The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-09-06

disease, that which every loyal heart so an.
xiously desires should be done, and also to
enable me to carry on successfully the many
new and arduous labors imposed upon this
office, in promptly responding to all the de-
mands upon the State for the support of the
Government. s4au raEf Ea ae... .fuffa,
The labors of the office of the Adiutant
General have been largely increased, and
must continue to be very great as long as
the war lasts and for some time after its
close This State will soon have in the
field nearly or quite fifty thousand men, and
the interest and welfare of our soldiers and
their friends require that the records of that
office should be fully and carefully kept
The Adjutant General now discharges in
addition to the proper duties of his Office,
the duties of Quartermaster General and
Paymaster General 1t is in my Judgment
impossible for one officer properly to SUPER
intend the labor Of these three Departments.
The amount of labor and attention required
is more than one person can give, and the
necessary work cannoe be so promptly done
or so well done, MS if there was a proper d.
vision oflabor. recommend that should
be authorized to appoint an Assistant Gen.
eral, who snail act as Paymaster General
A Quartermaster General can be appointed
under the existing law, and then the duties
now imposed upon the Adjutant General
can be so divided and arranged. as in my
judgment greatly to benefit the public SER
vice. .-s. % a3t E.s.e. .I... ...f P ....-s.fr.r
| In my judgment the compensation of the
Adjutant General is not adequate either to
the labor or the responsibility of his posi-
ton, and recommend an addition thereto,
either by allowing him contingent fund
for his travelling expenses. or by an increase
of his salary. ~..E .s.. II. .-..E......, .,...
Congress has provided by law an alot-
ment system by which our soldiers can set
aside portion of their monthly pay, and
have the same paid at their homes to such
persons as they may designate without risk
or expense. The benefits of this system
are obvious and great Commissioners
have been appointed by the President under
the law, but the compensation of these Com
missioners must be paid by the State, and
as no appropriation has been made for that
purpose, our soldiers and their friends have
not as yet enjoyed the benefits of the sys.
tenn. One of the Commissioners is now en-
gagged in procuring the allotments of our
new regiments before they leave tire State,
and earnestly recommend such appropria-
ton as will secure the advantages of this
system to all our soldiers. .n,.. -s. ..........,
Since your, adjournment Congress has
passed law donating public lands to the
several States and Territories which may
provide Colleges for the benefit of Ag,icul-
ture and the Mechanic Arts. Under this
law this State is entitled to a donation OF
two hundred and forty thousand (240,O0O)
acres of land. 1t is most muni6ccnt don.
alton, and for most worthy purpose. tits
of great importance that immediate action
be had by you touching this grant. By
taking such action the State can secure the
entire amount of the lands within her own
limits, and consequently control their man.
agement and disposition. Should action in
this matter be postponed until the next reg.
ular session other States may select their
lands within the limits Of this State, and
manage and dispose of them in manner
very undesirable to us. recommend the
subject to your careful consideration. y.
The Regiments we have sent and are send
ing to the field contain very large portion
of our population required by law to per
form labor on the highways. Only those
between the ages of twenty-one and forty.
five years are now required to perform such
labor. Yet our highways must be kept ir
repair, and we can only supply the defcien
cy of labor created by enlistments, by re
curing labor from those now exempt.
therefore recommend that the law be so
amended that all able bodied male residents
of the State between the ages of eighteen
and SIXTY be made liable to perform labor or
our highways. ..s. rs;., .u.
It is of the highest importance that the
numerical strength of the regiments from
this State be maintained in the field. Many
of our old regiments have been much reduced
IN numbers, and thus the expense of main.
tanning them, in proportion to their number
is much increased while their efficiency i.
much diminished. Our new regiments viii
60 out full, and The old ones will soon be
filled, but in a short time their numbers viii
be again reduced. To remedy this evil
recommend that, with the approval of the
proper Federal authorities, a. Camp ofins!ruc-
ton be established at some suitable point in
this State, sufficient to accommodate one thou.
sand men--that the several counties be re-
quired to furnish their equitable portion OF
that number ofmen to place in camp under
instruction-that when men are needed to
fiji! the ranks of any Of our regiments re-
QUESTIONS be made for the proper number