Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-01-16

sistants as the service may require, and
au,liorises The Preside,, 10 assign 10 them
their duties purchasing aud issuing ra-
iions. Il also directs, that lhe ordinary
supplies Of The army should be purchased
ON contracts 10 he made by the comDis.
sary general. aud TO be delivered, on in
sprt'ion, III the bulk, al such places AS
sbai be stipulated III The contract. Doc
nsiieni marked J contains The rules and re-
Xu'a'ie's whicli nave been established by
'fder ot is'e President, and presents the
operation III ihe SYSTEM in detail. Ii Is
believed 'hai II is as wrll guarded against
ifand. a. any other department ot our
ilharS supplies: aud, Judging from The
contracts already iorn., under IL, will,
N,'eh improved b. experience, probably
make avery considerable saving. i,wOuld
improve tie system. la .ut.orise the APP
r"u'l 9i"ni oi Two depaiy comtuissaries,
une for each division, wnh The pay, rank,
ard emoiumcn,s, at major az Infantry, TO
te taken srom The line or from cliizcns
an'i soto tneuh The act ot HE iasi session
as 10 auihorise The President 10 appoins
Inc assistant commssaries, either from
Tie line, ar ciiiZ,'ns. VIII The assistant
tonnisSary Is MOI ,ahen from the line, To
AK his pas equa 10 that If a snbal.era
app" nteli from the line, it ought 10 be
$50 a month, with two raiious Il ,isy. Ii
.sou!d be The duty of the depny com
pisSaries IN perform such service as the
com ih<sart general tn gni prescribe, and
T ar ic'iiariy II inspect the principal de
pc s, an'i IA eases at nece- sitv, 10 make
'ue necessary purcaa es. When a suita-
bic Sno:itern canno be had. or when his
services are necessary IN the line. the
poser proposei IL be vested IL, the Presi-
u. 4 IA
ne important. II Is not believed ,hatany
other alteration wou!.l be necessary in
peace: bui the system would require
great enlargement IN var 10 render il sut-
hcientiy energetic 10 meet The many Vi
eissitasles incidental 10 the operations Of
var.
II would then be necessary 10 divide
the system inio Two divisions, one forpur-
chasing and The other for issuing OF ra-
hons, with rs many d.puiy commissaries
of purchases aud issues, As there NAV be
srnies AMI military districts, II whom
ought tn be- aided suitable number of
assistants. The basis ofihe AZ sic 81 ought,
~ war, 10 De Tie SD ne as is now e,iab
lis!tei. 'rhr ordinary supplies onslit To
b. bg contract Oh pubic proposals. BY
d ln'hcions- collection o! provisions al
proper depots, combined with an active
aad energetic Sy stem OF transportation, il
would be seldom necessary to resort TO
any other mode Of purchasing. 70 pro-
vide, however, for contingencies, the pur-
chasing department ought TO be efficient
iy organised, and Il branch oft, as alrea-
DIV stated, attached 10 each army, and
military department. As it is the means
Ia I've resorted 10 in cases of necessity, it
ought 20 possess those high and discre
tioiary powers, which do not admit OF
exact control. 1t is in lis nature liable to
many abuses, and, 10 prevent them from
being great, more efficient regulations
aud checks are required than i'm any other
branch nfihe general staff.
Ihedetects of the mere contract sys-
tenn are SO universally acknowledged by
those who have experienced It's operation
III tie late war, That II cannot be neces-
sary Ia make many observations i'm rela-
hen to II. Nothing can appear more alb
sNrd, than that The success of the most
important military relations, on which the
very fate of The country may depend,
sion!d, Ultimately, rest on mem who are
suhIscl to no military responsibility, and
on w.iom there is no other hold than the
penalty of a bond. When We add to this
observation, that II is often the interest Of
p contractor to fail, at The most critical
cone The most expensive, it seems strange
tia tie system should have been conll-
ned Tor "A single campaign. II may be
said, that, when the contractor fails, the
commanier has right 10 purchase al
has risk, by which The disasters which
naturally result from failure, NAV be a
Vomed. The observation is more spe-
cIous than solid. Ii, on failure Of The
contractors, there existed well organic
cd system Tor purchasing the supplies,
There would be some truth in ii bun
without such system, without dep0is OF
pro. 'sions, and with the funds intended
for lie supply of The army, perhaps. in
the hands oi The contractor, his failure
must generally be fatal 10 a campaign.
ii IL believed that d well organized com
nIssarlai, whose ordinary supplies are
obtained By contract founded on public
police, possesses besides those peculiar
20 itself all The advantages fairly attribu-
table 10 ihe sysiem Of issuing raiions by
Contract IL is equally guarded against
!famd, and IFS purchases can be made ON
terms more advantageous. n considers
ble OBJ eciion 10 the system OF issuing the
ration by contract, IS, that the merchants
and capitalists are deferred from bidding,
tIy lne iiazard oiisSuIng tie ration aud
ibGs the sphere Ol competition is contract
81, and the contracts for supplying the
army often thrown into The hands of adj
,eniurers. Jis objection is avoided un-
derIhe present system, by which the MA
tnn VIII be- cieaply supplied and the
danger OF failure almost wholly reMnycd.
~ Which Is respectfully submitted.
J. T.. CALHOUN.
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