The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-02-23
To the Honorable Senate and the House

To the Honorable Senate and the House
Of Representatives,:
8 On Monday, Feb. 9Th, 1904, there was
presented to your honorable body re-
port OF the, joint committee appointed
under concurrent resolutions adopted
at the session Of 1898, .to consider the
several reports Of the commission on
the completion Of the State house and
facts relating thereto" gof which COM
rnittee Hon. Robert -Aldrich. Of Barn
well. was chairman, and Hons. r. I.
Manning, of Sumter: J. o. Patterson Of
2 @Barnwell, y. NJ. Rawlinson of Rich
land and T. Y. Williams Of Lancaster
Were members.
This report contained the findings Of
said committee and the testimony up
on which said findings were based.
The sole testimony relating to the
work included therein was that of
Captain" S. S. Hunt, who; Swore that
he was a resident of Washington, d.
Z c. and for four years had held the
position of Superintendent Of con-
structicn Of the United States capitol,
: Washington. D. c." Said Capt. Hunt
proceeded in unqualified language to
condemn each and every portion OF
the work on the State capitol which
8 had been done by the commission, ,.ap-
pointed for the completion Of the build
< ING.
No other or further testimony relat-
ing to the work OF construction ON the
building was taken, except that OF a.
!. ". Edens, Inspector OF plumbing Of
the city Of Columbia, who was ques-
3 toned ir regard to the newly erected
water closets. - =
So. The testimony of these two witness
es was concealed from the public and
) the undersigned until the said report
was presented to your honorable body.
Upon this testimony the aforesaid
committee concluded among other
things. that '.the testimony taken re-
veaie6 a dark picture" (p. 1S). "a mon
5 strous sUindle," q. 1S, and that it
would regard it remarkable indeed If
: there IS not some remedy, civil or Grim
inal. or both, to bring these nalefactors
to justice and 70 some extent to re-
dress the wrongs Of the State" p-
a REQUEST FOR "A FULL. FREE
= AND IMPARTIAL INVESTIGA-
:ss@E TION.
Feeling that they had been unjustly
reflected on therein, and If these con-
clusions had any foundation whatever
If there was, even ground to. suspect
such a condition Of affairs-that there
Z should be made full, thorough and
searching investigation into this mat
ter, certain members Of the commits
sion for the completion Of the State
house met in the city of Columbia and
adopted the following memorial, which
was presented to your honorable body
= along with and accompanying a resolu-
ton providing for such an !nveStlga-
ton:
Gentlemen Of the General Assembly:
From an investigation Of the report
of the joint committee Ito consider the
several reports Of the commission on
the completion Of the State house and
facts relating thereto We, the under
signed members Of the commission,
authorized and directed Ito complete
the State house." feel that the report
OF the committee does US manifest
injustice, as it, Willingly or unwitting-
, ly, unfairly condemns our acts and
the work approved by US without Civ
ing US an opportunity to be heard and
even refusing to allow us hearing.
Many of the allegations Of error and
incompetency are easily explained. Ger
tain conclusions could not and would
not have been drawn had available
evidence been, heard. Above all, we
feel that an impression that must nee
esSarily result from the tenor and
terms Of the report would not exist If
it were allowed the opportunity to be
heard.
Therefore. believing that the gen.
eral assembly can have no intention OF
condemninG US without hearing, as
members of the commission upon
whom you imposed an involuntary pub
<3,.tx -, No oil -
for that trust and to give their an
swer and explanation to any allegation
or insinuation, do most respectfully
memorable your honorable body to
) make provision for giving US a hear
ing in order that further and all evl-
: 1ence may be produced that may give
light upon the question before the
committee. and that our evidence and
reply to the report Of the committee
honorable body Of tive slme perma-
nency and dignity as The report itself.
" Respectfully.
NJ. B. McSweeney.
G. Duncan Bellinger,
.... J. Harvey Wilson,
r. H. Jennings,
Robert J. CAN'T,
W. ]. Johnson"
When the said memorial was pre-
sented Hon T. Y. Williams introduced
in the house of representatives. and
Hon. Robert Aldrich in the senate.
the following resolution:
Whereas. certain members of the
former commission to complete the
State house nave memorialized the
feneral assembly TO make provision to
live them hearing in reply TO the
report OF the joint committee to con-
slider the several reports OF the COM
mission for the completion OF the state
house. and facts relating thereto.
BE II Resolved by the general as
sembly of the Stat- of South Carolina
That any evidence, explanation, or 9TH