The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-04-26

Judge W. w. Crump, to answer the war
rant sworn ont by Mr.. :. Brown Allen,
Auditor ~ Public Accounts. charging him
with attempting by improper means to In
fiuence the said Aliens vote a. a member
Of the Board Of sinking-Fund Commis-
sioners in the matter OF the award OF q con-
/ tract FOR printing certain bonds. DC.
Judge Crump asked that the case be post
poned until this morning at 1890 o'clock,
which being granted. Mr.. Kendall was
bailed in the sum Of 1000 for his appear
ance. with II. II. Dyson. Esq, Second Au-
/ tor. and Mr.. w. L. simons as sureties.
THE REPLY OF MEssRs. REvELY AND DYSON TO
AUDITOR BROWN ALLEN.
4 meeting Of the Commissioners OF the
Sinking Fund was held last evening, and
the following paper filed:
OFFIcE OF THE BOARD or sISEING-FUND)
COMMISSIONERS or VIRGINIA,
April 2j, 1892. }
The answer Of ID. Il. Reyely and II. II.
/ DYSON. a majority Of the members Of the
Board Of Sinking-Fund Commissioners of
the Commonwealth Of Virginia. TO 4 paper
purp0rting 10 be a protest on the Irirt Of
:. Brown Allen, a member Of said Board,
10 the action Of said Board in awarding the
contract for engraving and printing bonds
and coupons under the act Of the General
Assembly Of Virginia, approved February
II. lSS2:
The undersigned. constituting a majority
OF the Board OF sinking Fund Commits
siOners Of Virginia, having read the pro-
test 10 their action in awarding said con-
tract desire in a formal manner 10 record
along with said protest the facts attending
the awarding Of said contract and the mo-
tiyes actuating them in the award they
made, and for answer thereto they say:
That in the consideration Of bids offered
for the execution Of said contract they
were actuated, first, by n desire 10 place
said contract in the hands Of q thoroughly
reliable party. in view Of the vast interests
the Commonwealth OF Virginia had at
stake. and. secondly. with the view Of OBJ
tanning the execution Of said contract, at
the lowest price, coupled with a proper
execution Of the work; that they admit
the statement contained I'm said protest re-
lating 10 the number Of bids presented 10
them. the rejection 81 one Of said bids. and
the final decision OF the Board in favor of
the Kendall Bank-Note Company, which
was the lowest responsible bid remaining
for the consideration of the Board. The
reasons assigned in said protest by :. Brown
Allen for fayOring the awarding Of the con-
tract 90 the American Bank-NOtc Company
are not the principal reasons assigned 10y him
at the meeting 0f the Board on the 10Th day
OF April. 1882. At said meeting the said :.
Brown Allen urged rs the principal reason
why the contract should be given 10 the
American Bank-N0te Company that they
had materially assisted our party cause in
the late campaign, and would give friendly
aid i'm the future. while the Kendall COM
panv was introduced here by the Richmond
DISPATCH. the most bitter and vindictiye
enemy of cur cause. We admit that 1t APP
reared that the Kendall Company was Of
recent organization, and that as COM
pared with the American Company
monopoly Is perhaps unknown; but the
specimens and plans presented by the Ken
dali Company, together with the names OF
Mayor Grace, eX-MayOr Wickham. Jesse
HOyt. George II. Kendall. Richard \. Me-
I Curdy. J. +. Pierce. and George VI. Tur-
ner. all Of the city Of New York, offered a
sufficient guarantee a. TO the rcspectaDility
and ability Of said company 10 perform
their contract; that we did not think either
+ the recollection Of party fayOrs past or the
anticipation of Ike favor 20 come was sur
ticient warrant for us. a. sworn officers Of
than we could get the work executed
for. So far Is the allegation contained
i'm said protest that George II. kendlll,
the NEGOTIATING agent OF said company. ap-
proached said :. Brown Allen with what
he understood and believed was intended
rs an improper. undue, and unlawful
solicitation-tO wit, that he was willing
10 compensate said Allen for any influence
Ia, sffafr gniH
we can only say that no such solicitation
having been made 10 us. and never hearing
of such solicitation or improper approach TO
said :. Brown Allen until after we had
decided at said Board meeting 10 award said
contract 10 said Kendall Company, we did
not deem the statement OF such character
as 10 cause us to pause in our determine
ton i'm the premises. We were then of the
opinion that any public officer II Virginia
understanding a proposition Of such ma
ture as an assault upon his official integrity
would Immediately have resented the IN
suit and taken steps TO punish the offender
against decency, proprlety, ana law. Ihls
not having been done, and taking the vague
statement of Mr.. :. Il. Allen in connection
with his desire to award the said contract
on party grounds. determined our course
But i'm order TO satisfy ourselves as 10 the
certain standing and ability OF said Ken
dali Company 20 perform the obligations
assumed by them in their bid we required
at the same meeting OF April 10Th that the
contractor should enter into bond, with ap-
proved security, in the penalty OF 100000
conditioned for the faithful performance oi
said contract. and the surrender Of the
f4lf Of
: This bond has been rendered, with suretie.
sufficient to cover at least hye times tht
amount il represents. We will not say thai
had Mr.. :. Brown Allen have made thu
charge Of attempted improper influence be-
fore our position had been made publicly
known we would not have inquired into
the matter further, but coming at the POM
i'm the controversy 10 which he had held Il
back. we did not give II the weight We
might otherwise have thought IL entitled u
receive.
We are still confident that our action 1
. for the best interests OF ihe Commonwealth
, OF Virginia, and with TINS reply submit
| our course 70 those whose duty II VIII be u
/ approve or disapproye our action.
ID. X. REyELY,
III. III. Dyson.
J Auditor Allen was vastly mistaken II
: SAYING that Mr.. Kendall was introduced b.
r the Dispatch. only one man on the pape
: ever hc5rd of MIR. Kendall until this prose
7 cution began. lie had passed telegram
with Mr.. Chesterman as 20 when the con
tract would be let. and was advised tt
come on and attend 10 the matter in per
: SON. Mr.. Kendall arrived here Tuesda.
I the 18th. went to the senate chamber, call
4 "a Mr. Cbesterman out, and asked him {,
e in,roduce him 10 the commissioners, whicl
: was done. lie was thus introduced to Mr.
I ~. -, % Mr. Reyely, both introduc