The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-12-12
TWO CENTS.

per cent could and would have been saved 10 the gov
ernment. But being without dollar at command of the
department with large outstanding drafts upon il
paid with certain reliable calculations when they
should be paid added to tho great uncertainty TO what
would be ultimately the action of Congress relative 10
the movements upon Utah, it Is easy 10 understand how
extreme the embarrassments in setting foot
expedition of such vast magnitude aud importance to be
conducted through wilderness Of twelve hundred miles
beset by savages aud hostile Mormons and ntenpersed
with almost impossible deserts
To await the delays attending the appropriation TO
incur certain failure TO the expedition (or unless it
started early in May the march could not be made before
fall of snow and the destruction OF the grass to antc
pate and make the movement before funds supplied
neeessitaed the assumption of grave responsibility
But with failure side and the other,
felt there was for doubt hesitation 1t be-
came necessary in this posture of affairs to supply the
quisite funds from private to answer the require
ments Of the service This felt bound to do after
the of Congress relative to the Mormon rebellion
had been expressed and when 1t became pretty certain
that money for the expedition would be voted at some
time other
The authority of the department to purchase supplies
for the army by contract TO be paid at future time
under the net of May 1890, the Legitimate resort
in that state of things, and although hesitated for
long time before exercising that authority found there
alternative left but 10 take for the sup
ply of all the necessaries for the army to fail in the
expedition This done in IA heretofore par
TALLY communicated to Congress under calls by that body
upon this department. but until now final statement
OF the transactions could not be made
refer you, particularly to the report of the chief OF
the quartemaster bureau for detailed statement of all
operations connected with it, They will be found inter
esting and very satisfactory take this occasion to say,
and cannot but express my great qualification at the
fact that the disbursements have resulted in furnishing
larger supplies of articles essential for the march of the
army, many items of which of decidedly better
quality, and bought at cheaper rates. than have been
purchased through that bureau since the
Of the Mexican war.
The disbursements, amounting to nearly ten million
last year. and every transaction has been finished every
account closed every voucher fled with the exception
of 000 not yet received owing to the great distance
of the dsbursing officers from the seat Of government
Not one dollar will be unaccouned for and not cent
misappled This simple fact is the highest commenda-
ton that be bestowed upon the fidelity efficiency,
and worth of the officers Of this corps
This bureau expends by far the heaviest amount Of any
in the army, and it Is frequently made the subject of
imadverson by those who do not know that whilst the
payments are necessarily made through this bureau
yet the bureau has no voice whatever in direct
ing them when, how, to what amounts these
pendtures shall be made. Whenever order Is given
by any officer of the United States army having right
to veit for the purchase of article the dsbure
ment of money, the quartermaser must make the pur
chase and foot the BILL however much his judgment
might lean against the expenditure The quartenasters
department is responsible for the honest and faithful dis
buscment of money but not for the objects to which it
may be applied Hence will be readily perceived that
there data, and be none, by which the esti
mates of this bureau be anything than
approximate estimates of the probable expenditures.
ooMMBsARy's BUREAU.
The operations of the commissary department have
been very satisfactory during the past year The appro
pations for supplies being sufficient there money
in hand TO make all necessary purchases and supplies of
better quality have been purchased and for lower rates.
than at any previous time for many years When
tracts necessarily given, they have been made
very advantageous terms The supply of beef for the
army in Utah and the intermediate posts has cost less
fhnp thn In
tic cities at the same periods The beef delivered in
Utah cost than So so per hundred net; Fort
Laramie, 81 so per hundred net whilst the supply de-
vered at Fort Leavenworth of the fattest and most
superior quality of coed beef cost only So 25 per hun
dred, net
NATIONAL DEFEHCEs. ..-..
The accompanying report of the chief engineer will in
form you of the progress which has been made during the
past year in the construction of our fortihcatens,
The purposes and nature of these have been fully set
forth in former communications from this department.
and therefore deem it unnecessary to advance any
sons la support of my recommendation that appropra-
tons may be granted for the works Wllets Point and
Fort Richmond.
eal appropriation for keeping in repair completed works
have been guided by the consideration that scale on
which defences projected is great that the
pense of completing them should not be imposed upon the
present generation but should rather be distributed
a long term of years, especially the annual burden
will be comparatively lighter the country increases in
wealth.
Besides national circumstances change, and in cor
with the development and improvement in
the appliances of warfare orcations must in order
to fulfil their original design, be modified in regard to
the scale the system; for example, is possible that
the engineer bureau may in future plans incline towards
combination of earthwork batteries in preference
the masonry forts of the present system For these
sons, and because seapors already reasonably
against direct attacks By guns qodt
precipitation in completing the works in hand.
But if we thus warranted in relaxing solicitude
with regard to the danger which engrosscd the attention
of the engineer board which forty years ago planned the
present system have for fresh apprehension
from method OF warfare from which distance and
taintes of the longer protect In view of the
prodgous development in the marine of the first powers
Of Europe and Of the increased range which their steam
naves enable them to the utmost strength of their
land armies well floating forces, am in favor of
making provision against descens upon coasts
of hostile armies cooperating with steam fleets.
In proportion as our ports increase in wealth, they
will increase the incentive which would incline
thine rivals to resort in of war, to revival upon
shores of the system which they pursued Sebasto
pol Kinburn, Odessa, Sweborg and Bomarsund, with /
such destructive effect.
In my last report alluded to the militia the proper
reliance against similar attempts but much depends
upon the maturing and providing for beforehand at each
probable point of attack of plan of action which
hall enable them to compete equal terms with the
1eteran armies of Europe Our railroads indeed capa
,e of transporting to the of action great bodies
men, but beyond certain limits the very numbers of raw
roops become dsavantageous, and fifty thousand mill
Ia would do better service il managed to profit by
he Workmanship and intelligence Of the individuals
han hundred thousand of the who should attempt
o outmanouvre a well-disciplined regular army