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STATEMENTOf A « A. Bisd, in. answer U the Report of Ike Committee on Public Buildings,Whereas, a majority of tho Committee •ppoiuled by the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Wisconsin, tc inquire into the buotnesg of ths public buildings at Mad-won, hare reported nnfavorably as to theagents.of the pho] le to submit their accounts for examination and settlement, has deprived youi committee of the only correct means of ascertaining, with any degree of certaint’r, in what manner that money has- been c xp ended j and they are obliged to content themselves with stating in what manner it has not been expended.”coune and conduct of the old board of [ jn , to thig j b ,e!lTe to refl r (o commuwonera in relation to thoir pro- \ :**___ 1t Pro ; the report of the committee appointed by eeeduw aa public agents, and UP™ ®*- i the Legislature a . Burlington, to whom, anuunr ths statement of George IDola. wer0 ^ferred aH (he pap0°a and voucher3pktine, f discover that he has stated that I, August js A. Bird, of Madison, tho subscriber. on«* of tho old board of co nmisttonci s, exhibitjd to himst co-partnership contract, which he avers to have been signed by James D. Doty, John F. O’.Neill, James Morrison, and myself, wherei i v.e became co-partners in relation to all the public business tt Madison, to wit 5 In the erection of the public buildings or C; pitol, in the running of the steam mill, and in a division of the | rofitB that might aviso from the sale of gooes that wc had established in a nier-' caittile concern together. It is not denied by the subscriber, that a contract (a copy of which ia herewith given) feigned by the •aid Doty, O'Neill, Morrison, and myself, was kIi yv. n by' a 10 to the said Delap hiine.The re ison, however, of my exhibiting this contract to him, arose from I lie following circumstance. That when ( otcruor Mason wits here ir the summer of 1839, he, M* *jii inquired of me v heiher or noL the Anierii.an Hote. had been built with the funds arising from the sale of lots in the tow n cf Madison, advising m) that ho had bwniKi informed by Judge Doty; whichI i ssn.cd hiru was not the fact, Mr.papersof the expenditure s in the erection of the capital, who repo fed “That tho account rendered by the tcting commissioner is entirely correctand, also, refer to the journal of the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly, hel Jal Madison, during the session of 1838-9, by w hich it will bo seen that the same accounts and documents, embracing all the ex 1 enditures from the lt;om-moiicenionl of the erection of the capital, up to the time of lotting the contract to James Morrison, \ eic laid before the eom-not be attached to the statements of Sfi Bird; tbat there can be no doubt as to-th genuineness of tho contracts, and thi they have no evidence before them to ii duce the belief, nor the sjighest reason lt;any kind to believe, that there are an other contracts in existence between th parties implicated in the rej5ort of the mi jority of thecomimtiee on public building:H, N. WELLS, Chirm an 3 N. DEWEY,CHAS. C. SHOLES,J. W. BLACKSTQNE. II. SHACKELFORD,A. E. RAY.ourselves we t *« rn»wp a file' iou sapital b]have b«ea. u passed upon bjchallenge him effected the rci ted by un the u and make al have no fears:MABiSON EXPRESS.Madison, January 11, 19-10.mittcc appointed iy that Legislature,—0 seen that theDeiupJ line then inquired of mo v, briberv ( had not formed a co-partnership in the cnclioa of the American Hotel. I told him il at a company concern had beenBy which reports, it u ill be v. hole amount of 'xpendiiuros, up to the time of lotting tho contract to James Mor-rison, was $12,34 3 34, and that said Mor-1 ison’s contract w is to complete it for lt;$26-2 JO, making the s 'hole cost of the capitol when completed, $38,548 34. The new board of commissi oners hud also ihcsc accounts and vouchc is before them last summer, and copies o;’ them arc now, it is. believed, in the poss-. ssion of the Legislatureand I have ever I sen ’willing to exaibitthem when called upon, and should lave been happy to hr vo shown them to the committee appoii t°d by this Legislature,* had I boon called t pon to produce them.— This committee u iovc referred to, having held their investigations without asking me to attend their examinations, until theynude ,.f it att find but that alter I had had completed the dutio* required of thornthe n Arlr r* »«1 a .