The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-02-14
HOT TALK IN HOUSE
PLANS TO REMODEL The STATE
HOUSE IS CONSIDERED
At COST OF 100000

the Subject, Cause Of Subj Commit.
tee Who Made Contract and ar.
chitect Todd is Reviewed, All o1
Whom Try to Explain.
There was an unexpected furry
il the House Wednesday over the
special message of the Governor with
reference to the contract for plans
for the Development and improve
ment Of the State House, by Messrs
Todd G Benson. The special message
from the governor, in which F. II.
Bryan and C. D. Lee, with A. w
Todd concurr;ng, deny that the con-
tract for enlarging the State House
was signed in the governors pres
ence, and further states that the
chief executive, as far as they know
knew nothing of i until the general
assembly met.
Appended to the message was an
editorial from The State containing
the charges denied. The minutes Of
the meeting OF rhe committee that
awarded the contract show that the
committee met in the Governors Of
fee on Wednesday, September 81.
1911, with the Governor reported
present. The contract between T.
u. Bryan, ". W. i)ixson, and Todd
and Benson was dated On the same
day the meeting was held in the
Governors Office, when his Excellen-
cy was reported present. Rising to
a question of personal privilege.
Low&nes J. Browning of Union called
a spade a spade, IA speaking Of t..,A
matter.
Mr.. Browning stated that Todd
had repeatedly told the ways and
means committee 1t its meeting that
the matter between himself and the
subcommittee had been gone into
in the Governors Office when the
Governor was present. In referring
to the $1,000 travelling expenses
which the Dixon-Bryan-Lee sub
committee from the committee on
State house and grounds had allowed
Todd, who is a member of the house,
fo- visiting "as many members as
possible" and for using "any means
in his power to acquaint them Of the
contemplated work." Mr.. Browning
said:
$50 far as I know, this is the
first instance in American history
where subcommittee has attempted
to appropriate State funds for in
fluencing members Of general as
sembly. Speaking even palmer, the
has made an effort to
Use State funds to Eribe and debauch
the members of the general assem-
bly, into adopting the plans which
they approved, and they placed these
funds in the hands OF the architect"
Mr.. Todd also spoke on question
of personal privilege. He said that
Mr.. Browning's statement as to brib-
cry was false so tar as he was per-
sonally concerned. AS an irtroduc-
ton to his question Of personal priv
ilege, Mr. Browning read from the
report On the subcommittee of State
House AMI Grounds in House jour
nal OF February /, which F. n. Bryan
The section Of the re-
port which Mr.. Browning read was
the minutes Of the meeting in the
Governors office. It follows:
Pursuant to 4 call OF Chairman
Of the Committe on State House and
Grounds, the committee met at Co.
lum bia, in the Office Of HIS Excel
;ency, the Governor, on Wednesday,
September eth, 1911, at which were
present His Excellency, the Governor;
Chairman F. M. Bryan, Secretary ".
". Dixon, Clarence D. Lee, compos-
ing the subcommittee; full quorum
Of the committee and Architect a.
W. Todd.
"The committee vas called to Or
der by the Chairman, and the report
o. the architect to the subcommttre,
was read, which, after due discus
sion the two reports were unani-
adopted.
"They then authorized the Chair
nan and Secretary to enter into con-
tract with the architect, and to for
mulate a Bill to present to the next
session Of the Legislature.
Mr.. Todd suggested that we have
4 plaster cast made OF the building
rs it will appear when completed, and
exhibited proposal from a modeler
to make the model for the SUM of
nine hundred dollars $4,000. Al
ter some discussion Mr.. Todd was
to have the model made
at a cost not to exceed that amount,
md have the model on exhibition at
the State Capitol at the meeting OF
the General Assembly.
Mr.. Dixon than moved that Mr..
Todd visit as many Of the members
as possible, and Use any means il
lis power to acqua!nt them OF the
work, at cost not TO
.xceed one thousand dollars (Sl.-
l00). After some discussion this mo-
ton Vas adopted.
There being no further business
before the committee, they adjourn
ed.
fSisneG) "T,. ". Dixon.
Secretary.
a!r. Browning declared that A. ".
Toda had told the ways and means
that the matter had been
entered into IN the Governors pres
t.