REPORTS OF THE BUILDING COMMITTEE. 623 



As each of the foregoing bids was opened, it was labelled "Opened March 16, 

 1847," each of the building committee adding bis initials. 



As soon as all the bids were opened and their amounts compared, a letter was 

 prepared and addressed to six of the bidders, to wit : 



1. Messrs. James Dixon & Co. 



2. Butler, Adams, and Cameron. 



3. T. M. Niven. 



4. Gilbert Cameron. 



5. F. Gerard. 



6. B. B. Curran. 

 The letter is as follows : 



Office Smithsonian Institution, March 16, 1847. 

 Sir : Please to inform the Building Committee whether your proposals include 

 furniture, as per specifications, or not; also, please state what are your separate 

 estimates on mason work, carpenter's work, and stone-cutting. 



Your answer by this evening at six o'clock will oblige, sir, your obedient servant, 



KOBERT DALE OWEN, 



Chairma?i Building Committee. 



The letters were placed in the hands of the messenger at £ past one o'clock. 

 And, on motion, the committee adjourned. 



Ninth Meeting, March 17, 1847. 



Present, Messrs. Seaton, Hough, and Owen. 



The Chairman laid before the committee the following replies to the letter addressed 

 yesterday to sundry bidders. 



"Washington, March 17, 1847. 

 Sir : In answer to your letter of this day, and in compliance therewith, I have 

 the honor to state that my bid for the carpentry work included the furniture, in 

 accordance with specification, as also my general bid. 



My separate estimates, constituting the bid for the whole building, were — 



Mason , $80,000 



Stone-cutting 94,800 



Carpentry work 65,200 



I would beg leave here to explain that my bid for the whole job did not contem- 

 plate the erection of the building of Seneca stone, but of white marble or granite ; 

 I should deduct $35,000 from the amount if the building committee decide upon 

 using that kind of stone,* instead of the more beautiful, costly, and durable marble 

 or granite. 



Eespectfully, yours, &c., B. B. CURRAN. 



Hon. Robert Dale Owen, Chairman Building Committee. 



Gentlemen : In reply to your letter of this morning, I beg leave to answer that 

 I did not include the furniture in my estimate ; and the separate estimates from 

 which I made up my proposition were as follows : 



SENECA. 



Hubble. Cut. 



Cutting and stone $70,000 Cutting and stone $70,000 



Stone for face 5,000 Stone for face 16,000 



Mason 60,000 Mason 58,000 



Fire-proofing 12,000 Fire-proofing 10,000 



Carpenters 67,000 Carpenters 65,000 



$214,000 $219,500 



MARBLE. 



Cutting and stone $75,000 Cutting and stone $75,000 



Stone for face work 12,000 Ashlar 20,000 



Mason 61,000 Mason 58,500 



Fire-proofing 10,000 Fire-proofing 10,000 



Carpenter _ 67,000 Carpenter 67,000 



$225,000 $230,500 



F. GERARD. 



* This bid is for Seneca rubble.— R. D. O. 