-t.if thn ; _ . * _commenced the work and had got out the timber. Judge Doty informed ne that some of die t hare holders of the Four Lake Coin-}, l.ad objected to his paying or hiving out a in money or mono) s that belonged to the Four Jjakc Company, in the erection of .n Folcl, and that the original plan w as aU* rationed ; but that afterwa -ds Dotv andas a coasmitteo, a id the principal witness Geo. P. Delaplnh c, having left this place before I was called upon to,attend .heir meetings ; after he had given bail for his appearance to an4 wcr to tlie next term of court to Jas. Mor ’Non, for his misconduct while in the employ of the said James J/orrhon, and of whom he says he wasmyself commenced building tho hotel upon the principal or ci icf clerk. At this lime, • Miial er scale, and thafuc :hen induced Mr. Jenkins, one of the members of themajority of the lt;ommittec, waited uponO'Neil and Mcrriso'n to cnt ago with us in .he completion of it; and told the said Dtiapliine that if he would accompanymt to inv roomI would show him th.ori-jrii al plan and agreement between us, ofme to inform me that I could then have an opportunity to call upon witnesses, to disprove the test mony which was then before the committee, if I so desired to do,wi xh ths following is a true and correct as t}iey prosed -eparting to the Legida. clt;! . ... five Assembly on tt al maiming. I told Afr.*• Ii s hcrebv agreed by tho subscribersr I.' »to . akc the nurnbexs of shares of stock in an lotil to be eroctrd and furnished in tho loi « cf Madifeioi, on block No. 102, Mr. A. A. .lird to bo the builder. The capital sic *k thall bo ten. thousand dllars,and to be li\i led into shares of one hundred dol.Tim Boundary Question again.-_The select committee in the Council lt;whom was referred the subject of tl/southern boundary, an d the admission 1 Wisconsin ae a state into the Union, hav made their report, andxve are glad this in port ant business is to receive all propc attention. It seems to be taken up jud ciouly. The great object, as we obser ed pn a former occasion, is to secure tl favorable action of the State Legislature lt;Illinois. The first step towards this wou seem to be to obtain the consent and clt; operation of the people of that district lt;country, which is in dispute. According ly the proposition ia to hold a Conventic of our own citizens at which tho people that district are invited to be present 1 their representatives, and to takfc part i the deliberations and business of said co vention. This is a good measure, bscau it will elicit, at once, an expression opinion and feeling among the people that district: and if they prove to be f v or able to our views, the way will be mat ready for a petition to the Legislature the State of Illinois, praying them to co sent to the erection of a new State w i the contemplated boundary lines. Wit out such consent Congress has no pow to form such a State. Our true polic therefore, must be to urge our sui: befo that Legislature under every possible aAgain, inthis vaunt in deuce, goes not to insult body, in the!41 We team f isfj^d that wo i a largo amount acc ounts rc-o x ed to hva the oil which we j j 111 thi a eitnati' j present lime* starting the £ against us, in printing conce total loss* motto, and h sooner than tl profitable ♦cst of the old 1the Editor of tl tripusly at wc hold of* sometJ „ yet they have | they will con1 - I tax their ingei 3 | They cannot, misrepreseotal44 The truthoef■fd j charging ct bv a few envicn»fy—ni-t*ifeift-hi-the most bases as we are prep day favor tlie • esting group rule tlie Terri they cannot cWhetherc.x is all a guage of the will bo able by reading I will, also, bi the value of of facts ; an N.opnan, -hi ' tance of the “Let himer throw stc Report of i■'j■el-Jcnkins that it n vs then top late for me ! vantage* Wo can do nothing better thi nto cull upon my witnesses to contradict the statements ai d evidence then before them, after they h: d finished their business us a committee, a id the principal witness had already left, and that I considered that it was my right to have been presentto form an alliance with the disputed TcI -Jar each, which Umll bo paid on a call by j during the invest gation, and to have had tin dirxtors of lie instalments ot ten per i the privilege of questioning the witnessesritory, and this measure is wisely udaph to secure that object.c(i t ci ch. The directors shall be A. A. Bn J, J ur.es 3/or rison, John F. O’Neill andJ. i). Dcty, whc shall take such measuresto erect and furnish said hotel, and soil or Ira je l ie same a.i to them shall seem cxpe-di€nt.,“ 3/udison, 3/arcl 20, 1838. •‘•Tie Four Lake Company’ fifty shares, by the.r troaurjr, J. D. Doty.J. D. Doty, Ten shares,John