The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-02-14
REFUSE TOsPAY CLAIM
WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE
AGAINST PAYMENT.
Says the Contract Entered Into Was
Illegal and Without Warrant Of
Law of State.

Law or state.
On the grounds that the contract
ntered into between ". ". Dixon
md F. VI. Bryan and Todd & Benson
was Illegal, the ways and means COM
mittee Of the House reported unfay-
orably Tuesday nigh: on the question
of paying sl3,550 &c the Charleston
architects as the first installment on
he plans they drew for remodeling
he State house under an agreement,
antered into last September in the
governors Office, by the firm and the
subcommittee from the committee on
State house and grounds. Here is
the report:
ITO the Honorable, the House OF
Representatives OF the State OF
South Carolina.
"Gentlemen: We. your committee
of ways and means, to whom was re-
serred the report of the committee
on the State house and grounds pub
,ished in the journal Of Thursday,
February !, 1912, beg leave to re-
port we have gone into the matter as
thoroughly as possible AMI submit
the following report:
eve desire to call your attention
~ message No. ). rage PSI. Of the
journal Of last vea.. which called the
attention Of the general assembly to
he approaches ot the ground floor
Of the capitol. in tic following words:
"T think some arrangement
should be made hy which carriages
can be driven to the side entrance.
and that the entrance be so arranged
that persons can alieht from their
carriag ges and enter the State house
With convenience, either in bad or
good weather. I have heard many
strangers remark about having to
pass through water closets in order
- enter our State Offices. and I hope
that you gentlemen will take some
steps to relieve the situation
eve also desire to call your atten-
ton to the concurrent resolution in
response to said message. which res
olution is as follows: BE 1t resolved
BY the house Of representatives, with
the senate concurrins, that his excel
lencv. the governor is hereby au-
thorized and requested to appoint a
committee or authorize committee
Of State house ani grounds to en-
ploy the services CT an architect to
make such estimates Of costs and to
make such plans as may be desired
to carry out the recommendations Of
his excellency. the governor, in re-
gard to the State house as suggested
in said message.
"By constituting the resolution In
connection with the message. we are
Of the opinion that the committee on
State house and grounds mas far ex-
ceeded its authority in entering into
the contract with the architect, and
that the plans submitted were never
contemplated by. and are useless and
unavailable for the purposes of the
resolution.
"The improvement Of the entrance
10 the present building and redress
Of the publicity OF the closets affords
no sufficient pretext for the enor-
nous project Of enlargement Of the
capitol and dome. -Ae plans for which
the committee has seen fit to con-
tract.
with the report was submitted a
claim by Todd & Benson. architects.
for the sum Of sl3,550 for the plans
ahove referred ID, which were con-
tracted for by subcommittee Of the
committee on State house and
grounds. which original claim is here
to attached and made part Of this
report.
"since we have concluded that the
contract was entered into without
variant Of law. We recommend that
the claim be disalloved.
eve herewith submit legal opin-
ions by the attorney general. G. R.
Rembert, T. J. Kirkland and ". H.
Nicholson. furnished to the commit
tee upon it's request. and upon which
It has based its legal conclusions.
ssLowndes -. Browning,
Chairman"