New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-02-01


lures in the report of the Register of the
Treasury. that being by far the fullest sum
mary of expenditures given to the public OF
late years. Unfortunately this table is con-
tanned only in the last two reports, and IN
formation for former years is wanting. The
first session of Congress held after the panic
of 1857 appropriated only 100000 for public
buildings; that of the year following only
s49S,911 and that of 1860 but S35O,4i8 10. The
total of the appropriations made last year by
the Congress which is now celebrating on
an increase of taxes was $8,356,525. (For par
ticulars of the appropriations see The TRiB-
UNE ALMANAC for 1875, page 24) The super
vising Architect had at the beginning OF this
fiscal year no less than Sl5,OOO,O0O at his COM
mand for the prosecution of his experiments
in architecture.
In our researches into the Finance reports
of sixteen years ago, we have discovered
among the edifices authorized to DO con-
structed just before the panic of 1857 court
house and post-oflice at Raleigh, North Caro-
lima. Fifty thousand dollars was considered
in those days rs large q sum AZ ought to be
expended for public building in such city.
On account of the financial crisis, however,
the pOst-olice was not commenced. and the
war of secession beginning in 1851 the heap
ing up of pile of granite at Raleigh was
reserved for the XLllId Congress and Mr..
Mullett. From table which appears In
all the Finance reports from 1853 down to 1881 it
appears that there never was any good reason
for building either p0st-Olice courthouse
at Raleigh. The net income of the post-Olice
for the fiscal year 1857 was exactly 1918 20,
and in the calendar year 1858 the United States
courts were in session in that town precisely
eght DAYS! The wasteful Democracy of Bu-
chanan's time thought $4,000 enough to lay
out on post-ofiice which did gross business
of about $4,000 year, and rooms for court
which was in session only eight days in the
year. But a courthouse and pOst-oflice Ra-
leigh was destined to have, and tho sum of
$1,000 was appropriated to build it shortly
before the election of 1872. But the great Null
lett was above wasting his genlus on petty
structures costing only 100000, and so he gave
Congress to understand III his annual report
of December, 1872:
No has been taken in regard 10 the Courthouse
and Post-Omce at Rlleigh North Carolina, the cost OF
the structure being limited TO the Of slO00O) which
is amount entirely inadequate for the construction Of
a suitable building 1t should be borne In mind that tue
cost OF building greater in such locations than IN the
principal cities Of the Eastern nd Western States.
recommend that action be taken until the Limitation
on the cost OF the building be increa sed to sum that
will enabo the Department to erect suitable sasfac-
tory, aud substantial building. which cannot, in my
opinion be- accomplished for loss sam tdan s3j)OO)
(Finlnco Report, 1872, p. 1861
The XLIId Congress was too busy over the
Salary Grab to fix this matter up for Congress
man Smith, but the present Congress, in spite
of the panic and the heavy pressure OF the
taxes was more cOnsiderate, though the District
did 90 Democratic after all. Last years appro-
priation bill for Sundry Civil Expenses contains
the following provision
That the Limitation the coat OF tho Courthouse and
Post-OGice building at RileGh, North CArolna, con-
tanned IN the act March 1873 hereby increased to
three h,tdred and ty thousand d)!trs, which shah DO
he entire cost OF said building Statutes OF 1894
page 229)
With more than a basket full of laws every
year Of the kind of which the aboyo ID q
specimen, is it any wonder that the ex-
penditures are not decreasing that the Public
Debt is increasing. and that moro taxes are
called fort Why should Raleigh not have a
335O,OOO post-oflice and every other place with
1000 inhabitants, selling $1,000 worth Of stamps
and visited once or twice a year by a United
States Court fifth part of the mere interest
on the cost Of the building would pay the
salary and office rent of the postmaster and
supply the court with as good place to sit
in IA any other court IN the place enjoys.
But this fine building must be continually
altered and repaired, supplied with janitOr,
and heated and lighted, thus probably for the
rest Of the century making the expenditures
of the United States Government in Raleigh
four or five times what they have been hitherto.
How pleased people must feel now that
their taxes are to be increased for such noble
purposes.