The North-Carolina standard., 1849-01-24
HEAR THE TRUTH, SENATORS.

Unwilling as i am to appear in the newspapers, I
cannot remain silent when the Mechanics of this cty
and the city itself is stabbed the floor of the SEN
ate, to accomplish interested purposes elsewhere 1t
is not true, stated in that body the other day.
that the Carpenters of this city asked 50 900 for MAX
ing certain repairs upon the Government House, dur
ing Governor Morehead's term of ofice and that he
got those same repairs made for some $1400 by Car
penters whom he brought here from the upper coun-
try. was the person called on by the Chairman of
the committee, as / understood he was, viz David
Read, ESQ.,, of Cumberland county, to go with hi i'm
to the Government House, and say, not what would
do the work for, but what would be reasonable es-
innate of the cost of the alterations and repairs
templated by the committee, on said buidings-un-
derstandng, he said he did, that my charges
generally supposed to be low, and reasonable. Af-
ter hearing the list of alterations and repairs read
over, said thought they could not be made (the
materials incuded) for less than about $4,000 and
1 think the committee so reported Governor More
heads pet Carpenters referred to, made certain
pairs upon said building, and he paid them, am
informed, some $l4OO for said repairs: but then,
what they did far less than half of what the
buildings to be entirely taken off, and changed
from hip roof, to pediment roof, with a raking
cornice: but this was not done by Governor More
heads Carpenters; they did not newly shingle
the old roof for Governor Graham had said roof shin
gled. Any Judge Of work therefore, will have ne
difficulty In deciding that Governor Morehead's pets
were paid by him more than due proportion of any
estimate OF the whole. for whatthey did on the build
;
by his substituting workmen from abroad the place
of the Mechanics of this city, in that instance it
clearly aIsodld IN the case, giving them the Job of
finishing the Library and Court room in the Capitol
The Legislature directed that this latter job should
be let out TO the iotoet bidder Old Mr.. Briggs,
of the best workmeni in this State, and Mr.. Fender
CAST, (beh Carpenters of this city, made proposals
for said job, and both of them considerably underbid
Governor Morehead's up country Carpenters, for it
nevertheless it given to his pets aforesaid, at
loss to the State These are the naked facts of those
cases and Governor Morehead's reelection waste
sisted here and elsewhere in consequence of his pay
ing those pets excessively for doing said jobs; bat
as was friend to his election and member of the
party to which he belonged, 1 held my peace but
now, that error is gfavely propagated upon the
floor of the Senate, the effect of which is to prejudice
strangers against this city and its Mechanics, and
myself among them, am resolved it shall be cor
rected. ,.,ss 5y VIM, ASHLEY.
Raleigh. Jan. 18th, I849. -.
"EL DoRADo'' The Day Book gives the follow
ing as the origin of this term The early Spanish
explorers of South America brought back, among 9TH
wonderful tales, story of country in the inter
of Guiana, where gold was said to be so plenty
that the only dress of the king thick layer of
the precious metal-a real |" body coat, -" skin
tight put on without measuring, cutting, stitch
ing but thus: His majestys naked carcass was care
fully smeared every morning with an unctuous sub
stance, and was then heavily powdered with gold
dust until no more would stick to it and he then
in full dress, making very brill liant and dazzling
appearance when the sun shone upon the sparkling
surface. This Gas the story goes) was all scraped off
every night, and thrown away told clothes, not
being valued where there much gold that was
not at all greasy. This distinguished parsonage and
t'eminenty shining character" was. properly called
by the Spaniards s The GiEded One,'' which is, in
the Spanish language, Z" E1 Dorado" (El the, :"
Dorado ''gilded, or ''gt.' And the fabulous coun-
try was known in Europe 'sthe land of the gild-
ed one, apd was so much talked of and believed in
by the English, that the sage Sir Walter Raleigh
afco mt f0 rrnsf f0 h1fv