North Carolina Newspapers

Office. In the "StnUrd" building. Bait tide of Fyettevfll Street. J tilCAVlH IIWJVEH, - - - Editor. THURSDAY, DECEMBER, 21, 1S71. Col." Marcos Erwin. After our last paper had been made up, and we had left the office, the with drawal of this gentleman, as one of the editors of The Era,' was sent in. Hence our silence at the time. Our personal and professional rela tions with Col. Erwin have been of the most pleasant and agreeable character, and we regret that they have been ter minated so soon. Contrary to the pre dictions of some. Col. Erwin and our self have agreed mcnt cordially, not only as to the manner In which the paper should bo. conducted, but upon all the Important questions that have been discussed In its columns during our joint editorship. Col. Erwin retires for the purpose of devoting all his time to other Imployments, carrying with him the good wishes of all parties con cerned In the management of The Era, as well as of his former associate editor. Wo wLsh him that success to which his talents and magnanimous character so eminently entitle him, in whatever he may undertake. The Charlotte Bulletin and the Public Printing. This old Democratic Journal thus Speaks of the printing sicindle: "Robbing tiieState. Thedisclos uresjust published by the special Com mittee on Printing, in the North Caro lina Legislature, shows a most villanous piece of rascality on the part of those who represent The Raleigh Sentinel far excelling the operations of Littlefield ACo. This Is a double robbery, for settle ments with their compositors are coun ted by one scale and their charges against the State are made out by an other scale no where recognized by printers, unless the M is turned side wise, thus: (5). forming a perfect square. The contractor should be made to count In the manner indicated. "We notice that Messrs. Nichols fc Gorman, and Maj. Heme, Editor of The Girolinian, have handled the party without gloves, and as the Editor of The Sentinel subscribes to the code, having challenged Governor Caldwell, he cannot avoid the presentation of his Card to Major Hearne. His pluck as well as his character is on the wind. This robbery has not been committed by Democrats, it is the work of Conser vatives, .Whigs, and our immediate Representative, Mr. Waring, .a Demo crat, did all he could to protect the Treasury. The majority report is miserable attempt to white-wash the rascality. The report of the minority is an intel ligent, manly exposure of facts, and t he attempt by our managers to cover the fraud should lc sternly rebuked by the people." Is The JiuUetin certain that .1. II. Moore is an old Whig? Frauds. We publish elsewhere a sensible arti cle from The Salfrbiiry Watchman on the subject of the Public Printing. The Match man is as strong and decided Conservative paper, and its Editor is one of the oldest and best practical! printers in the State. The view which betakes of the contract between the Iiegislative Committee and the Public lrinter is the only one that can or will !e taken by any intelligent and experi enced member of the craft.. The Watchman expresses the 'hope- that The Er.A will show equal zeal in exposing and bringing to justice those who have defrauded the State hereto fore. A careful reading of The Era. ought to have convinced Tlie Matchnan ere this, that it is equally anxious to ex pose all frauds and correct all abuses. no matter by whom committed, and so It will continue to be while wc have control of it. That Littlefield was a prince of thieves and swindlers is true, but, judging from the majority report, drawn up by gentlemen who had care-' fully looked jnto the accounts and char- ces of the Public Printer for several vears past, we incline to think that he did not defraud the Treasury as Public Printer. He did not draw the large sums The Watchman believes he did for printing. If he did, the fraud will be fully exposed by the report of the Com mittee, appointed at the last Session of the Legislature, to investigate the al leged frauds upon the Treasury of the State. That Committee consisted of ' Attorney General Shipp, Gen. James G. Martin and Joseph 1$. Batchelorj Esq., all Conservatives or 'Democrats. Their report, wc learn, is in the hands of the printer and will soon begiven to tho public. We learn that while a number of Republicans will be impli cated by it, some prominent Democrats and Conservatives will be implicated also. We shall urere that every thinjr be done that can bedone, not only to ex pose the frauds but to recover to the State the vast sums that have been stolen from her We copy, with our endorsement, an able article from The Asheville Pioneer on this subject in this Issue. " . ' J That 14 classical" paper, The P-i-t-ii-e-v-8, says we may know something about P-u-r-SrC-y-i-s-m, but that we. are not likely to know anything about plain Presbyteriafiism. We should like to know where the editor of that paper obtained his Classical and Theo logical Dictionaries. - The Pithelv knew very well that It was not us, but", correspondent, that said he knew Mr. 1 i Ulips was a mem ber of the Presby teri-I ; i Church. It has deceived lta readers ; will It undeceive