Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-11-28

prodlsi"us masses of unsettled war accounts
Whicn iad been seven years accommodating
+, These y ere now destined To be- broken up and
eesphchrd. The mere manuel part of the
LABOR aud also such decisions rested on ex-
press pro, islons of law devoIved of course on
the subordinate officers ofthe department. But
IN all doubtful cases of expendi,ure and parti-
cularly In The settlement of state claims for
militia ser, ices rendered, personal reference
To the Secretary under the same provisions of
law, became Indispensable. In December 1917,
when Mr. u. came into Office the amount of
these unsettled debts aud credits was more
than forty millions of dollars. This enormous
mass has already been reduced TO mere
modcum, and the amount found due To the
United States received, or put into suit for col
lection. similar instance Of despatch in tn.
settlement of war-accounts it is believed
never occurred in the experience of any other
government In England II is said they usually
remain unaudited for half century. Great
credit IS certainly due to the accounting Off
GERS attached to the war department, for their
share IN these appalling labors aud doubt
not that they were from the first, equally ready
and willing Ia perform their duties but il is as
certainly true, that for the want of IAN efficient
head little or nothing had been done before
Mir. Caihoun's appUlntment.-Fur the truth of
these facts refer Ia The reports annually made
10 Congress, oil what is termed, public detrulters
that Is, of the progress made in the unroiling
of these cripts-whch like those buried
In Pompeii aud Hercuaneum, might have
slept for centuries but for the new genius
that presided over the work of disintermrnl
Mr.. Calhoun had scarcely entered on his
new duties when Congress passed AN act
granting pensions To the survivors ofthe reyo-
iutionary army and navy, and referring the
whole subject To the war department Ii is
relieved that the nnmhrr of applicants for the
| benefits of this act has been more than siriv
thousand. Now II was manifest 90 reflection,
that, under the very strict Limitations imposed
by Congress the survivors entitled ia be- plac.d
an the Pension list could not equal IA Hird nC
that number. This muslenng host of claims,
WAS therefore, To he eyamiped IN detail, "a
wei /" save ihe Treasury rnni imposition, as
10 be certain that not one Individual whose
early patriotism aud existing penury entitled
INN to naronh' assistance should he disap-
pointed. Both these objects have been at
famed with as much certainty as cyrrattend-d
ihr decisions of the highest Judicial tribunals,
aud the nunl"r of revolutionary pensioners un
under that act reduced Ia about sixteen thuus
and. A.id her, do not hazard contradiction
from ANY candid mind acquainted with the
facts, when assert, thai MIR. Calhoun, in The
p,rioFipH"ce of This iiercuiran labor has, by his
extraol binary habits of business and powers
at Instrumentation, savrd'to the Uuiird States
tat least II million of dDars annually, since
| I8l8-a saving that will he continued, through
"n II Declining SCALE for he next fifteen or
| twenty years
When Mr.. Calhoun ramr Ia the direction
OF The war department, the Average cast ofthe
oihcFrs ana men IN the army, WAS about S 45I
per annum each. 4 reduction in tiie cosl Of
supplies at every sort would, nf Itself have
! reduced thai average To abnnt ) 377 bat the
present average (and il has been equally low
for several years. is but S 298. The difference
therefore, amounting 10 about 8 440, O0G per
annuHl, on an army of $500 men and officers,
can he attributed only 10 the admirable system
OF supply and'e accountability that he has
Introduces IN all the parts fihr establishments
In eroet ct these assertions, refer 10 the Pres-
dents messages during the two last winters
ana Their accompanying documents From
| these 1t will appear, that not one dollar IN Il
thousand is now lost either by ignorance, &, aud
or failure on the whole expnndiinre of the
| department. Let the real friends Of enlight-
ened ecouomy, look TO these great results,
These triumphs ofgenus and system, aver
ign"ranre and waste could never have been
Effected without thorough interior reform of
the war department, within itself, and the
new modelling Of the staff of the army
The truth is, the war department had never
been put on the footing Of that Of the treasury
niZatien To the analytical mind of Hamilton
th" first incumbent. This was now the first
duty To he performed. Mr. G. saw at once
| shat ms department was not a IabOr-saviug
machine that the genius of inventiun and nf
construction had never been employed upon
II. Left by The President responsible only for
results IN the execution ofhis particular duties,
Mr. T.. found motive in giving tu his depart
rnenf the highest beneficial action. His fame
became Immediately interested in it. Accor-
dinghy, he commenced tho reform by breaking
up the general Uass ST husnrss and disiribu =
ting II among several distinct bureaux At the
head of each Of these. an officer Of rank was
placed, having particular experience IN that
branch Of duties This bead looked only TO
the chief of the department, who in turn,
looked hourly TO each oflhose heads-in order
tn assure himself absolutely, that all acted on
the general principles prescribed.
As incident ia this great reform was the
remOdclling Of the staff and the introduction
Of a new branch the commissnrint, for the sub
slstence the troops. These measures were
Effected nv recommendations tn Congress
through the military committees Of the two
Houses and thus the chief oi each branch O
the new staff, brcanip the head nf one 6f the
bnreaux before mentioned. All the effects
which result from iudicinus di,isinn of abu,
and responsibility were soon found 10 succeed
these simple but grand conceptions. Each
chief of bureau Immediately f,lt HAT he hat
direct interest in the able discharge of h
duties, under tie powerful stimmIants of inspec
ton aud competition. The whole army, IL
Z all its branches If service and expenditure. WA,
from the first. made 10 feel the hand of rege
iteration. Orders were now transmitted viii
- nj f., fl,f. ~