Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1841-06-24

/ the outskirts ofthe 't disputed territory"
The first cost of subsistence to feed this posse,
including 81 ,432 worth received from the Quar-
ter Masters Department. when the Militia was
withdrawn, amounted to thirty.three thousand
seren hundred and serenty-fre dollars. 81, 728
days service, the number allowed, gives 1904
weeks board for the posse to pay for. The raw
provisions sometimes purchased at wholesale be-
fore they were moved from the place of purchase,
cost, according TO the bills sent In, $3S,775, or
tieo dollars and serenynne cents per loeekfor each
man. Is it possible that this enormous quantity
of provisions was consumed by the posse That
posse was composed of men-of individuals with
human stomachs, not of rayenous animals, con-
tinualy in the condition Of half-famshed wolves.
The Land A. gent must have been most unac-
eountably imposed npon for the cost OF raw pro-
visions to support gangs OF men rarely comes
higher than dollar per week tor each man.
Many consider less sum amply sufficient. But
to he and get it high enough. We WILL allow
one dollar and quarter per week Tor each man.
At this sum the whole cost of provisions
would have been fifteen thousand Sir hundred and
forfu-fre dollars instead ofthrtythree thousand
seven hundred and sevenry-iive dollars; and the
State would have saved eigh!een thousand S1I hun
drei and forty.fse doiars-rather too large a sum
to be lost, especially in the present condition OF
our Treasury Whether this sum was lost by IN
competent mana cement, or in some other way, we
have not vet the positive meaps of ascertaining
but | have been informed by those who know,
that some men who served in that posse are better
of than they used TO be of one person in par
ticular who entered the service pennyless and
came out worth his thousands. Add $lO,399 the
cost of transporting these provisions into tie
woods with The expense of cooking, and the bare
food, in an eatable condition, cost about fonr dol
lars week for each man, in addition to this,
Mr.. Mcntire in his last report says, " the eHpen-
ses Of the Posse at Fort Fairfield and Fish River
have been much lessened by their employment in
raising produce for their support The con-
slant employment of the men in securing one
crop and preparing for another, will go far to pay
their expenses" 1t is quite uncertain how much
this' constant employment of the men has les
sened or is like to lessen the expense OF feeding
them, but it is quite certain that a proper manage
ment of business in the right quarter would have
reduced the expense one half If the Land Agent
designed the posse for a band of agrcuturlsts-
if he intended by their constant employment
in cultivating the earth, they should raise produce
enough tor their own use, why did he sell twen-
ty-fve acres of cleared land at Fort Fairfield
which he did on the ninth Of January last, just
before he left office, to one OF his favore clerks
This land was lust cleared and in readiness for
tillage. Surely if there was any such design as
keeping the posse in working order by little ex-
ercse at farming, and at the same time enabling
them to contribute something towards their sup
port, selling the land prepared for their crops was
a novel way Of doing it. Notwithstanding the
large promises of Mr. Mcintyre in relation to the
agricultural abors of the posse, the fact ofhis sci"
ling off their lage land, and that the cltlzens Of
New Brunswick were hired to thresh out the grain
raised there last year, shows conclusively, that
without change we have nothing to expect in
that way.
But let us look little farther into these posse
expenses. 100000. -.
The amour, paid for labor was S87,008 Al
The amount paid for subsistence inclu-
s7,432 81 worth received from the
Quarter Masters Department. 1870 So
The amount paid for transportation, i0,399 81
g g :. for forage, 5,125 81
for quarters .67G %
ters Department, 7,l71 90
Errors in settled accounts l,326 81
Outstanding claims, 5000 %
rfEn ga