hem? We shall see. ftenorts on the Public Printing. In our last we published in full both the majority and minority reports of the Joint Committee to investigate the matter of the Public Printing. The minority report is very full and able, setting fort) the case fairly, as exhibit ed by the testimony and fair and im partial calculations. It has created a profound Impresion upon all who have read it. In fact no, intelligent man can read it, and compare it with the testi mony, published elsewhere in this is sue, and foil to conclude that a most outrageous fraud and swindle has been perpetrated upon , the Treasury of the State. Read the testimony carefully, and say if this is not so. Rut it Is the majority report that we have taken up our pen to criticise. And we hazard but little in saying that it Is one of the most extraordinary re ports ever submitted to a deliberative body. In answer to the first inquiry presented by the joint resolution " What was the contract of the Public Printer "the majority append the written contract, as agreed upon and signed by the contracting parties. The contracting parties were the Legisla tive Committee on printing and Mr. James II. Moore, who thereby became Public Printer. In that contract it is specified that the Public lrintcr shall receive: "For all plain work, seventy-five - cents per thousand ems." " For all rule and figure work, one dollar and fifty cents per thousand ems. Here, then, is tho contract, as found and presented by the report, in relation to the price to be paid for the type-setting, the only thing about which there is any dispute. The next question that presents itself to the mind of the read- IS) H nai iiivtiiit lj ijivj i. vine, as used in the contract? The majority report leaves no doubt upon that ques tion ; it has met and decided it fairly and squarely by recommending the passage of a resolution, directing the Auditor to audit the printer's accounts, provided the matter is counted by the em quad. This is what the Legislative Committee on print ins: understood the contract to be when they signed it they did not understand it to mean the letter "wi." Yet it is everywhere aflr initted that the matter has not been measured by the em quad., but by the letter in. j After thi", with what astonishment will the following sentence of the ma jority report be read: ! " Your Committee, in order to answer the other inquiries of the resolution, proceeded to summon and examine a large number of witnesses, and after a thorough examination and mature con sideration of the evidence, -are of opin ion that the contract, as explained by Mr. Moore to the Committee, at ihe time the same was under consideration, has not been violated, and that no funds have been improperly overdrawn from the Treasury by the Public Prin ter, or any one connected therewith." It is perfectly clear from the majority report itself, that the Public Printer has drawn funds from the Treasury on a measurement of matter that gave him nearly fifty jer cent, more for tho work done than he was authorized to receive by the plain terms of the contract. Will any body say that the funds thus r-rw1 ri vn worn nnf 44 Tir i over-drawn. I f they were not improp erly over-drawn they ought not to be accounted for by the printer in the set tlement of his bills. And yet we are informed that two, at least, of the sign ers of the majority report say, that they meant to recommend a resolution directing the Auditor to audit j the present printers accounts from the be ginning, provided the same be com puted by the measurement ofthecwi quad, instead of the letter in, and thus compel him to account for the funds which have been, not " improperly," but, according to the report, properly over-drawn. This will be quere logic to most men. I This part of the report is only ex plainable on the hypothesis that it was intended to whitewash the Public Prin ter. On that hypothesis it is perfectly intelligible; and it is intelligible oil no other. According to Mr. JfooreJs under standing of the contract (here teas nofh ing icrongf Is that so? Read the pub lished testimony and the minority re port carefully, and see if it is? One of two things is perfectly clear, either Mr. Moore understood the contract a the Committee on Printing understood it, or he wilfully deceived and imposed upon the Committee by the use of tech nical terms of which they did not know the meaning. Let him take which horn of the dilema he chooses. ! Rut that no injustice may be done Mr. Moore, let his own statement be called in. According to the testimony he has violated the contract as he sars he understood it. He has not charged per 1,000 " by the space which a thousand letter m's would occupy," according to the terms of the contract, as he says he understood It. j Instead thereof a calculation proves; that he comput ed his thousand tnys by their tcidth both ways, across and up and down the page not measuring by the length of the letter either way. We should like to see the majority explain or whitewash this part of Mr. Moore's conduct. Will they undertake it? It is charitable to suppose that they failed to discover it. This would seem to be so from the sentence quoted from