The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-04-27

furnished bonds to many States of the Union, as
well as to various corporations and Its bonds are
entitled the highest mercantile consideration In
the markets OF the country. The utmost confidence
is and has been reposed In the works of said com.
pany, and they came to us most highly recon-
mended.
ganization, and comparatively unknown, and intro.
duced to the Board only through It's own agents.
But If the above reasons were not sufficient, the
conduct of George Fl. Kendall, the negotiating
agent of the said company, now in Richmond, was
such as to wholly preclude any negotiation with
the said agent my part of the public Off
GERS of this Commonwealth. / make this averment
because on the 18th Inst. was approached by Mr.
Kendall with what understood and with what
believe he intended as an improper. undue and
unlawful OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES: that he was willing
to compensate me for any influence might exert
In securing him this contract For the foregoing
reasons conclude that it would be improper for
this Board to enter into negotiations, much less to
conclude contract, in matter of such magnitude
and Importance as the printing, engraving and
ithographing of so, 100000 of bonds, besides the
coupons and certificates of West Virginias indebt-
edness, with a person or company whose trusted
agent declared to me that such propositions as he
had submitted to me not only common but
what he considered legitimate and proper.
Very respectfully,
s. Brown ALLEN.
Monday, Attorney General Blair hearing of the
matter appealed to Judge Wellford of the City Cir
cult Court, for an Injunction restraining the Board
from executing the contract with the Kendall Com
pany until the matter could be Investigated. The
injunction was granted.
Later in the day Mr. Allen swore out war
rant for the arrest of George Fl. Kendall to
answer the complaint of having corruptly
approached him for the purpose of influencing
his vote in awarding the contract for printing
the bonds. Mr.. Allen stated that his action is
intended III no way to reflect upon the other
members of the Sinking Fund Board. but be-
cause he believed it was improper to award
the contract to the firm Kendall represents.
On the 25th Mr.. Kendall appeared before
the justice, and his counsel asking for time to
prepare defence, he was bailed for his appear
ance, Second Auditor Dyson being one of his
bondsmen.
Since the above was in type we have seen In the
Wing and Dispatch of the Goth tie reply of Messrs.
D. Fl. Revely and Il. H. Dyson to the protest of Mr.
Allen. In 1t they state -"the reasons assigned in
said protest by s. Brown Allen for favoring the
awarding Of the contract to the American Bank
Note Company are not the principal reasons assign
ed by him at the meeting of the Board on the goth
day of APRIL 1882. At said meeting the said S. Brown
Allen urged as the principal reason why the
tract should be given to the American Bank-Note
Company that they had materially assisted our
party cause in the late campaign, and would give
friendly aid In the future, while the Kendall Com
pany was introduced here by the Richmond Dis
patch, the most bitter and viud1ctive enemy of
cause We admit that IL appeared that the Kendall
Company was of recent organization, and that as
compared with the American Company monopoly Is
perhaps unknown; but the specimens and plans
presented by the KendallCompany, together with the
names OF Mayor Grace, ex-Mayor Wickham, Jesse
Hoyt George H. Kendall, richard A. McCurdy, j.
F. Pierce and George M. Turner, all Of the city OF
New York, offered sufficient guarantee as to the
responsibility and ability Of said company to per-
form their contract; that we did not think either
The recollection Of party favors past the antcipa
ton OF the like favors toscome sufficient war
mt onff tho
expend 81, 1T more than could get the work exc
cuted for. so far as the allegation contained in
said protest that George H. Kenual the negotiating
agent OF said company, approached said s. Brown
Alien with what he understood and believed was
intended as an improper undue, and lawful solicit
tatlon, to wit, that he was willing to compensate
said Allen for any influence he might exert in
curing said cOntract-We only say that no such
solicitation having been made to us, and never
hearing OF such solicitation or improper approach
to said s. Brown Allen until after had decided
said Board meeting to award said contract to said
Kendall Company, we did not deem the statement
OF such character as to cause to pause in our
determination in the premises We were then of
the opinion that any public officer of Virginia
derstand1ng proposition of such a an
assault upon his official integrity would immedi
ately have resented the Insult and taken steps to
punish the offender against decency, propriety, and
law. This not having been done, and taking the
vague statement of Mr. s. b. Allen in connection
with his desire award said contract on party
grounds, determined our course in adhering to the
position We had TAKEN"
Mr.. Geo. II. Kendall the party implicated in the
improper offer to Mr. ALEU-, anirns in an affidavit
before Robt. S. Ward notary public, in denial Of
the statements In Mr.. Aliens protest. Mr.. Kendall
afrms that as the representative of said company
he visited the city of Richmond, Va. and laid be-
fore the Board of Sinking FUND Commissioners of
the Commonwealth of Virginia ito whom was dele
gated the power OF giving the contract for engrav
ing and printing the bonds, coupons, and certif-
Gales required under the act OF the General Assem-
bly, Of Virginia, known as the Rtddleberger bill, ap
proved February a. 1882, designs, specimens of
work, and list of the members of his company or
lrm tending to show that thoy competent in |
every way 10 execute the order That the D1d which
he rendered was duly accepted by the said Board Oh
commissioners, and a copy of their resolution |
awarding said contract was given to said company
that s. Brown Allen, Auditor of Public Accounts |
gave him the specifications OF the said ISSUE his
office in the Capitol in the presence and under the
instruction of gentleman introduced as Major !
Newman; that the said s. Brown Allen made an |
engagement to visit the said George II. Kendall in |
the afternoon of the same day. which ne did in his
room, No. 81 Exchange HOTEL that the said s. Brown
Allen there expressed unw1llingnesS to award the
contract to the Kendall Bank Note Company, saying
his party under obligations to the American |
Bank Note Company for the sum of IS, 200 advanced
States Senator Malone in his political campaign;
that certain members of his party had sold short
the bonds OF the State of Virginia. and might be In
terested in not having the readjustment of the |
state debt proceeded with to gain profit by the
rising value of said bonds; that said =. Brown AL
len said it was customary, he believed, to make |
certain rebates in bank note engraving contracts
and that he might influence by means not stated to
improper, the giving OF the contract mentioning
the Of one thousand dollars, distinctly stating
that present for his trouble would not be object
ionable; that he had seen paper signed by s. |
Brown Allen protest to the action Of the Roard
Of Commissioners aforesaid and proposed to be |
spread upon the minutes of said Board, and that |
he declares each and every charge in the said pro-
test of undue influence and improper proposals
wholly untrue and absolutely false and that he firm
y believes said protest entered for the purpose
of delaying the execution of The act Of February !