Mr. LYNCH. No, sir. 5,000 dollars was appropriated at the p ent session of Congress for the alteration of ie post olIice. This building is occu ied as a post oliice, cus tom house and for the U.S. courts. The customhouse has been so crowded as to require a new building. It is necessary there should be abuilding for the customhouse alone; and the part of the building now occupied asa customhouse is needed for the internalrevenue office. So that the appropriation for a custom house is entirely distinct from this. It has nothing to do With it. This appropriation is necessary to rebuild this building to be used as a postoffice, for the U.S. courts, and for the Internalrevenue Bureau. As to the appropriation being large, I will say this: if the building is rebuilt, and for the purposes of post otiiee, &c., alone. the government would not think of constructing it of the dimensions of the present one. It should be enlarged to meet the increasing wants of the people. Now, Mr. Chairman, I here disclaim all intention to take advantage of the sympathy which exists in this community toward the people of Portland for the losses they have suffered in the late fire; I disclaim any intention to take advantage of that sympathy to get an appropriation for this building. While 1/2 of our city has been burnt, we have still there all the resources from which it was built, and we intend to build it up again, and that immediately. What we want is that the government, which has been a joint loser with us, shall restore its building as we restore ours. The city of portland lost a public building which would now cost double this amount, yet the city intends to rebuild it at once. I wish, also, to say that a single individual in that city has lost more than double the amount of this appropriation, and still he intends to go on and rebuild. Men are already at work there. We do not want the public buildin s of the Government to stand in our city as a isgrace to the country. We want the Government, as the people of Portland are doing, to rebuild the property which has been destroyed.