th4r report above. Rut now, that it ha3 been brought to their attention, jmay we expect to see the majority send in a supplamental report, characterising the conduct of the Public Printer as it de serves? A few days. will decide wheth er we will or not. I The majority report also finds, j that when the contract 'was executed the The legislative c9ininlttcc dltLnel VeUsys that the mode of computation had been changed, but only that a reduction of the prices was made that tho commit tee was satisfied that the mode of meas urement proposed, was the cheapest and most favorable to the State. And yet the testimony proves conclusively, that while the contract a copy of which is annexed to the report w&? believed by the committee, making and signing it, to have reduced tho price from 87 cents the price first agreed on to 75 cents per thousand ems, it has been so construed by the Public Printer as ac tually to increase it to about 1.0.3 per thousand ems. And, in consequence of this construction, from three to six thousand dollars more have been drawn from the treasury for the work done than the work was worth, according to the contract, as agreed on, signed and un derstood by the Committee executing the same. And yet no taint of dishon esty is declared by the majority of the Investigating Committee to attach to him who has thus shamelessly swindled thejBtate.' Would the majority of the Committee have submitted such a re port on precisely the same state of facts, had the Public Printer been a Repub lican instead of a democratic scalawag? Especial pains seem to have been taken by the majority to vindicate Mr. Turner from all blame in the matter. It is declared that he had nothing to do with the terms of the contract, and knows nothing about it. Rut of one thing there is no doubt, the money over-drawn went into the pockets of Mr. Turner. And when the matter of the swindling measurement was first ex posed in September last he did not cease presenting his bills, and declare he would receive no more money till his accounts were adjusted? He did not condemn and repudiate what had been done, but defended it, rather. He continued to present his bills, which the Auditor very properly refused to audit,1 thus, perhaps, saving the State from considerable loss. Thus Mr. '1 ur ner assumed whatever responsibility could attach to any one on account of It, and maae nimseii a parneeps crim- witejtosay the least of it. The great watch-dog of the Treasury lias been de tected in receiving money's improperly 6ver-drawn from the Treasury, even Recording to" the majority report. The majority of tho Committee having whitewashed the Public Printer. The Sentinel will now whitewash them. It is a matter of deep regret, that the name of a gentleman who has borne so cood a character as Dr. Worth, should o " be appended to the report. Rather Funny. The discussion which has been elicited in the Senate during the last two weeks upon the State debt, has brought out the fact, that the Democratic party is unworthy . to be trusted with the con trol of the State. It is well known to almost every voter in the State, that the Democratic party took the position during the Convention campaign, that unless a Convention was culled, and the Constitution amended, the Legisla ture which is now in session, would be compelled to levy a tax of 82,500,000 to pay interest on the public debt. This was the issue as far as the Democrats were able to make it. Convention was defeated. The Legislature re-assem bled oh the third Monday of last month, Much of the session has been spent in considering the State debt. Having appealed to the people to be relieved 'of the Constitutional require ment to levy a tax to pay interest on the State debt, the people refusing to grant said appeal, was to have been expect ed that our Democratic friends would have been consistent, and when the bill relative to State debt came up for dis cussion, that they would have promptly inserted a provision in that bill calcu lated to raise $2,o00,000, to pay interest on the State debt. Such is not the case. The' Democrats are opposed to levying any tax, however little, to pay interest on the State debt. They told the peo ple they would be compelled to levy the tax unless a Convention was called. They have not kept their word. They told the people that they would do a a certain thing; they have done anoth er. The bill reported by Mr. John W. Graham, proposing to compromise the debt by exchanging the stocks of the State with bonds for which the stocks were obtained, and when the stocks had been exhausted, to issue new bonds in exchange for bonds which may be outstanding, except those issued since 18G7, and to levy a tax calculated to raise four hundred thousand dollars to pay interest on the debt when compro mised and reduced, received only seven Democratic votes in the Senate on Fri day last. Several Senators took occa sion during the discussion to say, that they would not vote to tax the people to pay one dollar of interest on the State debt. All these gentlemen sign ed the Legislative Address which gave the people to understand that if Con vention was not carried if the people dfd not vote for it that