, 1860-04-27

bitter prejudice and hostility of the Audi
tor, and to satisfy impartial minds that the
House resolutions referred the Oregon and
Washington war claims to one incapable
from such prejudice and hostility to exc.
cute the resolutions with an approach to
ordinary fairness lie has sneered a; the
volunteer service in those Territories. He
has indulgcd in imbutatous upon its integ-
rity His main authorities are the officers
who embroiled the regular and volunteer
services in difficulty, and who denounced
the people Of the Territories as plunderers
and murderers According to the Auditor,
none but officers with a military commits
sion from the President can he trusted. or.
licers with civil commissions from the same
President have no responsibility, can eXcr
else no control, have 10 regard for the pub
lie service, and their solemn aud earnest
declarations are entitled to no weight what
ever. lie has reduced the price of labor
and supplies below what his own figures
would establish as the cash value. lie has
reduced the price Of labor through both
Territories 10 the minimum price Of the
cheapest regular post He has struck Of
Gccrs from the rolls. lie has reduced their
grade. He has reduced them to the ranks.
lie has discharged quartermasierS aud com
msSarics. lie has undertaken to decide
what officers aud what length Of time were
required 10 prepare the final papers. He
has failed 10 comply with the resolutions
Of the House.
But all these details furnished by the
Auditor OF prices, aud all the array OF teS
timony which he produces, does not tonch
the question at issue He has not before
him the circumstances under which any
given liability was incurred, nor but little
evidence from which Just inference could
be drawn as to the price the volunteer ser.
vice must have paid had they the cash in
hand TO meet every expense. lie had be-
fore him, as has been observed, the state.
ments Of II number Of gentlemen in Oregon,
whose testimony goes to establish the gen
eral accuracy Of the conclusion Of the com
nlSsioners, and It's entire jusNfcip several
specified cases. The commissioners, how
ever, examined critically the circumstances
Of each particular case. In the appendix
of this paper are numerous testimonials
from gentlemen Of high character, which
also 90 TO sustain the great care aud yigi
lance exercised to protect the public SER
vice, aud the prices of labor and supplies
in the several localities. AS to most arti-
cles OF subsistence purchased for the regu-
lar service, the amount purchased was rlic-
ulously small. In the large purchases, as
those of hay and oats by Lieutenant Smit-
SER the prices ranged nearly as high as
those OF The volunteer service. Eastman
estimates the cost value of the Lvoluntcer
horses us ranging us high as $3.50 to $400,
compared with the horses purchased by
Lieut.. Wilhers.
The purchases Of the volunteers were
necessarily very large. Extraordinary
means had to be resorted to develop them
in country already exaustcd and impover
ishcd. Wheat had to be threshcd and
hauled in the winter and to be turned into
-four at a great disadvantage. AS regard:
the country on Puget sound, pork had to
be made III short time by literally feed
ing out wheat and other costly articles oi
subsistence. All these drains were neces
sariy made at an excessive disadvantage il
order to save time, the most costly clement
Of all, aud even ut the risk Of stripping the
fumers of the subsistence actually required
to sustain their families. Large quantilie:
of supplies were furnished on written con
tracts, which made it obligatory upon the
contractors to make extraordinary eXer
tionS and TO resort 10 extraordinary mean:
10 come to time The statement Of Capt
fKeller, given in the appendix, will best il
lustrate this characteristic OF the service.
Under the fifth resolution Of tue House the Audtoi
has declined to allow any of the claims approved b,
the commission for horses other property lost in th,
volunteer service, because the act referred to in the
resolution fescrbes certain kind Ol proof To accom-
] pany the Claims, which has not been complied with
1t Is well known that Congress every session directs
claims 10 be settled principles of equity and justice
These principles are especially applicable to the caSt
under consideration There be question OF tho
loss Of said property 1t is reported by the officer hay
ing the special charge Of the property and the special
knowledge OF the loss and the claim for sach loss is
approved both by the territorial authorities aud the
commission. To exact of servite ni-od in the most
rapid manner for an emergency, with little or no eX
percnce In the keeping OF the records the part O
it, officers, that particularly and f'rinay in the pa
peis which can only in the very best organization bC
gained by the experience Of years, would be the height
Uf injustice. This has never belore beel eXacted in
similar cases 1t would practically result in refusing
payment for all such claims.
| Moreover, tie act makes the maximum price o
horses $500, 80 that under II the volunteers will not
have the benedt of the very diminished ma Nmum
allowed by the Auditor himself. Payment is therefore
claimed according to the awards * the commission fol
es or other property lost in the service, and pro
tst is made 5Int the application Of this act as to-
tally against equity, who.t precedent, and as Sub
ver>iye Of the ends OF justice.
In regard TO the sales o. property the Auditor seems
to he OF opinion that, the service having been short
property could not have becn much deteroraied at the
cOsc OF the military operations. He ought to have
rccoected that General Wool reported that the brei
campaign OF Maj0c Rains in the Yakima country Of
some tarty odd days had worn out the animal,
that months were required to prepare them Tor service
The animals OF the volunteer service greatly
duccd IN hesh, aud many totally unfit for immediate
service. Everything pertaining u transportation as
wagons, saddles, &c, was very much worn and dete-
riordted in value. Provisions were in many cases in
liurel. Sales OF forage and provisions aud other art
ces criterion whatever OF the cash value Of
these articles when they purchased because the
new crop had come in; there was already an abdnd'
ance of everything and it was throwing on an over.
flowing market additional stocks OF supplies
II may not be out OF place 10 refer briefly TO the let
ters Of uicers having nyeemte and bitter PREF ldice
against the war debt, to which aluson has already
been made.
l. ListendHt COiond Siias Casey. In his letter to