Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-04-09
Officers Commissions
- RALEIGH, March 81, 1869.

Officers Commissions
RALEIGH, March 81, 1869.
w. W. HOLDEN, ESQ. = - > -,
SIR: In the last issue of your paper, 1 noticed an
srnee to this effect: Is it true that company and
field officers who are commissioned by the State
are required to pay 50 each for their commissions
SO, where is the law for it ?? We wish to do no
one injustice and therefore ask for information"
IN justice to myself, deem it necessary to say a
lew words in reply, as much as l dislike to have
my name brought before the public, even in . mat.
ter OF explanation. Field and company officers are
charged two dollars each for their commissions
Wnich Zee has in very few instances been paid
Inc law for such charge is found in section l2 of
cnapter luz Revised Code which regulates the fees
OF the Governors Private Secretary by reference to
which will be found the following: Z" For any CON-
mission for place Of profit two dollars" Ger.
tainiy II the authority was not perfectly clear to my
m'nd, no fee would be charged. The only question
Is whether these offices are places of profit. Upon
that point have not doubt. For the large mum.
Der OF Militia commissions issued have never
made any charge, there being no pay allowed, and
therefore are not Offices of profit
Very respectfully, P. COWPER.
The fact that 81 was charged for the commits
s'ons ct officers of the army, has been frequently
brought to our attention, not that we supposed the
complainants cared about the amount of the charge
but because they believed it was contrary to law,
or the result of msconstruction of the law. Hence
our inquiry concerning it
injustice, therefore, to the Private Secretary of the
Governor, we very cheerfully give his letter of ex
pianation above. The practice was initiated while
Mr. Co~pers predecessor was in office and we are
satisfied that both the young gentlemen felt fully
justified in making the charge not only under their
of fho /, b,,&
ton of Others
But We must be frank to say, that we do not
think our friend the Private Secretary, has made
out his case; as will be readily seen, we think by
an examination of the section of the law cited by
him. The section reads as follows:
1.-The Private Secretary of the Governor shall be
allowed the following fees ard no other, to be paid
oy the persons for whom the services are rendered
namely for the commission Of judge, four dollars;
OF che attorney general two dollars of solicitor
TWO dollars; OF Senator in Congress, two dollars;
OF Representative in Congress, two dollars; of
notary public, two dollars for ana commission for
place Of prcnt, te'o dollars; for testimonial one
dollar; for suspension of grant, seventyfve cents:
ior ahxlns the seal to grant, twenty five CENTS"
The above section evidently refers to cieil, and
not military Offices and the intention was to in
clude commissions for any civil Office of profit not
mentioned in the section, or that might thereafter
be ecreated. For example, under this section commits
sioners of aidavs in other States might be charged
two dollars each tor their commissions and we pre-.
sumo are so charged; and so of the delegates from
this State to the Montgomery Congress, and the del
egates, whose terms have recently expired, to the
Provisional Congress at Richmond. There are
doubtless other civil offices of profit which might
justly be charged the two dollars; but the trainers
OF the above section never supposed for a moment
that military offices would be regarded as Offices of
profit and their occupants charged TWO dollars each
for commission. If they hal so intended, they
would not have provided that the second Lieuten-
ant who receives eighty dollars per month, should
pay as much for his commission as the Colonel who
receives one hundred and ninety-tive dollars per
month. Mr.. Cowper says he has not charged for
militia commissions; but it must be borne in mind
that militia officers, when actively engaged in the
field, are entitled to the same pay the so-callcd
regular officers; and therefore, if Mr. Cowper's in
depreciation of the law be correct he has right to
60 upon the militia officer for the two dollars as
soon as he is called into active service
1t was doubtless omission of the Legislature
in passing the military bills not to provide for ad
dtional pay to the Private Secretary for the add-
tional laoor imposed upon him by the issue of SO
many commissions; but 1t can hardly be correct that
the Legislature designed the section alluded to, to
apply to military commissions, which if enforced
by the Private Secretary would by this tme-less
than year, have up his commissions from, this
source alone, to the snug sum of So, ,5Oo!-a sum
greater than the salary of the Governor or any other
officer Of State.