they, these same gentlemen Senators and Representa tives would be compelled to levy a taxto pay interest on the State debt ; .and. that the amountpf that tax would be $2,500,000. The people refused to be driven into sanctioning a revolutionary and unconstitutional measure. The people assumed the responsibility of defeating Convention ; but the Demo cratic members of the Legislature fail to make their word good to the people. They fail to vote for any tax. What has become of their consciences which were so tender neioreana uuring-tnc Convention campaign? Has perjury been committed ? It appears that the consciences of these gentlemen have un dergone a very great change since last August, or their minds have been very i "- ; .j ....... . ffiUth enlightened since; the Conven tion election. At that time they were exceedingly tender,! but now, they openly and "boldly commit the very act which they proclaimed from the stump during the Convention cam paign, would constitute perj ury ! There seems to be a screw loose jsomewhere. There is something rotten in the Dem ocratic party as well a3 in Denmark. Many people expected the Demo cratic party to make good its asser tion, that jthe tax must -be levied and collected, 'unless the Convention was carried. The Democratsj in the Legis lature go back upon their record. The party by failing to levy the tax to pay the interest on the debt acknowledge, either that they attempted to deceive the people last summer, or that they have been convinced of jtheir error by the unanswerable arguments of the Re publicans.! In either event it is a grand triumph for the Republicans. The Democratic party, by failing to levy the tax, virtually acknowledges that it attempted to drive the people into the support ofjits unconstitutional and par tizan Convention scheme.! For after what has happened it wi convince the people that 1 be unable to it acted hon- estly in the position which at took, and the threats which it made in the Con vention cairn paign. What is to be done with such; a party? lit August next the people will proneuncO verdictup on it from which it will never recover. Wiiat is said of us Abroad. We publish below an interesting article from an , English paper i nr relation to Xorth Carolina. We learn that Col. i i' Little, the State's Commissioner of Immigration, was chiefly instrumental in getting; up the Colon referred to. A large number of persons j were there on the 1st of November,! with a view of locating permanently.! We hear that they are delighted With the coun try, and the Colony will doubtless, be made up. j j From the Birmingham, England, Traveller. Colony in North Carolina. We have received from Judge Gresh ham (who, by the way, Is a regular de scendant of Sir Thomas Gresham, of English fame), of Kentucky, some no tice of a colony it is proposed to settle in Vestern North Carolina. The plan of founding a colony at this point was originated by Dr. Mercer, lot Indiana, who, for the benefit of his Own health, was attracted to this diptrict. In the August Traveller we gave a letter de scribing the "Climate of Western North Corolina." This was from the pen of Colonel Hatch, of Runcorn be county, a most intelligent gentleman, and for several years a resident ih that, part of the State. No one can question the correctness of his account of the health fulness, and other attractions of that section. Dr. Mercer has enlisted the assistance of Judge Gresham in making his selection, and has signified his de termination to make this his home, in dependant of whether others follow. Many have, however, expressed the wish to join him, and there can be no doubt that a prosperous town will soon spring up near him, which will have a future not only to bless its 'own inhabi tants, but those around it. f No State suffered more during the war than North Carolina and in no State have the people 'come forward and done i more to rebuild the waste places, than have the better citizens of that State. Men like Colonel George Little, late U. S. Marshal; Mr. Best, late Secretary of State ; the Hon. T. L. Ciingmani and others of the first stand ing, have united themselves into a com pany, for the purpose of meeting, wel coming, protecting and assisting tho new comer. The clergy have seconded these efforts with the kindest personal attentions to those who come among them. Such a receptioni-the nearness of the State its attractions its oppor tunities for investment i and founding estates, must make this colony only the first of many others, which will soon dot the State with towns and homes of beauty and prosperity. I It will seem but to-morrow: before the, investment of to-day will be quadruped in value. We take! pleasure in giving Judge Gresham's report of the district, and the outline for their colony. The Ioca tion and plans are excellent, and the North Carolina citizens will gratefully recognize this pioneer movement in the right direction. Judge Gresham writes: " The climate is delightful and health giving, tho streams of pure water are abundant; clear as crystal, and will furnish power for machinery in excess of all wants. Fine, large; timber, of many varieties, is found in great quan tity. Deposits of