F. O'Neill, Fiv3 shares,James Mon’ison, Ten shares,A. A. Bird Ten shares.”The above agreement or contract, is the on.y campany paper tbat I tnor exhibited to Gc_irge F. Delaplaine, and that tihis ngrcuient, togotiier with llio foil owing company con in cl in rtdation to the rnor-that were product d, and further said thatI would have wi lingly appeared before them, had that privilege heen extended towards me. I elso stated to Mr. Jenkins that I would await the report of the committee, and ii I then thought any matter in their rcpor. required explanation I would answer wi h my affidavit or words to the same mean ng and import. I have now read the report and its accompanying documents. Upon sxamining the statement of George I. Dcleplaine, I most unhesitatingly pronounce it untrue and incorrect, so*far as iI regards the co-parmer-ship contract ir relation to the capitol and steam mill, which, as he alleges, were shown to hirn by me. It never has been my purpose to m *ke any public denial tocantil'jconcern arc theonh - wo contracts „the many unfoiiiK ed reports that have ex-cif v.Inch I ha/e, or ever luvo had, any kn jwljdgc wha ever, as existing between ci: .er Doty, O’ '\oiIh M01 rison, or myself, or lt;uLer of 11s 01 ihi.111.The foilowing is a cop i.fthe contract,as exit ting betw gcu 3iorrifcoi, O'Neill, lo-1% am! myself:•‘It is agreed by James ilforiison, John F. 0‘iicill, A. *i. Bird, and J. D. Doty, to clt;? abhsh a mercantile roncern in the tow nistf'd in relation to the contractor and theold board of commissioners, but when Iof Madison, D. »e county, of which thc\4.1 -I) he equal owners, and 4apply, whence *r there shall bo required, c ath his equal pi ipoNion of the capital. The capital i- ■ i*U ehall consist of twoity thousandlt;ilt;- lam. The faid MoirLon fohall be the 10 ivz partner of the concera, to make all j cii isos and sales, end the concern shall [• managed and conducted under the name of Jn’-'es Morriron 4* Co. Tho said Merit jii laving on hand a stocl: of mcrchan-dn.e. j.ow ut Helena, the same shall bo re-i-' -y-1 to Madison, and received at cost !** d cl argcs ; and all other purclnsoa shall la iii.tie on bill 3 approved by three of the pitrti.e rs. A lot in said town shall be pur-*:} for the concern, and a store and ot irr loccssary buildings erected thereon, 'i'.io lt;;iId partners shall share and share uJ kc 1«the proiits and loss of tho said con-cr ’•n. and the said business si all be eontin-u# -I until the fust day of January, A. D.. 3-lllt;, unless sooner di^ohcu bv mutualt-f its o' it 4 and dividends of tho profits of the cc nee rn shall be made every twelve months to eaci partner“Madison Cfty, 3/arch 10th, 1833“James Morrison, John F. O’Nbill,A. A. Bird,J. D. Doty.”I have lUoug it it proper .0 copy from the n port of the committee, the follow-soe an invcstigati m held upon a matter of so much imperial co as this, and in which I freely admit thai I tecl the deepest interest, and in a subjlt; ct in which I am charged with acting dishonestly as a public officer, in justice tc inj'self and to the character of other ge it lemon who seem to be implicated with me alike in the same transaction, I fee compelled to present a true statement of facis in regard to the al-Icged co-partnership as stated by the clerk of James Mon ioo 1 and to give a copy of all the company uiprra or contracts that have ever in any a iso conic to my krowl-edge.The undersign' d would therefore most respectfully ask cf the Legislative Assembly, that the im morial he referred to a committee for the purpose of investigating th© facts therein set forth, and lie hopes ihai the Legislative Assembly will afford him this imestig tlioi for the purpose of shiJLiing bun fro u the attempt which has boon made to injure I is reputation.Dated at J/acli. on, this 6th day of Jan.,1610. A. A. BIRD.Territory or IViscjn^is \County of Dane, \SHPersonally appeared before me, Wm. N. Seymour, supret 10 court commissioner, Augustus A. Bin!, who, being duly s.vorn, doth depose and saj, that hN statement made to the Hou’i cf Represontativea, on 7th inst., in answer to the report oftheing passage, and then will submit my an-*lt;ver to the statement:“The ffrst inquiry that naturally pre-iKnts itself is, what disposition has been made of thia large sum of noncy, which w» designed by Congress to bo expended, •r.lel) m the erection of buildings, for the •reonunodation of the people ^.of the Terri-tory wad their represent! lives? Your eonutittoo regret that they have not boon able to arrive at any satis!actory results u:»on thia subject, and that the unaccoun-teWe and unprecedented refusal of thesetho majority of the committee on public buildings, is true to the best of his knowledge and belief.A. A. BIRD.Subscribed and tavern to before mo, this 7th day of J: n’y A. 2). 