The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-12-23
Special Correspondence Of the Courier.
Waits from tho National Cap.
ital.
WASHINGTON, D. C., !
Dec. IL, 1869, (

ital.
WASHINGTON, d. e.,
Dec. IL. 1869.
Since last writing you; have re
ceived complete copy of. the able
report of the Secretary Of War, Gen
VIM. W. Belknap, which / send you
by this mail. The Secretary of Wal
transmits his own report and also
that Of the General of tho Army to
the President, for his examination
The War Department embraces the
Adjutant Generals, Inspection,
Quartermaster's Subsistence, Medical
Pay, Engineer and Ordnance De-
partments together with the Bureau
Of Military Justice, Signal Service,
Freedmen's Bureau and also review
ofthe Military Academy. The va.
rious Military Divisions of the Army
are also mentioned, showing a heavy
reduction Of expense for the next
fiscal year. 1t is evident that tho
War Department will be managed in
the most economical manner possible
Of the very creditable report of Gen
Belknap, the Chronicle OF this city
says
"The moro study is given to the
reports of the Cabinet officers and
OF the heads Of departments and bu-
reaus, the more thoroughly one finds
out that retrenchmcnt is the order of
the day. Hardly an Office or desk
but shows some cutting down, and
in the large departments the gains
from such economies foot up hand
somely.
Take, for instance, the War De-
partment; which, since Gen. Grants
advent into power has labored under
the serious disadvantage of having
three incumbents. All, however,
have worked together with an eye
single to the good of the Government
and behold the result.
The operations of the Freedmen's
Bureau have been closed, except the
educational and bounty divisions and
two hospitals for freedmen. The
number of officers, agents, and clerks
has been reduced from nine hundred
and one, to one hundred and fifty-
eight.
The expenses Of the Quartermas-
ter's Department during the fiscal
year ending June 80, '69, were s2I,-
96S, ,484 0S, reduction of fourteen
and q half millions below those Of the
preceding fiscal year and the esti.
mates Of the coming year are within
those OF the past.
In February 1869, the number of
civilians hired by this department
exceeded ten thousand, which have
been reduced to five thousand. Five
hundl ed line officers have done duty
in the Quartermaster's Department,
in addition to the officers of that es-
tablishment, eighty four in number.
The enlisted force of the Engineer
Department has been reduced from
l,5O0 to $50. There are sixty-one
officers and fourteen ordnance store.
keepers IN the department, and of
these officers six are on detached
duty.
In addition to these important re
ductions, General Belknap now pro-
poses other and very material ones.
The army, as at present organized
consists of five regiments of artillery
ten ofcavalry, twenty-five ofinfantry
battalion of engineers, and corps
of cadets, numbering in all when at
its maximum, some 81, ,434 men. The
Secretary proposes to reduce the
number still further, and submits an
elaborate plan for so doing. The
basis he assumes does not admit of
maximum number greater than
1850, which, being depleted by the
proportion usually allowed to be sick
or absent, say one-third, would insure
an active torce of 2S,500 men.
In truth, General Belknap is show
ing himself worthy to stand on
Grants platform of economy and re-
trenchment. Whatever may be tho't
Of contraction in the Treasury, there
is no fault to be found with it in the
War Department.
considerable interest is manifested
here among Iowan's, relative to the
coming contest for the State Printer
ship. / observe that a large number
of our leading and most influential
journals favor the election Of the
Nestor of the Iowa press, J B. How
ell of the Gate C,t,. The general
feeling here is in favor OF Mr.. Howell
1t is considered that be has done as
much or more hard work for the
party for less remuneration than
any other man in the state. he has
shook tic tree while others have
gathered the fruit. 1t is about time
his vigilance in the cause of Republi-
canism and his unwavering devotion
to principle were recognized in tan
gible manner. AS a Wing and Re-
publicanism, he has been fighting the
Democracy with might and main
nearly two score years. As jour-
nalist he ranks among tho BEST
When Howell wakes up, the Democ-
racy hunt their holes. By all means
give US Howell for State Printer
Justice demands it, and l believe the
Republican party of Iowa wish to
render homage where it is due.
POTOMAC.