copper, i silver, and gold, are known to be abundant, and of great value. The soil is very product ive cattle, sheep, and hogs keep fat there all the year round, without feed ing. For fruits there is no better place on the Continent. A colony to be lo cated on j those delightful; high-lands has been planned by Thomas C. Mer cer, M. D., of Utica, Indiana. The full est assurance is given that n considera ble numberOf men from different parts of Furopeand America who come highly recoup mended for their practical knowledge of agriculture, horticulture, and many mechanical arts; for sobrie ty, honesty, industry, perseverance and christian I deportment, will meet at Waynesville, North Carolina, about the 18th of October, and select the lands, probably fifty thousand acres, or more, if necessary. No person is want ed in the colony not unquestionably of a good moral character. It is intended that all persons of the colony shall have a voice in the rules ana s by-laws tor their government, and mutual advan tage; and it is hoped that the very best possible plans may bes devised for the comfort and advantage of each and all. lit is thought best that the rules should be partly. co-operative and partly otherwise, so that each may have the equitable advantage of their own individual money, brains and labor. It is desired that the colony select the best of the high-lands near to the West- j ern Railroad, to engage largely in ag riculture, including grain, grass, vege tables, hops and tobacco;? in raising horses, mules, cattle, sheep; goats and hogs, and in the dairy business ; also largely in fruitgrowing, and in mining and milling, and that a manufacturing town on i the most improved plan be started and built up in the inidst there- ol." The forms and ceromonie3 of polite ness may be dispensed withr in a meas ure, in the relaxations and intimacies of one's own fireside, but kind atten tions never. I Constitutional RefortaY We took occasion at the commence ment of the Session to give our views in relation to the course that should be taken in proposing amendments to the Constitution. We attempted to show that an effort to embody any large number of amendments in an omnibus bill would ultimately fail, and we be leive so still. We, therefore, hoped that the joint select committee on con stitutional reform would divide the amendments they might see proper to propose, into two or more bills,' and in troduce them in that form. Rut the committee have thought proper to do otherwise. They have thought proper to report but one bill, and that one embodying a number of amendments. Without expressing an opinion as to the merits of the bill, or of any partic ular amendment which it proposes, we must be permitted to say that we believe it will fail of success in its present form. It may receive the re quired three-fifths of the present Gen eral Assembly, but what assurance can its friends have that it will be able to command the required two-thirds vote in the next Legislature? And if it fails of a two-thirds vote in the next General Assembly all the time and money expended on it now will be thrown away. i As we said at the commencement of the session, both parties should unite in making what ever amendments are needed. Senator l7ehman's substitute seems to us to present a fair basis of compromise between the two parties in the1 Legislature. If the Democrats will accept of it we believe that a large number of Republicans, if not all, will vote for it. This will secure the mak ing of the most important amendments beyond peradventure. It will also take the whole question out of the political arena and no Constitutional amend ments should ever be made a party question. ; If both parties cannot be brought to agree upon Mr. Lehman's substitute, let them compromise in another way. Let a' second bill be also agreed upon, embracing those amendments in the Committee's bill that are not in any way affected by Mr. Lehman's bill. In this way all the amendments pro posed by the Committee may be sub mitted to the people,- and they may take a part or all of them, as they may think proper. AVe make these sugges tions not in the interest of party, but in the interest of Constitutional reform. For none can deny that it is a question of equal importance to the people of the State of both parties. i One sutfjrestioii we take the liberty of making to Senator Lehman. We sug gest that his substitute, should it be adopted, be so amended ,as to require the judges to rotate. Let it provide that no judge shall ride the same cir cuit twice in succession. As there are twelve judicial districts, let them be divided into four circuits, three dis tricts to each circuit. And then let the judges in each circuit follow each other, making the circuit in three terms. The reasons why the judges should be required to rotate cannot fail to suggest themselves to all reflecting mini Be ever Active and Vigilant. Tlie glorious victories which we have won Ithis year are the results of hard work. Through the great medium of popular inter-cominunication,thepress, hundreds of thoughtful men have spo ken to the people and thus revolution ized public sentiment. The falsehoods and misrepresentations