Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-05-15


new uePob anu carrying on the service in 9TH parts
inc otaae Inc depot likely to be broughtk stand
sur mnat Is 70 be dones Why, borrow frod the ciyi
iunu PRESENTLY the sums thus borrowed beco 80 enor
ous 'sas ars entertained that they win excl the ap
1920 m iiaue Dy Congress but the cokmandin,
sonf 'eis E quartermaster to 60 on and plXges Con
gress 70 proNee for this excess of expenditje Thi
Pieage N ,is uartermasters report Is brought to tn
NJ. u the secretary, who expresses no ABSTRACTION
NJ TINS OF power He tacitly assent to thi
uso - 'e and thus with his sanction hundred
depot, in the fale Of most unfavorahla nrs Mac
Vinton as TO thu Site ,F-s S -
~ quar'erfasters were frightened at this system
III. AS lionf 10 carry on work not authorized to b.
~ oVngrds were frightened at exceeding the ap
~ nEe oy Congress to meet the expenses
sner u0PalleE out the commanding general said *
"a ivy eoie'fy OF War acquiesced, and another large
iten - tnus mae up for deficiency bill
os NV ~ my, ana will pass Major Vinton &C
.nd Colonel Mason collected the civil fund
Sas. q law He also refers to the voluntary
aue hder General Smiths regulations, these
being made under the threat that if any
~ his vessel would be driven from the
cons. ~ pomm9ore Jones's guns.
now ask " question, Chi bono ? What was the ne
esss ior expenditures? 1t may be said, to pro-
M PeoPie Cahfornia in the event Of war; There
S Deefo other justfabe reason given for ex-
nuns sucn W sums Of money without authority Of
Ss iess ,ne was pressing necessity for it, will
Az, v ne fPort OF another quartermaster, Major
" .nov6nat dement, the people of California
49, ~ usIi's pun expanding such sums in establish
tbs INV anu ensye depot on large scale quarter
entered upd duty California on the LIST Of july 1910
posi- place selected for general depot on the
" Marquis near the town of Benica, under the d
OF my P4ecessor The quartermnsers stores had
transferred this location from San Francisco and were
psa upon the und near where it proposed erect
ha no cover but the old sails Of vessels and
~ butte watehfuness of single agent The
time for which horehouses at San Francisco had been
ca expired on the o july and enormous rent demand
commanding genen to remove the stores in
improvements Dreaming that the loss of property would be
less ~ value exposed than the expenditure required
found two companies Of the I'd infantry stationed at this
point; Pfcerwth families quartered upon old
hulk moore nearhe Shore and the single officers together
With the Sellers we're living in tents upon the shore. One
af OF the ben belonging to these companies had already de-
Serted and remainder had ceased be soldiers excepting
IN name ley refused to work unless paid the mining value
Of labor an they could not be trusted guard the
public propdy So Ink had become the discipline and lit
their immediate commanding officer in their
hty hae declined issuing to them and did not at
tempt TO exat from them any extra duty whatever
TO avoid e enormous rents Of San Francisco hundreds
ofthousandmust be expended in building new depot
Am for wha To quarter troops for the defence of CO.
frnia hatbould not be trusted by their officers with
arms In the officers starving, flor it's well
they sd not live on their pay and the soldiers
to hom the people to look for Defence deserving
Vat sums paid lab0rers to build barracks for soldiers
in UGH state of insubsrdinaton that they would not
wot and could not bkentrusted with arms, with the
chfge Of the public properyi With full knowledge of
thee facts the Secretary Of War functions these enormous
exditures on adep6t established without authority of
Law with the full knowledge that corresponding bene-
fit Guild result from its establishment either to California
or e United States intend it to be distinctly UNDER
sot that these extraordinary expenditures known
to Secretary OF War; and not disapproved Of by him
for Iaor Allen SAYS in the report have just read FROM
(thdtalcs are mne:) @
the cost of the improvements made and services
dere have parallel in the hory of the
deps@ent am fully awarebut private as wel public
intsn have been subordinate state of things have
knowdged standard of Vault which has parallel in the
hstg OF the world My correspondence with you during
this ear will show with what reluctance have admitted to
which could not control The sleeve Of the
WaUepatmem until recently induced the copan,aM,s;B gene
rat teere that e Improvements he directing ASsa tedst
the eat consent Of the hgherouthorites and the espead
tme had periodically been reported il presumed that they
IN the necessity Of submitting TO The current rates
Of n country"
10 not remind you Of this state of things for the purpose
the rd to which refer the department here
prened by ocer Of superior rank to myself 1t the
duty OF his ocer to report you every circumstance
upon the extraordinary expenditure Of money
lie had full knowledge being present. every
afactoa. have not his report but have doubt,
fof the vigilance ZEAL and intelligence manifested by this
o that but little omitted which the subject suggested
that was requisite to clear and explicit under
saping Of the condition Of the country From this
to Department at early day. the impossbility of making
an1mprovemen here without cost Of fitting
vidng Transportation for any military without
tpendure Of money exceeding in tenfo least
thebay ncdento like service the Atlantic side.
spetve inquiry mes absence of this knowledge and in
vit4expanaton, which have given, not however with the
expiration Of statiig any new facts.
Every transaction Of mine has however been subjected
hekatchness control Of superior authority and supe
oscretion. My Immediate commanding general is accord
ing1my most competent witness; and you win find in the
has IS full and entire approval"
NJ Dawson. What is the date Of that report
NJ GwS. June 30, 1851 1t is in the Quartermas-
ter GENERALS report sent in at the commencement of this
sessSn repest the fact these expenditures known
to u head Of the War Department and that the
ma1er Of the military division the Pacific had no rea-
believe hat he was acting contrary TO the wishes
Of t head Of that Department when he received init
matSn Of it. MAJ Allen entertained doubt but that
all d his acts approved, until very late period
He jas not eensur attempted to be censared No
one Inn assert that he acted without authority He
fers 70 his eOmmaning general who approved all Of his
acts Has this eonmanding general been censured for
giving this approval Not at all The whole of this
moveer and Of This extraordinary expenditure Of the
pubb money known to the head Of the War Depart
men and he disapproved Of it. As to its neoes-
sity have shown that the army in state Of utter
iaat the officers were starving-that is
% say n offcer c5uld live on his payand the men de-
,ertng thst the soldiers at Bencia-and suppose it
vas the ca az every other pointcould not be trusted
The regn mt commanded by Major Seawill, he in
ormed me, reduced to two hundred men the sol
liers would labor without the pay OF workman in
he mines would desert II they required to do the
luy Of soldier which made 1t necessary to hire labor
RS ami mechanics from four to fifteen dollars day
what soldiers in other parts Of the country were re-
red DO and did do to build barracks for the army,
Ebcn rom assertions, there army, and but few
sol iers shO could be relied upon.
n he attention of the Senate the fact that there
va. larger number Of officers and soldiers in Cali
lorna ere the arrival Of those for whose accommoda
h0uth xpensive depot was established, who COM
m ay uartered in convenient and appropriate sections