Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-04-28
QUEER DEVELOPMENTS AT RICH
MOND.

QUEER DEVELOPMENTS AT RICH
MOND.
Auditor S. Brown Allen Prosecuting
Man for Attempted Bribery.
STRANGE DEVELOPMENTS ABOUT THE
MALONE CAMPAIGN FUND-THE AMER
Jean BANK NOTE COMPANY STRUCK
FOR S. 600 AS A CAMPAIGN CONTRIBU-
TION-ALLKGED SPECULATION BY Goa
ILTIoN LEADERS IN VIRGINIA BONDS
AUDITOR DYSON AND TREASURER
REvELY's REPLY TO AUDITOR ALLEN.
&C., &C., &C.
Before the legislature adiour ned last
week, Mr.. Riddleberger IN the Senate, Of
fered resolution giving tho Governor the
authority to pass upon all contracts made
by the Commissioner of the Sinking Fund.
which was defeated. The Commissioners
of the Sinking Fund are S. Brown Allen.
OF Augusta, First Auditor D. c. Reive-
~, of Rockbridge. Treasurer; and Dyson,
of Nottoway, Second Auditor. After Mr..
Riddleberger's resolution in the Senate
was defeated. Mr.. Lady of Rockbridge, Of
fered the following resolution in the House
which was passed:
Whereas charges of grave nature af
fscting the integrity OF tho contractors for
printing bonds and coupons under the act
OF February IA, 1882, and touching the
means used to obtain said contract, have
bcen publicly made by a member Of the
Blinking Fund Board of the Common
wealth therefore
Resolved, That JOINT committee. con-
sisting of three ON the part Of the House
and two on the part of the Senate, be ap-
pointed to investigate and report
LIST. Whether any undue or improper
means have been used or attempted to in
fluence the awarding of the contract re-
ferred to in the preamble to this resoIu-
ton.
End. If such influence has been used or
attempted, to report by whom used or at
tempted, and whether such contract can
and Should be aRnulled.
Resolved, I'd, That such committee be,
and they are hereby, authorized to sit dur
ing the recess of the General Assembly, to
send for persons and papers, and that they
publish the result of their labors in two
daily papers published in the city Of Rich
mond as soon as completed.
Mr.. Lady said to senators about him
that he wanted the resolution passed In
justice TO Messrs. Dyson and Reiveley.
The Senate failed to pass this resolution
if it reached it. And there as ques-
tion of legislation the matter ended, but
the cause of these resolutions has since
appeared in a court Of Justice. 1t seems
that at recent meeting of the Sinking
Fund Commissioners the contract for the
printing, engraving, and lithogrsphing OF
$21 0G0 900 of bonds Of the State Of Yir-
GINA, and the coupons and certificates OF
West Virginia's Indebtedness, was given
to the kendall Bank Note Company
Messrs. Dyson and Reivelsy voting for
this company, while Auditor Allen favor
cd giving the contract to the American
Bank Note Company-whereupon Auditor
Allen entered she following protest:
OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF THE SINKING
FUND COMMISSIONERS OF VIRGINIA,
April Goth. 1882.
To the Honorable Board of SSslking Fttnd
Commissioners:
[ feel constrained from 2 sense of per
sonal and official duty to enter my protest
in permanent form against the action OF
a majority of this Board to-day in con-
tracing with the Kendall Bank Note
Company for furnishing the bonds, coup
ons, and certificates required In carrying
out the provisions OF the act Of the Gener-
al Assembly, approved the 14th of Febru-
airy, 1882, and known as chapter 81, for
funding the public debtor the issuance
of bonds covering the same and other pur-
poses.
It is well known that the Indebtedness
to be covered by the bonds Of this act eX-
ceded $21 100000; that the character and
credit of the said bonds, as well as the faith
and credit of the Commonwealth herself.
depend largely upon the experience, trust
worthiness, and ability and purpose of the
party contracting with the Commonwealth
to execute that contract in the utmost
good faith. There were three competitive
bidders before this Board-tO-wit:
l. The American Bank Note Company.
2. The Kendall Bank Note Company.
s. The Chicago Bank Note Company.
The bids OF the FIRST two companies were
nearly the same, the difference being in
favor of the Kendall Company. which said
bids are herewith filed.
The bids of the Chicago Company were
unanimously rejected by tho Board. and
the contest was reduced to the two first
companies. favored the first company, for
the reason that it was an old, long sstab-
lished and reliable company, that had fur
nished bonds to many States of the Union
as we'll as to various corporations. and its
bonds are entitled to the highest mercan-
tile consideration in the markets of the
country. The utmost confidence is and has
been reposed in the works Of said company
and they came to us most highly recon-
msiided.
The Kendall Company is company of
recent organization, and comparatively
unknown, and introduced 30 the Board
only through its own agents. But
if the above reasons were not sufficient,
the conduct OF George H. Kendall, the
negotiating agent of the said company
now in Richmond, was such as to
wholly preclude any negotiation with
the said agent on my part as one of the
public officers of this Commonwealth. I
instant | was approached by Mr.. Kendall
with what understood and with what
believe he intended as an improper, undue
and unlawful solicitation-to wit: that he
was willing to compensate me for any in
1uence might exert in securing him this
contract. For the foregoing reasons |
conclude that 1t would be improper for
this Board to enter into negotiations
much less to conclude contract, in a
matter of such magnitude and Importance
as the printing, engraving and lithograpE-
ing of s21 100000 of bonds, besides the
coupons and certificates of West Virgin
las Indebtedness, with person or compa-
ny whose trusted agent declared to ma
that such propositions as he had submit
ted to me were not only common, bat
what he considered legitimate and proper
Very respectfully,
s. BROWN ALLEN.
IN THE COURTS.
The Richmond State says that as soon as
tho legislature adjourned the friends of
Nessrs. Dyson and Kievsly continued to
agitate the matter, and insisted that they
meant to have an Investigation. Mr.. Geo
FL. Kendall, who had represented the Ken
dali COMPANY At Richmond an soOu an he