of the Democ racyhave been patiently tracked and exposed, and the living principles of Republicanism advocated. Let the erood work be continued with increased vigor, for we have an active and un scrupulous foe to encounter. The reg ular j Democratic press seems to rave like a parcel of mad dogs. The Wash ington JPatriot which a year ago pre-, tended to some decency and argumen tation, is now as scurilous as Rrick Pomeroy's paper in its vilest days, and a great deal more stupid. Let us keep them ravins: mad and we are sure to win. , We must continue to shape thepolit ical issues and compel our opponents to fall in our wake as we have hitherto done. Already a portion of tho Dem ocratic press is going even further than Vallandigham did in his ''New De parture." They insist upon voting for a Hepublican upon a Republican platform. Absurd as this proposition may seem, it holds out the only hope of success. The old and regular Dem ocratic issues have become so loathsome that they must be hurried out of sight, and a purely personal warfare made against Grant and the administration. In this, however, the Democracy is equally unfortunate. The President and the Administration have so faith fully and successfully tried to carry out the will of the people ; have been such earnest foes to officiall corruption, and so ready to institute reforms, that a per sonal warfare, entirely unsustained by facts, will be about as unsuccessful as a charge of Chinese armed with stinkpots against a regiment of Springfield riflles. Such a fight is disagreeable : no doubt, but the result is not uncertain. What are the weapons which Carl Schurz, Frank Rlair, Dana, &c, employ? The most careful examination of their plat forms and speeches disclose only one fact1; one mutual cord Of sympathy and bond of cohesion, and that is personal hatred of the President, and the men who seriously believe that the people of the United States can be made a par ty to such a pitiful issue, have allowed their judgment to become subordinate to their passions. Titli PUBLIC DET. Mf Worth's bill, authorising an exchange of the State's stocks in various works of inter nal improvement for the bonds of tho State, passed the Senate on Saturday with only two dissenting votes. This is a matter of gratification to every citizen who desires to see the prosperity of the State restored. For once party has been laid aside for the good of the State, and all good men must rejoice at the fact, j The exchange will probably be affected before the meeting of the next Legislature, when that body can easily fund the remainder of the debt upon terms that will render it quite manageable, and save the credit of the State. It can hardly be doubted that the bill will pass the House with nearly equal unanimity. It is sincerely hoped that both parties will be able to agree as well on thequestion of constitutional reform as they have upon the question of the public debt, j It will be a happy omen for the State if they do. . From tho Ashvillo Pioneer. Is it Two Late? We publish elsewhere an account of the proceedings and the argument of counsel before Judge Learned, at Alba ny, N. Y., in the case of the people of New Yorlc against w . m. rweeu, upon the application of Tweed's couns el to reduce his bail. The- history of the Tammany Ring frauds is familiar to most 1 newspaper readers. It is not to rehearse that his tory that we ask attention to the recent proceedings in the ease of Tweed at Albany. It is to invoke the Legislature to profit by j the lesson taught by the argument and action of the ablest law yers on the continentj in the case, and to see if, in North Carolina, as in New York, proceedings cannot be commenc ed against the plunderers of the public Treasury, to compel them to disgorge some part of their ill-gotten gains. It can be established that Geo. W. Swepson, as President of the Western Division of the WesterniNoath Carolina Railroad Company, procured the issu ing of State bonds amounting to.2, 660,000, -.tcithout any authority of law. It can he as well established that he had issued to him as such President, $4,000, 000 of State bonds upon false certificates fabricated bv him. in order to obtain these bonds; and that the proceeds of the sales ot these bonds went into n:: and his confederates'; hands. A com mittee of the Legislature, at its last session, reported some of these facts to that bodv. Tn a case not as strons: as that above cited, Mr. Charles O'Conor and Mr. Samuel J. Tilden, lawyers of national refutation, have besrun civil actions against Tweed. Connolly, Garvey, and Ingersoil, in behalf of the people of the State of New York, and bail has been reouired of each of them in the sum of 1.000.000. Garvey and Incrersoll have fled : Connolly is'in iail in default of bail : and Tweed at last; accounts was applying: for a reduction of the amount of his bail, and fighting Off injunctions asrainst his conveying: away Ins im mense property. This corrupt combin ation in New York, represented more money, more talent, more power, more social and political influence, and as much audacity, as that' projected, in spired and manipulated by the genius of Swepson lor tne roooery oi mis