New-York tribune., 1888-04-14
PRICE THREE CENTS
WHITEWASH FOR GOV. HILL.
EXECUTIVE MANSION INVESTIGATION.
TWO REPORTS FROM THE WAYS AND MEANS
COMMITTEE REGARDING THE FURNITURE
PURCHAsES-CoNDoNED BY A MAJORITY
TARRED WITH THE SAME srICK-A

MINORITY WITH BACKBONE.
Albany, April I3.-The purchase by GovernA
Hill or two costly clocks, grand piano, velveS
carpets, crystal chandeliers billiard tables, ex-
pensive electrical apparatus and other articles Of
luxury for the Executive Mansion, to the total
value Of $4,000, and his misappropration Of that
amount OF money from the Public Buildings Fund
to pay these bills, recently the subject Of in-
yestigation by the Committee Of Ways end Means
Of the Assembly
There was suspicious desire by the friends Of
Governor Hill that this committee should make
| the investigation; perhaps because Mr.. Sheenan,
Jealous heuchman of Mr.. Ili member OF
it, and perhaps because the committee had shown
an extravaganza in its action upon appropriations
that made it probable that it would look leniently
upon similar action by the Governor. II this was
the thought of the Governor and his friends, their
judgment was verified by the report of a majority
of the committee this morning in his favor. Such
reports usually spoken of as whitewashing,"
and the present one fully warrants that dcsgna-
ton. Facts disagreeable for the Governor arc
kept in the background in it, excuses for him
artfully interviewer in the report, and an attempt
is made to shift blame from his shoulders to that
of his subordnates, Isaac G. Perry Superintendent
Of the new Capitol, and Charles b. Andrews.
Superintendent Of Public Buildings.
1t is clear that the report was shown to Mr.. Hill
before its publication, because it will be remcn-
bered that in his remarks on his connection with
the Aqueduct scandal he exultingly said that tho
Executive Mansion investigation had "petered
out" The Democratic Assemb y men, OF course,
signed such a report. AS for the four Republican
Assemb ymen who signed iS, the statement may
be made that some Assemblymen much moro
anxious TO have their bills signed by Governor
truth about him. Fortunately there were three
Assemblymen, all Republicans, who had tho
backbone to tell what they thought Of the Cow
ernor's conduct. These men were Robert Ray
Hamilton, Floyd j. Hadley, and Jonathan G..
Latimer. In report couched in a Judicially
temperate tone they show clearly the Governors
misconduct.
COMPOSITION OF THE wHITEwAsH.
The majority report is signed by Sheehan OF
Erie, the Governors mouthpiece; Finn, Of New.
York, the tenement house statesman; Bush of
Chemung County, the personal representative of
the Governor; and George Weed, Of Clinton
County, a member of the Democratic State Com
mittee =, The majority report is also signed BY
publicans. At the opening of its report the ma
,ority takes pains to say that the work E. OF re.
was intrusted by the Governor and the State
Engineer mainly TO the charge and superintend.
ence Of Capitol Commissioner Perry" This Is
clearly attempt to shift the responsibility for
the purchase Of the furniture and the grand piano
from Governor HIPS shoulders to those Of Mr..
tsgy 9S tessd tss Sns H
TO his store TO select the piano which is now in
the Executive Mansion, and Mr.. Perry said that
the Governor went to New-YOrk with him TO
select the parlor furniture, one portion Of which
cost $4,000; ,uaa,.a s....mon. - ,b. covo,no,,s
expenditure of the S37 900 appropriated by the
last Legislature for the Executive Mansion, the
committee is compelled to state that the Governor
used al Of this With the tSs, Pghsn qf te
der to pay for the additional furniture clocks,
pianos billiard tables and equally fancy articles
was a0n taken from the fund for the maintenance Of
public buildings II is sufficient to say that tho
estimate submitted to the Legislature of 1887 by
Mr.. Andrews Of the amount necessary for the
maintenance of the public buildings has no item
of 1000 for the purchase of furniture for the
Executive Mansion.
MR. ANDREWS ACTED WITHOUT AUTHORITY.
The majority in its report finds it necessary
to acknowledge that there was no evidence that
Mr. Andrews was authorized by the Trustees OF
Public Buildings to eArend that SIS, 900 for tho
furniture. All the evidence showed that Mr..
Andrews acted merely under the direction OF
Goevrnor Hill in thus transferring funds intended
by the Legislature for one purpose TO an entirely
foreign purpose. The testimony OF Lieutenant
Governor Jones and that of ex-Spealker Hustled,
the other two trustees, showed that they had not
authorized Andrews and Governor Hin to thus
evade the law Finally the majority concludes
its whitewashing report with these words, which
il will be seen, are intended to indirectly derend
Governor Hill from the charge Of misappropri.
citing the public funds:
In the Judgment Of the committee considered from
business point OF view. when the Legislature makes
special appropriation for special Durposs purpose
no moneys should be taken from another
appropriation and applied the same purpose for which
special appropriation been already made and since
the law sufficiently definite In regard thereto and In
regard powers and duties OF certain officers tho
committee recommend the enactment OF such Legislation as
will more clearly define powers and duties Of the Tus
Of Public Buildings. The committee further ma
that evidence show that there has been any
fraud corruption extravaganza in or about the building
or refurnishng OF the Executive Mansion
FRANK STATEMENT OF THE MINORITY
Such a report should he contrasted with tho
courageous and frank words Of the report sub
mitted by the minority Of the committee, which
Is In part as follows:
The committee find that the total cost OF the
improvements Executive Mansion and the furnishing
thereof including the grading Of the lot but exclusive OF
the purchase OF additional land was Si1736s s.; that
$50 900 Of the special appropriation OF Sl0i0OO made In
1885, expended in pursuance OF that act for the
chase Of additional land and that the balance thereof to-
gether with the appropriation of $4,000 made In 1857,
was expended In the rebuilding and refrnishg Of the
Executive Mansion except the Of - IS, which stl
the that the work Of rebuilding and
refurnshing entrusted by the Governor and Stse
Engineer mainly the charge and superintendent OF
Capitol Commissioner Isaac S. Perry who acted as ths
architect OF the budng that in addition TO the above
amounts appropriated and expended Aforesaid there has
been also expended by the Superintendent OF Pubuc
Buildings Of the annual appropriation OF 100000 sp
proprated Annual Appropriation bill OK 1851 TOR the
the public buildings at Albany the turther
OF sis, 81 %.
That the Specifications and estimates contemplated thu
completion and refurnshIng OF the Executive Mansion
within the sum o00 appropriated by Chapter l2e OF
tho laws Of 1887 and that previous the passage Of that
act the Governor and Engineer In communication
10 the State Legislature had stated The
nshn2 OF the doing Of the work herein specified
requires an appropriation in all of s37 ooo II this shall
be made the nsnson be occupied IN a few weeks.
cha in tho onrica iffv 20
the furniture purchases exceed the appropriation OF
s37 900 were made in June and July, 1887, and that
Capitol Commissioner Perry, acting architect under
the personal direction OF the Governor and State Engineer,
and with their full knowledge and consent continued 10
order and purchase other elaborate costly furniture
and In the price OF the furniture snd the
Of the the original estimates paid from tho
Of sl50.00o -.