Report of the
Building Committee
[1848?]
The Building Committee beg leave
to make the following report; Viz.—
The Committee began their labors
in October 1847. At that time, the
Society ordered 2 sofas, 2 tables, 2 armed-chairs,
12 ottomans. The
Society mentioned no particular patterns by which
they would have these articles made, nor any price which they would have them
cost. With the general license, the
Committee wrote to Mr
Donaldson, who had kindly consented to
act as the agent of the
Society, placed the order in his hands, and received
a letter in reply, in which, among other things, he says, that the orders for
the furniture will be immediately put in hand. Once correspondence with him
ceased & on that term, and was renewed at the beginning of this. By
reference to our correspondence with him, it will be seen upon what topics we
have employed during the whole of the present session. We extract only that
portion which is essential to this report. The
Society, some time in Feb, determined to get blinds
and oil cloth, and, besides them, to make no farther purchases this session.
The committee were left without any instructions as to the blinds and oil
cloths, as they were with respect to the furniture of last session. Accordingly
we wrote to Mr
Donaldson, leaving the selection
entirely to his discretion. We ordered blinds both for the Library and the
Debating room, making a difference in the quality, because we thought those for
the Library should be finer.
The
Committee have the pleasure to state that the sofas, tables,
chairs, and ottomans have arrived, and in almost perfect safety. The blinds and
oil cloth are daily expected, since we have heard of their arrival in
Fayetteville. The
Committee have examined with much care all the
articles of furniture which have reached us, and cannot but express the opinion
that it is all in very good taste and is peculiarly adapted to the use and
ornament of a Library. We regret that any should be dissatisfied with it. But
the Committee beg leave to state, that whatever be the faults which may be
found to it, the
Committee are responsible for none of them. Nor can
our agent, Mr
Donaldson, be in any wise held
responsible. He, like the
Committee, was left without instructions; forthe
Committee could give him none, since they were
without any themselves. The
Society seemed to repose confidence in the
Committee, and the
Committee, feeling how little ground there was for
confidence in them, took (what they had a right to take) the liberty of
trusting entirely to the judgment of Mr
Donaldson, whose taste in such matters
was cultivated. Our stock of furniture is the result. It appears then that the
responsibility revolves to
Society, since the only case in which Mr
Donaldson or the
Committee could be responsible, is when either
disobeyed instruction. The
Committee are induced to make these remarks, because
we learn, that the dissatisfaction which prevails on account of the furniture,
vents itself either upon them or upon Mr
Donaldson. We hope, however, that all
dissatisfaction will pass away as soon as our tastes become a little more
accustomed to the furniture and we see it in the Library room arranged in
proper order.
We submit the following account of the costs of the articles, and
other expenses of the furniture upon the making out of this Report.
| To
James Donaldson for |
one pair of sofas |
$90 |
| [To
James Donaldson for] |
two armed chairs |
64 |
| [To
James Donaldson for] |
two tables |
70 |
| [To
James Donaldson for] |
eight ottomans |
32 |
| [To
James Donaldson for] |
160 yards oil cloth |
190 |
| [To
James Donaldson for] |
7 Blinds for the Library |
45.50 |
| [To
James Donaldson for] |
7 [Blinds for the] Debating room |
22.75 |
| [To
James Donaldson for] |
1[blind for the Debating room] |
13 |
| [To
James Donaldson for] |
Boxing of the above from
N.Y. to
Wilmington |
31.75 |
| [To] Messrs
Cosby,
Walker, &
Hall,
Wilmington |
for commissions, &c |
18.97 |
| [To] Mr Fosset, wagoner |
7.00 |
| [To] Mr Mebane, wagoner |
20.00 |
|
|
604.97 |
|
Paid |
587.00 |
|
Remaining unpaid |
17.97 |