State. The New York combination has been overthown, and the prospect is fair that some of its plunder may be recovered to the tax-payers of that State bv means of civil suits. The North Carolina combination has been allowed almost to defy the law to make its own terms with a criminal nrosccution. and to hold on to the prof its of its crimes unmolested by any le-fj-al proceeding: or inauirv for their re covery for the despoiled people of this State. No lawyer of any professional stand ing in North Carolina, unless he is re tained in the service ot tne towepson ring to deceive the public, will main tain, in the face of Mr. O'Conor's posi tion. that each and every one of the conspirators engragred with Swepson in robbing the State, is not liable to the State in a civil action. Why has not something: of the sort been begun? Whv has not something; of the sort been proposed, by way of inquiry, by the Legislature ? If we need a prece dent we have it in the New York cases a predent resolved upon, after mature deliberation, by the ablest lawyers in the great metropolis ot tne nation. Two agrencies co-operated in New York, are still co-operating there, to bring: about the overthrow of the Tam many Ring, and to pursue its members 1 1 I J 1 1 1 x witn civil suits unm mey are inaue 10 disg:org;e therr plunder a free and vm bought press and some unpurchased and unpurchasable lawyers. The prcs3 of New York, by its enterprise, activi ty, and fearlessness, informed the pub lie of the facts in i their case," and de nounced the guilty remorseless for pun ishment. The leading: members xf the bar sided with the right and jus&ce of the case, and proffered and gave: and are still giving, their aid in orignating and conducting appropriate legal pro ceedings against these great criminals. Honest men of all parties combined there against the rogues and broke them down. How otherwise has it been in North Carolina ! When a movement was begun against Swepson and Littlefield by a criminal .prosecu tion here, about a year ago, a memorial was addressed to the Legislature by a number of respectable and prominent gentlemen of both parties in this sec tion, touching the injuries inflicted up on us as well as all the people of the State, by the fraudulent issuing and ap propriation of the proceeds of many millions of the State bonds to which memorial the Legislature did not give the attention it deserved. The press was silent on the subject, or only ad verted to it to serve a party turn. The members of the bar, especially at the Capitol, either did; not concern them selves about it, or were arrayed on the side of the Swepson Ring. On this con duct of the members of the bar we have no criticism to make. I AVe note that conduct only as a fact, but a fact of grave import, as it contributed most powfully to retard and obstruct, if not to pervert the course of justice. I Dismissing the consideration of what has passed, is there no hope left of re covering for the State any of the many millions of dollars of which she has been robbed ? Does any one believe that the plunderers have not, some where, the avails of their thefts stored away ? Can these not be reached ? Can we not follow thepath which Mr. O'Con or's and Mr. Tilden's precedent indi cates, and pursue the thieves who rob bed us and recover the stolen goods? Let the Legislature susrgrest this thins: to the Attorney General : provide alSle and eminent counsel to aid him : bring: A TV rvrv, .r1 -r m:i.j ' r ? ""' "win'i. nun iui. ximen iruui New York, if liecd. be, If t6h!petciu lawyers unconnected with the Swepson Ring 'cannot be found in North Caroli na, and we can try to recover some .f our money back, as they are doing in New! York, i Is it too late? The Public Printing That was a shabby action by whom soever perpetrated, to charge for .tin public printing by the letter in, instead of the square of the 'typo employed in the work. It is the first time we ever heard of the perversion of the rule fuj charging by the "em," and ve can Ki no explanation in relief of the contract-' ing parties 'except in the suppfiti.n that all of them were ignorant of tin technical meaning of the printer's "em." If Mr. Moore 'understood it, it does not appear that he sufficiently ex plained to the committee the effect f charging by the letter ' in, since they in sert that they clearly understood tliit the State was getting the be.-:t bargain by the adoption of that rule. ' We ran easily understand j how a Cbmmtthe, unacquainted with the businjess might honestly err in making such a contna but we cannot so easily see an honora ble escape for the Other party except in being as ignorant as they. lut however this may be, it is a mat ter ot! no i public .importance..; TL -Treasury of the State will sustain no loss in the end ; for the party chargtu with over-drawing will doiibtle.-smak.-it all right. " ' Tin: Kidv may have rendered ha state some 'service in this matter, 'i 'in people will be glad of good services, Jet them come from whence they may. . 