The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-01-10

.rhas statement only includes claimsior
1pcSct expeuded by tho state Got- I,
|Sfhtuil The reimbursement ol which
Is asil dsticE tho provisions Of exist.
Ing lawsbf the United States. aev
This amount fsa mere triIls com
pared With The tctih expenditures 81
the Slate during the war, tof local
bountieS, etc, Of which TIA Kfand 70
tai officially expended by cdfpblats.
anthorities, and the immense pfivalds
contributions Of every sort, is shown
lby the report Of the A Adiutant, General
10 be moro than six.y.fvb millions 6f
IdoiIars. si4g 4ssiS ~ -
OF the claims presented 10 tko
United States Government, tho sum
of S57, 1868 TT WIS paid 70 me on Rc.
count Of the "Morgpn raid' claims,
and certified into the Treasury on the
9th Of May last
OF the claims for clothing and feed.
Ing volunteers, the sumof 333l eco 03
was, at the close of yoIr last sesSion,
remaining suspended in the U. s. Treas.
ury Department. for insuElcienfy Of
vouchers, or upon doubts Of the Fedcr-
al auditors as to helegaiiiy Of tho
charge. Many Of theitems originated
in the very beginning Of the war, when
the routine of the army regulations
could not possibly bs complied With
Contracts with private parties for sDb-
Ifistenee of troops had in several 10.
stances been lost. and copies were ne.
iquired before settlement could be made.
Other vouchers were incomplete or
wanting, and the notices of The suspen.
sion Of the accounts by ltbolU Ssde.
pa: tment were too brief or vague to
afford much assistance in correcting
the errors. Meanwhile death, rempv-
ais from the State, and other casual
ties, were complicating the dificultyof
procuring new vouchers, and dimin-
1 ishing the chances of final settlement,
or at best the. State was losing the IN.
tcrest upon the large sums due.
! My own military experience assured
me that little progress would be mado
in the settlement Of this business, un-
less it could be personally attended to
by an expert in the business Of the
Quartermaster' and CommissaFy's De.
partment. An examination Of tho
claims and the causes ofsuspeusion bad
been begun by General Day, the Quar-
termaster- General Of the State, but no
appropriation for the salary of that Of.
fcer had beer made at your adjourn.
ment, and the appropriations for the
other officers would not Justify the en-
ployment Of a competent person for
this purpose. Iu.this embarrassment
the difficulty was solved By a generous
offer on the part of General Day, to
continue his labors without salary un-
til it could be determined whether
snch service could hasten the collee-
ton of the class of claims specially be-
longing to his departments The re-
suit has justified my hope. and of tho
claims peculiarly belonging to tho
Quartermajter's Department, about
two-thirds. amounting TO $4,000 33
have been satisfactorily corrected and
settled with the u S. Treasury, and
the amount credited to the State onits
I diree. tax, while the other third is in
such state of forwardness as to give
reasonable confidence in the early pay
ment Of all that can, in any manner,
be allowed under existing laws. / may
properly say that | know these claims
, could NOS haze been collected this year
, but for the course above Indicated, and
where the ultimate collection depends
. upon procuring vouchers or testimony
from great numbers of persons, time
will rapidly diminish the probabilities
, of any settlement AS the United
States allows no interest, that item
alone upon the amount above reported
az collected this year, would pay the
| salary of a competent officer for more
> thanfve years. ff
The report Of the Quartermaster.
General contains a clear and full state
ment of his action in regard to these
collections, as well as of the other bu.
/, siness of his Office not transferred by
law TO other departments. Notwith
g standing the fact that General Day has
i performed this labor without charge
f for his services, would respectful,
recommend that reasonable compen
q sation he allowed him.
e REDUCTION OF MILITARY OFFICES.
: The close of the war has made i
n proper to reduce the military Offices O
: the State To the smallest number pos
sible, and | heartily accord with the
general policy on that subject adopted
: at your last session. 1t was not 10 bC
: expected, however, that the reduction
from so extended and complicated (
: system as we have bad for several years
Q 10 the modest limits Of a peace estab
d lishet could be made without some diff
=. ficulties arising which could only be
: come apparent after the change wa
e made.
;, Down to the ycar 1861 the fxeC
o custom in this State had been for th,
J. Governor, as commander-in.c chief, t
y appoint officers to all the staff position
E usually filed in time Of war, so that il
7. any emergency he might bo able tt
a call upon assistants whose duties yer,
P distinctly known and assigned, and b
& able to do whatever might be necessary
s. for the safety of the State or the con
J. troll of its militia, without the.delay 0
|, securing competent officers after tn
d exigency had arisen. That the happ,
o continuance Of peace should reddc
these positions to nominal and honor
IT ary ones was blessing to the State
but would not justify their abolition
The Adjutant-General and the Quar-