Evening star., 1894-03-17


form Of contract proper for this work.
He mad replied that that was a matter
tnat he thought properly lay with the Sec
retary OF the Interior. Ir Quincy then
further asked about the form of bonds and
he had sent to the files ami had brought
the former bonds for him inspect
Some weeks afterward Mr.. Quincy had
come to him to say that payments had
been refused on the National LithoSraphic
Company vouchers on account Of irreSu-
Iarity in the contract, although the work
had been done. Mr.. Bowler had replied
that il the work had been done payment
could be made under the exigency clause,
as for open market work He had directed
that Disburser Evans be written to to this
effect
The Scope of the Exigency Clause.
Senator German and Mr.. Bowler dis
cussed the scope intended for the exigency
clause of the statutes under which open
market payments were made. He pursued
his inquiries to disclose how Mr.. Bowler
had come to determine this as a case of
sxigency. Mr.. Bowler said he had no in
formation from the Interior Department
on the subject. but he felt that the Interior
Department was the authority to deter
mine it. The work had been done and was
paid for and he considered that that was
Q determination by the Interior Depart
ment that 1t was an exigency. 1t had been
the policy of the Interior Department to
make a weekly issue of this Gazette and
that it would have stopped had the pay
ments been refused.
What Senator German sought to show
was that the knowledge of this policy and
these facts had not come to the controller
from the Interior Department officials. but
from others perhaps Mr.. Quincy and that
Mr.. Bowler had, in fact, been the one who
had determined this to be an exigency
rather than the Secretary of the Interior.
Mr.. Bowler admitted that his department
had no official information from the In
terror Department of these facts.
Serator Manderson took up this point,
sought 1eVplOD Bow
Ter said there had been a strong tendency
In the controllers office to decide what was
an exigency. But he thought it lay with
the department where IL was created to de-
termine.
An Admission as to Influence.
Senator Henderson asked whether IT
would not be natural on application of a con-
tractor for an exigency payment TO secure
statement from the Interior Department
that it was an exigency. Mr.. Bowler said
yes, and admitted that he would have re-
quired that if Mr.. Bailey had come to him
In the matter. Eut he declined to admit
that he was influenced in the matter by the
fact that Bailey was accompanied by the
assistant secretary of state, Mr.. Quincy.
Mr.. Bowler thought Mr.. Quincy had called
upon ham IN reference to the bond at not
earlier than July.
Asked to detail the conversation with Mr.
Quincy. he said that Mr.. Quincy had said
to him he was Interested in gentleman
gentlemen interested in this work and he
would like to ask his advice as to the form of
the bond. He had replied that he thought
that was "A matter that lay with the Interior
DEPARTMENT. Mr.. Quincy then asked if he
could see copy of the former bond. 1t was
Shown him, and Mr. Quincy tooI a men,
oranda of it's contents. He did MT remem-
Der whether anybody was with Mi. Quincy
at the time.
Senator Manderson here caused a smile
by an inadvertent reference to the patent
oflce publication as the Police Gazette.
Quincy.
Senator henderson elected that Mr Bow
Ter thought this exigency payment extra
ordinary. and that he had addressed the In
terror Department for that reason saying
that they ought 10 have the contract per-
fected, and that he had information as to
the determination of the interior Depart
ment as TO this being an eXigencv, except
what he learned from Mr.. Quincy.
Informally. Senator Henderson said in a
semi-jOcular way that this was a case where
the Interior Department seems 10 have fail
eI TO determine, and the Department Of
State, through It's assistant secretary bad
stepped in to determine it.
Mr.. Day Sat Down Upon.
Ex-Auditor Day. who was present as Mr..
Quincy's attorney, here asked that Mr..
Bowler be asked if he had done anything
for Mr. Quincy that he would not do for
with some heat. insisted that this question
should be put in view of the fact that a
question had been put in such form as to
reflect on the man he appeared for
Senator Manderson said shortly: IF any
rurther Questions are TO be asked here by
attorneys that reflect on my questions
either he Will leave the room or / will"
Mr. Day attempted to say sOmething'fur-
ther, when Senator Manderson turned upon
him and said: Il don't want you to pass
strictuies upon my questions. and 1 won't
Rave it
Senator German interposed to saw that
questions il was desired TO have asked
must first be submitted to the committee
In writing.
Mr. Bowler. when the question was put
10 MIN, said the influences of a request from
an honorable of official position upon
the mind were subtle and hard to define
The Managers of the Peters Company.
Daniel Fraser, general manager of the
Norris Peters LithographIc Company. the
unsuccessful bidders fOi the Patent Office
Gazette contract, was the next witness.
MIR. Fraser said they had never been paid
In advance of a contract for open market
work He submitted letter from Commits
sioner Seymour, in which he was informed
that the provision had been made for print
Ing the Gazette for June p under the ex-
isting contract Ghe last number), but that
the contract for next year was to 20 to
another company. He (FraSer) had known
that the appropriation had been exhausted
before this last number had been printed
He submitted. also a letter from the COM
missioner. inclosing a copy of a certificate
OF deposit to the amount of the voucher for
the work of June u. The deposit was by
the National LithOgraphic Company to the
credit of Norris Peters Company.
The COmmissiOncr's Explanation
The Norris Peters Company sent an in
ouiry as to this matter to the Secretary of
the Interior. The Secretary's reply inclosed
the explanation of Commissioner Seymour
The National Lithographic Company, lie
said, had agreed to execute the work for
June p without charge if they secured the
contract for next year. The contract was
awarded them. But the National COMPANY
mad not facilities ready and asked that the
Norrls Peters Company do the work for
June q under their contract and they would
pay for the work, without cost to the gov
ernment- Mr.. Fraser said he thought his
letter to Commissioner Seymour of June &
stating that he would not do the work for
less than the year before. was in fact a
DID There had been specifications inclosed
IN the letter of inquiry from the comuis-
sloner, to which this was an answer
DONATION DAY.