1 1 is to be hoped that that paper Will n d refuse to go back a little farther in it researches on public printing, and up the parties who 'did the public work in 181WM70, and show what enonui a . job they were which cost theStateir5-',-403 more for about one year's printing than he lias paid to the present printer for nearly a like term. lb-5 contra ts small against $;iS,G(L,.!)2, and needs" t - planution. Who got this pile? and- if he got more than he .was entitled t-v can he . benjiade to refund ? We ho; Tiik Kha may have a stomach for the work, and will hunt '-him down a;.d cnoKe it oui oi hum. Indeed, we rejoice at the zeal in.ani sted bv the radical organ in its effort- fes to protect the material, interest ot- I la people, and hdpe that it may not I-..-;, restricted to those subjects alone out if winch electioneering capital may iv wrought for stump orators of if party. -If it be in earnest there are some gram 1 subjects of whif-h it must take cogniz ance and the successful prosecution of: which will earn for. it a distinction and a reward of more value than gold. W e feel sure that this conservative Legis lature will purge itself -of every unjuM matter, and that its members will sus tain every effort to redeem their prem ise to the people of retrenchment ia . the cost of government. They cannot , afford to assume the responsibility of any indefensible action, nor to expos" themselves to the just censure of- their constituents, and can have no incliiui- tion to do so. Salisbury ti atcluiK'Ti, ! Suit iDiior an Ex-Coxc.i It KSS.M A X . - -Colonel John D. Ashemore, formerly a State Senator of and a -Congressman from South Carolina, committed suicide yesterday morning at Sard is, Miss., by" shooting himself with a Derringer pis tol. Colonel Ashemore was, before the late war, a distinguished representative in Congress from South-Carolina. The disastrous! result of the late war de prived him of a large amount of w al 1 1 1 , a fact. which had an evil effect on the habits of the unfortunate, j A few years since he, witn his family, "removed t the Mississippi bottom, ten miles' from Sardis, Miss.- Wut Colonel Ashnajn agricultural efforts became failuresj io.d he removed to Sardis for the purpose of resuming his profession as a lawyer. He was addicted to intemperance, tual left Sardis for Ratesville, Miss., on la-t Monday evening. . Yesterdny inori ii:;: he returned on the early train, and .v; ' apparently not under the; influence of liquor. He went to his boarding-hou e, retired to h is room , and i n a few m i n 1 1 1 es a loud explosion was heard. The lady of the house rushed Jn and discpvep;d the Unfortunate man in a deatlt-stru;;-gle.j Captain F. 13. Randolph;1 of thc 1'anola Star, was on the spot in :i Jew seconds, and found the suuide lying on the bed. In his right hand he heldjth" fatal Derringer, which he convulsively shoved against his neck, and was en deavoring to pull the trigger .even in his death agony. The ball entered th" right side of the head, passing ouf through the top, inflicting a 'horrd Re wound, from which death resulted iij a few minutes. The brains of tho fortunate man were scattered in allj eji rections. Colonel Ashmoro was a joJ- lshed and cultivated gentleman, md had a large circle of friends in Mi-M-sippi. For several months he had been suffering acutely from neuralgia, which, to a certain extent f shattered his ner vous' system. Refore the war, wh i le i i i the Senate of South Carolina from jthe Abbeville district, he was so I unfortu nate as to kill theSpeaker of the IIou-o in a personal difficulty, and by a strange coincidence he committed 'suicide with the same Derringer with which he de prived his colleague of life. M'nrf,lii jenyei ) jjevemucr u. SCKXIC IN A LocisIAjNA Col'Itl. lind the fallowing in tho reports. i 1 1 Q. Republican: Tho trial of tho brothers . John aiul W liam IJovd. lor Kilhncr rvumiel K:mn-v the sixth of July, finally resulted in ; quittal yesterday. " 1 After the usual preliminaries, ?Ir Sagnier, the clerk, read the following ict: j Not guilty. A. Morell, foreman. -V ' Orleans, December 2, 1871. i vTho Attorney General desired to have! jury polled. This was done, and each vx answered to the question, "Is this your y i diet, Mr.- ?" "Yes, sir;. not guilty." j Mr. Senimes then moved that the ven!i-1 be recorded, and the prisoners be.disch:; ed. - i ' ! Judge Atoll: "Let tho verdict ben-con! and the prisoners be discharged. Tin tho most illegal verdict rendered In jury for some time." I ' Mr. Morrell. foreman or tho jury (spring - ing to his feet) "Your Honor, as rn-inaii of the jury, 1 think I have the right to ! - clare that wo have rendered our vcniici -conscientious men and good citizens," . Mr. semmes "Your honor is pam--- upon the facts, which you have no ri;-rht t -do." I 1 1 I' , Mr. Atocha "We protest against thi-. Judge IA bell "Tho Court! knows rights. Tho verdict in tin;; ease js an ill gal th' one. not based on tho evidence. Let jury be discharged." ! j I ) during this controversy. Tho Messrs !!"'. were at oneo surrounded by their f'nenus. and drove off in a carriage 1 which tKii brought them from tho Parish Prison to the court. ; Hymns. An English clergyman rt-cei ny said "it was difficult to aver estimate khe value of a really good hymn." v A -g:e:ii many old maids aro precisely of tho saiua?, opinion. i - t ' . it 1 V