Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-03-09
Federal Court.House and Post.Onice.

We observed, few days since, in one of the
Washington City papers, that Mr.. Branch had sue
ceeded in getting an amendment to the Post-office
appropriation bill by which 1.-THE sums heretofore
appropriated for the erection of Postoice buildings,
and which shall remain in the Treasury unexpended
a: the close of the present fiscal year, hereby
reappropriatedt to the objects to which they are
applicable by law" This was necessary to prevent
the appropriation for such buildings, including the
plus fund; and without this amendment thus OBJ
ained by Mr. Branch the probability is that the ap
preparation for the building referred to would have
been lost No steps have been taken by the Secre-
tary of the Treasury towards, the erection Of the
building account of the condition of the treasury;
and all that asked was to continue the appropra-
tion and let the Secretary postpone the work until
such time as he would have the means, without en-
barrassing the treasury to begnit This certain
Iva reasonablerequst. But we seein late number of
the Globe which contains the proceedings in full upon
the subject, that this very reasonable request was
strenuously opposed by various members, and by
none more strenuously than by John Letcher, of
Virginia. Mr.. Branch maintained his ground with
spirit and ability, and gave "honest John" some
telling hits, reminding him that Virginia had six
buildings of this sort and insisting that if the gen.
tleman wanted to go back and repeal laws providing
for the erection of buildings in North Carolina, he
should also, with his crablike policy, vote for the
sale of the buildings already erected in his own
State. At length, however, the vote was taken, and
Mr.. Branch's amendment was adopted by vote of
"a to 80. We are surprised at John Letcher Other
appropriations were before him-unnecessary ap-
preparations for hundreds of thousands of dollars
on which he might have exhibited his devotion to
simplicity and economy in government without sing
ling out few thousands proposed to be expended
in North Carolina We venture the assertion that
since the foundation of the government Virginia
has received in the way of appropriations and patron
age fifty dollars where North Carolina has received
one. That State has now several foreign Ministers,
any number of Consuls and Commercial Agents, a
large proportion of the Bureau officers at Washing
ton City, and than her full share of officers in
the army and navy; while North Carolina has no
foreign Minister, only one two ConsuS and here
and there a Clcrkship at Washington. Millions of
VII tiC WI No dI oIu
Norfolk, and at Portsmouth; and vet no North
Caronan has ever raised his voice against these ex,
pendtures endcavored as Mr.. Letcher has done in
relation to this State, to send an uncxpended appro-
priation for Virginia to the surplus fund We arc
Democrats over here in North Carolina not for
spoils, not for patronage not for Office for we get
but little of either; but we Democrats because
| ic riphf of in &c fo
as it does in Virginia and Pennsylvania, but still
have no idea Of giving tup. We are Democrats
from principle, and not for patronage or Office,