The New York herald., 1862-01-09

The Secretary also asks for the repeal Of tho law re-
quiring dsbursing clerks be taken from the fourth
class clerks order that the clerk who has for years
tended the disbursements Of the department and who
has recently been appointed chief clerk shall continue
to have charge Of the disbursements while perform
ing the duties Of his higher grade. In submitting
request for the employment Of ten non- commits
stoned officers in the Adjutant Generals ofice, tho
Adjutant General recommends that, It Is impor-
tant that the companies and regiments of the army
be kept always fun, and reduced far below
their authorized strength by inclusion therein Of tho
number OF unattached recruits and non commissioned
officers employed the recruiting service, ngress
shall provide that hereafter the non-commissoncd on
and soldiers employed in the different bureaus Of the
War Department in Washington, the two whose employ
hereby authorized at the headquarters OF each
the different military geographical departments ar
mics in the neld those necessarily employed in the re-
crung service, recruits In depot at rendezvous and
IN route regiments and the several detachments on
duty at tho Military Academy shall no longer bs in
cludcd the aggregate strength Of the army fixed
by existing laws, but be counted as an addition 70
said strength, which said addition s hereby authorized
THE FHxDNo OF DISABLED HORSES.
In answer resolution Of tho House Of Representa-
tives requesting 70 be furnished with copies Of con-
made by the Quaxtermasters Department feed
ing disabled horses during the winter, with tho
these contracts the Of contrscors tho number Of
hsrses and whether these contracts were mado upon
public notice. the Assistant Secretary Of War transmits
report Of the Quartermastsr General showing his action
% the premises, and covering the following reports
which all that have been received up TO this time in
answer circular addressed 70 all officers agents
Of the Quartermaster's Department.
AssBrANr QrARrEsAsrER OrrcE, 1
81. LOUIS, Dec 20, 1861.
In 10 your notice Of the 9TH instant have the
placed seventy ono unservceabe horses tho of
Charles houteau, ESQ this city. M written
into 70 the effect that said horses were to bc cd what
hay and grain they could eat till taken away for service
for which 10 pay him thirty cents per b. nj per
diem. Thirty Of the horses received from Major Nc
Knstry and twelve Of them from Capt 2agony Others
received from various officers, and had been In
ned service. paced them tho farm to bc recruited
About forty Of the horses not recruited ard
considered worth keeping and were reported by me
ment, for inspection and condemnation, the 18th inst
The balance have become seryieeabe.
Respectfully r. 7. TURNKEY Asst ousrtsrmaster:
To General M G. MEiGa, Quartermater General United
States.
OFFICE SENIOR QuARrfRnAsrsn,
ARMY on THE PoToMAc, WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 1861. !
GEsERAr--Tn compliance with Official notice from
your Office, dated the 9th inst transmitting resolution
OF War furnish that body with all BY
the Quarermastsrs Department for feeding disabled
horses &c. have the honor to forward herewith copy
Of contract made by Colonel d. H. Rucker, Quarter
master United States Army, with George Ramsdell,
Lycomng county. Pennsylvania This contract,
though signed by Colonel Rucker, was made by
that officer under express orders from myself,
AZ his superior and the senior officer Of the
Quarermascrs Department in the Army Of tho Potomac
II s tho only contract Of the kind, far my
ledge extends that has been made In this army aud
made strict accordance with law and regulations
Under IL Mr. Ramsdell has received Ave hundred and
twenty five disabled horses. When this contract was
made all communications with the army were cut OF,
with tho exception OF tho single track railroad 10 a
more, which ell tho immense supplies required for
this army and the city OF Washington were obliged 10
pass. II absolutely necessary that the demand for
these supplies should be diminished in every possible
way, and with this view I decided 70 have
disabled animals sent TO the country, where
they could be provided for AZ much less
expense to the government than here. The
contract in question not made ION puhc notice."
the exigencies Of the public service reqhired the per-
formance Of the service Immediately, and II tho
exiscnces OF the public service did reguXe this
vice TO be performed immediately u q kind OF
vice that should not have been given % the cwast bid
GER Tor wse service where everything almost had to
be trusted to the honesty AMI reliability OF the perscp
ernming H. man might have taken the an maIs at a
very NV bid and then mado money from by starving