TO
the committee, and therefore move
that the committee retire''
The motion was adopted the COM
mlttee retired, and the court ad-
lourned until 2 o'clock this after
noon. 1