[23] 



50 



Or I will furnish all materials, provided all the outer walls are backed 

 up with brick in the place of rubble-stone, for the sum of thirteen dollars 

 and forty cents per thousand, (f 13 40.) 



GEORGE H. PLANT. 

 To the Building Committee 



of lite Smithsonian Institution. 



P. S. — If my bid be accepted, I am prepared to give the security re- 

 quired. Gr. H. P. 



The chairman laid before the committee the following letter : 



Frederick County, March 15, 1847. 



The undersigned regrets very much that he did not see, until very re- 

 cently, your proposals for bids to furnish materials for the building of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, because he has not now time to ascertain whether 

 the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company will consent to reduce the .toll 

 for transportation of marble on this canal. 



Assuming that the tolls will not be reduced, he offers to furnish 110,000 

 feet of beautiful white marble, for rubble-facing, one foot thick, at 60 cents 

 per foot; and 20,000 cubic feet dimension-stone, of white marble, for cut- 

 ting, at 90 cents per foot. And will give as securities for the faithful ex- 

 ecution of such a contract, Sebastian Ramsburg, John C. Osborn, John 

 Hagan, and Joshua Dill, all of whom hold valuable real estate in, and are 

 citizens and residents of, this county. 



The undersigned is not certain whether it is expected that those who 

 propose to furnish the materials for building above mentioned must also 

 submit proposals for the construction of the institution, and has therefore 

 submitted proposals for materials only. If it is the intention of the com- 

 mittee to have the materials furnished and this building constructed un- 

 der one and the same contract, he will undertake, if time be afforded for 

 this purpose, to form a company that will submit a proposition of that 

 character, at an early day, and on terms that must be esteemed desirable. 

 This is said confidently, from his knowledge of the superior quality of 

 the marble he proposes to furnish, and from the facility with which it can 

 be delivered at Washii^gton. 



Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



PHILIP McGAUGHEN, 



Point of Rocks. 



Hon. R. D. Owen, 

 W. J. Hough, 

 W. W. Seaton, 



Committee^ Smithsonian Institution. 



All of which letters were laid on the table. 



The committee then, in the presence of the architect, James Renwick, 

 jr., and of the superintendent, Robert Mills, proceeded to open the bids, 

 and found them as by the following table : 