1840.WM. N. SEYMOUR,Sup. Court lt;/'omaj3ationor.It 3 PORT.or THE SELECT C IMMITTEF. TO WIIIC I WASR'cferred the foregoing statement. Tho select committee to which was referred the staten'cut of A. A. Bird, presented to this I rouse yesterday, and thq contracts in relation to the establishment of a mercantile I ouse and the erection of a tavern in the c ty of Madison, ha^e had the subject subm ttod to them under con-ideration, and a 3k leave briefly to icporL Ihiit, from the ft cts bofore us, no icaaon appoafs why full faith and’ credit shouldReport of the Committee on Mr. Ac nan's charges for printing—Our reaele will remember that a Committee was a pointed in pursuance of a resolution ofFe ed in the Council, a few weeks ago, by I Hon. Mr. Maxwell, “to examine into t correctness of thb accounts of Josiah Noonan, for printing, as presented at t last session of the Legislative Assemi of this Territory.”The report of this Committee w ill found below. Ic might be expectod, pc haps, that we should exult in seeing N Noonan occupying so unenviable a po: tion before the public, as lie is obliged take by this report. But we do not fi it in our heart to triumph over r, fall enemy. Wc simply ask for this report.rattentive perusal. We disclaim any fct ings towards him, which can lead us imprecate upon his head what ho so free invokes upon those, who happen to inc his displeasure—tho visitation of t1scorn of the community. We cannot 1—*joiice in the calamity of a fellow naort however clearly that calamity may be t result of his own crimes or miecondkn Wc ratbor pity him. And, if in the prlt; ent instance, the result should be that t individual turn from tho error of his wiu we profess that it would give us since I pleasure to witness his return to the pa of uprightness.At the same time, justice to onrselvt -and to this community, requires that 1 take a passing notice of this extraordir ry dcvclepemcnt. It furnishes a good lustration of the oft repeated fact, tl when one stoops to the low arts of abi and slander for the sake of undennini and supplanting his neighbor, “even-har ed justice returns the poisoned chalice his own lips.”All will recollect the well-bred cour sy and good feeling manifested town our paper, by the editor of the Enquii even before the first number appeared and especially towards Mr. Brigharr j the Council, who was regarded by him part proprietor of it. The following the language in which the Resolution, fored by Mr. Maxwell, is noticed in t paper of the 14th of December.4tDimng the past week we have bee i lold eral times that the Hon. Ebenezer Brigham* * I 1 1 u -lt;n .1 . ® .3-’Sleyr.1-.0id'71n1-oyir.ehYour coir der a resolu tion into the printing as the Legislal That ha’account, llTWELVE TY DOLL, which vour to be deduct as renderedMr. N001of the abovi submitted.“Fork ovlt;Corrcc Ii cation, wlt; statement n Snake Holi individuals are still alijail instead stated.COn Satur p issed a retstiling ufficimittecs, wil man of th William R,said com miist.3-lesS; -jreh/ea-il-atse3gOn Mom compliance by the aforlt; announced mittees.Foreign chairman— Roane andOn Final Webster, ISOn Com Davis, Nor On M chairman— and Allen.OnAgrd-toman—mi\ Smith of C On Milita man—Prea-C-•deofasis3f-lata * rod in pickle,” oT the nature of the above us, and eonaequently we were not at a!! sorpr when we were informed yesterday afle/noon Mr. Brigham’s friend the Hon. Mr. ilfaxv had introduced the foregoing resolution into Council. Mr. Brigham, we presume, acts in matter upon the principle that “mirery !lt; company.’* By his petty tricks, and vacilla and timc-acrving course, he has lost -what 1 influence in the legislature he ever possetand rendered himself odious apd coatemptib tlia-eyea of three fourths of his constituents ; lie now desires others to be brought upon a mihatmg level with himself. But with rcgaicv-1 arlforsedhatell,theihisVC8fogttleJCtf,3 inmdhu-Ou them chairman— Fulton, am On Naval man—Son’ Tap pan.On PubI man—-Fult and Norve!On Priv chairman-Bctts.On Indk neseec, ch? ana Linn ; On ClaiYoung, ?ieOn Re* of Conn. c see, Knigh On the man: CI Smith of I On theMr. Robi: Knight, FiOn Roichairman:I to1 and Smith
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Madison Express
Madison, Wisconsin, US
Sat, Jan 11, 1840
Page 2
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William W.
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