The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1894-10-24

cher, of this firm, was a member OF
the house of representatives Of the
forty-eighth general assembly from
Davidson county. and in the cleo
tion of the speaker of that body,
voted for the successful candidate,
Mr.. Ralph Davis of Memphis. On
his expression Of his desire for a
committee appointment, and in
courtesy to his solicitation, Speak
er Davis appointed him a member
Of the penitentiary committee.
The bill providing for the build
ing of the prison was before his
committee, approved by it, and
passed by the general assembly of
which he was a member.
When the contract was let by
the commissioners, he was the sue
cessful bidder, and to him was
awarded the contract for the whole
work for s95I,659.2I.
The act clearly, plainly, and posi-
lively states that: ain no event
shall the aggregate expenditures TO
carry out the provisions of this
act exceed the sum of six hundred
thousand dollars $6oo,ooo.oo)."
| To further indicate the will and
determination of the general as
sembly that this amount was to be
the full limit of the expenditures
which the commissioners were EN-.
powered to authorize, an act,
chapter. 81 of the acts of 1893, was
passed, providing for the issuance
of sufficient number of ID per
cent state bonds to redeem the
5-5-4 and 6 per cent. bonds out.
standing, issued under chapter 50,
acts of 1893; and to meet the cost
Of penitentiary, farm and coal lands
ordered by the assembly. The
body of the act alludes freely to the
act providing for the erection of
the penitentiary, SO that the intent
and instructions of the assembly
admit of no possible misunder-
standing on the part of the com.
missioners, or any one else, as to
the limitation of total expenditures
to 100000
The commissioners have expend-
ed, or contracted to expend for the
farm, coal land, stockade and gen.
eral expenses 100000, leaving
$4,000 of the amount set aside by
the assembly to be applied to the
erection of the prison proper.
1t is we'll known that al the time
the acts were passed, the state lad
not dollar in her treasury, and
was in debt for money borrowed to
pay interest on her debt, and for
this reason provision had to be
made for this extraordinary expen-
diture by issuing the Al per cent.
bonds mentioned.
In direct violation of their in
structions, and transcending the
limits of their authority, they have
contracted with Messrs. Fulcher &
Co., to expend $951,o59.aI, an ex-
cess of SOL, o59.2I over the residue
of the 100000 left after paying
the obligations already named.
On the assumption that the pres.
ent contractor is correct in his es.
innate of $o51,659,2I, and that he
does not fail or die, the minimum
cost of the penitentiary, farm, coal
lands and stockade will be $I,2I1,.
65o.2I, instead of 5000, 900, as pro.
vided and directed by the assem-.
, bly,.
Should the contractor die or fail
before the completion of the con-
tract, the widest surmise could not
compute the probable cost to the
. state.
Following the example of the
United States government, which
prefers its own citizens, in the
states of the Union, in letting
public work, give preference, prices
being equal, to their own citizens
In the preparation and letting OF
this contract, while apparently
citizens of Tennessee are success.
full, the architect, expert builder
and contracting firm being all Of
the city of Nashville, yet for some
, reason only two bids from Ten
: nessee firms, the one of Messrs
, Fulcher & Co., the successful bid
r ders, and another from Mr.. X. 6
Busch of Nashville.
Knoxville, Memphis, Chat
tanooga, Jackson and other cities
E of the state have many builders ane
contractors competent and anxious
e to bid on works of this character
and able to carry them from fna
: and successful completion, yet Sc
i peculiar was the preparation ant
: management of this contract, tina
: not one of them could'off a bid
o The commissioners have not onl,
: acted without consideration for tn,
t artisans of the state at large, Blu
l. have deliberately and defiantly ex
f ceeded the bounds Of their authori
o ty, and with reckless disregard o