Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-05-12


dred and sixty thousand dollars-nakine. in all,
am estimated areamge Of eight million four
hundred and sixty thousand dollars. In sub
miItiug this estimate to the Secretary Of War
Of the uuearage for this year, and along with
In his estimate for the next fiscal wear, a.
mounting, for that year, to SI9 ,29l 200, the
/ Quarermaster General remarks. that '.these es.
Inmates are based upon the supposiion that there
/ will be from fifty TO flty-6ye thousand men in
! the ray Of the Government TO be provided for,
\ 10 keep lhirty-fye thousand effective men in
the field; and thai force is far too small for anv
valuable purpose. The force estimated for will,
every man Of them, be required" The Secre-
'ary OF War, Notwithstanding returned these es-
umaIes to the Quarermaster General for revi.
sion and reduction. And on the 10Th of No
vember the Quartermaster General again hand.
ed in these estimates, having cut down the es.
tmates for the arrcarages in the Quauermas-
ters Department proper from S7,50O,OOO to
S5,0OO,0O0, and the estimate Of arrearage for
clothing, camp and garrison equipuge, from
100000 TO $500, ,000-making a reduction in
the last item Of $3.50, 900, and in the former Of
SO, 500 ,0O0-being in both reduction of S2,-
86O.OOO below his first estimate of the arrearage
for the current year. At the same time he re-
duced the estimate for The Quarermasters De-
lpaument for the next fiscal year from nineteen
millions two hundred and ninety one thousand
TWO hundred dollars, as first estimated, TO four.
teen millions two hundred and fifty thousand
dollars-being "A reduction on next years orig-
nal estimate of five millions iorty-One thousand
two hundred thousand dollars; and Ereduction
/ in the original estimate for the arrearuges of
this, and for the service of next year, Cf seven
millions nine hundred and one thousand two
| hundred dollars. In submitting these reduc.
lions the Quauermasler General writes TO the
/ Secretary Of War that his first estimates "were
made out from data denv, from the experience
of the last year," and he also says "Whether
those reductions be udicious time must deter
mine. would not have ventured to make
them but for the fact that TWO sessions Of Con-
gress will have terminated before the expiration
Of the fiscal year for which the estimates now
submitted have been made" Now, this looks
| directly TO large deficiencies again next year,
which will 60 to swell the loan that will then be
required. BY direction Of the Committee of
Ways and Means he (Mr. W addressed a let
ter to the Secretary Of War to know why the
original estimates were cut down, and to ask
him for a copy Of those estimates with the
Quarlermaster Generals letter 10 him accompa-
nying them. On the 24th Of January the Se-
crelary Of War furnished the committee with
u copy Of the original estimates, and u copy Of
the Quanermasier Generals letter. The Sc
cretary also transmitted to the committee a re-
port to him from the Quartermaster General
ofthe 18th Of January last to whom the Secre.
lary had referred the committees letter of in
quiry. In that report the Quartermaser Gen
eral says TO the Secretary "lhat the estimate for
the service Of the year was reduced in conse-
quence ofthe information which you communi-
Gated to me as to the policy intended 10 be ad
hered to by the Executive, and from having as
cerlalned between the 4lh and Both of Novem-
Der, that the expenses Of supporting the troops
in the interior of Mexico were not SO great as
had estimated them" What that policy is that
was thus explained to the Quarlermaster Gen
eIai, the Committee Of Ways and Means who
asked for the reasons Of the reduction, arc not
Informed. They could not, therefore, Judge
how far this policy, whatever it may be, would
Justify cutting down esiWates which were based
on past experience. He concludes this report
in manner so guarded as to show that he had
no confidence in being able to carry out these
reductions. He says, in conclusion, "should
there be no heavy losses Of properly, and no eX-
traordnary operations undertaken during the
yeal, and the troops be not increased | think
the sum asked for will be sufficient but the
most rigid economy will be required 10 make
them do" 1t is very improbable that none of
these contingencies will occur in the course of
the next eighteen months, if the war continue;
and it is almost certain that all Of them will
happen. We may therefore put it down as
settled, that these reductions will all be called
for. And in proof fit, on the Sd of the pre-.
sent month"; only ten days after his letter 10 the
Cornmiuee of Ways and Means, the Secretary
of War writes 10 the committee that contin-
gency bad happened which made it necessary
10 have an additional $36O,o00 for the Clothing
Department, which brings back the arearage
for clothing from the reduced sum of six hun
dred thousand TO nine hundred snd sixty thou
sand dollars, at which the Quartermaster Gen
eral had originally estimated it. And he had
but lile doubt that before The end of the year,
the reduction of Two and half millions in the
Quanermaster's department proper would all
be wanted. Contingencies, accidents and loss
% Nluol uCCuI dlluOSt uully III SuSH oClNlCC,
and must be expected TO happen with every Vi
GLANCE and care TO guard against them. 1t was
only a short time since that we heard of loss
by capture of hundred thousand dollars worth
of property on the road TO Mexico. Losses
from shpwreck from the climate, and from
other unforeseen and unavoda bic causes, are
continually happening, and will continue to hap
pen, and they must be estimated for.
five would make safe provision for the pre-
sent fiscal year, we shall restore the two mil.
lions eight hundred and sixty thousand dollars
which were taken away from the Quarlermas.
ter Generals original estimate. lflhs be done,
and we assume there will be no other expendi-
lures during the year beyond what is already es.
limaed for, and no addition made TO the army,
then the wants Of the Government for this year
beyond its means will stand thus: To the loan
of sixteen millions now asked for by the Secre-
tary of the Treasury and five millions for over