Year: 1861

The twelfth section Of IAN act to author
iIe the employment Of volunteers to aid in
enforcing the laws and protecting public
property" passed by Congress On July 10,
1861, provides "that the Secretary Of War
be and be is hereby authorized and direct
ed to introduce among the volunteer forces
in the service Of the United States the sys-
tenn Of allotment tickets, now used in the
Navy, or some equivalent system, by which
the family Of the volunteer may draw such
portions of his pay ss he may request"


The psy Of private Of volunteers in the
service Of the United States is thirteen dol
lars per month. This sum does not seem
very considerable; bat il must be remem-
bered that the Government not only pro
vides soldiers and sailors with food aud
lodging, but also furnishes them with cloth
ing and these three items of personal e1-
penditure being thus cared for, "ths pay
Of the soldier-the money portion Of his
total mpensstion-represeuts, in fact q
surplus which, If he we're q single man and
could save it from his salary or wages in
any civil employment, he would either put
away IS his savings or spend for luxuries.
If he were q married man this surplusage
would 60 to the support Of his family. Now
the object Of the sectisn in the War bill
which We have cited above, is to facilitate
this disposition of the pay Of married sol
diers; and to enable every man who enhsis
to make certain stated provision for those
| dependent on him. d Il H-


In the Navy this has long been done. a
married seaman, on enlisting, asks that an
Hallotment ticket, which is simply power
of attorney, be given to such person, his
wife or mother, or whoever he may have tc
1 provide for, emitting this person to q Ger.
tain portion of the monthly pay Of the
i grantor. On presentation of the allotment
ticket at the Office of the properly appointed
government agent, the bearer receives th,
amount to which the ticket entities him OIL
her, and In the account book Of the ship in
1 which the man sails the same amount il
deducted from his regular wages.


/ BY the section We have cited above, tbt
Secretary Of War is directed to establish
the same facilities for soldiers in the UnioI
armies We have reason TO believe tina
the existence Of this Law is not generally
known among our troops, and that maDy
who are now under arms are anxious L
avail themselves of its provisions, if th'
proper authorities will take the REQUESTS
measures, while many who would other
wise enlist are prevented by the impossi
bility, as they believe, Of leaving any sde
quate provision for their wives and chill
dren. Tue Union Defence Committee anC
private charity have done much to aid tn,
families of volunteers; but this aid is no
certain and regular, and it has the charsc
ter of charitable gift and gives the re
cipient the feelings of q pauper. All thi
can be cured, if the department will caus


it to be made known that every man VIII
enlists may assign a part of his pay Il


the support Of his family, and that prope,
officers will be appointed to make pay
ments at stated periods-monthly, if pos


sible-to all holders of allotment tickets


A soldier may easily leave ten dollar
monthly to his family. This leaves hin


three dollars per month to spend for to


baeeo and other small luxuries. The sun
thus assigned would be certain, and thl


recipients would feel that they receives


not charity, but honorable support.


Private charity will have enough on 1t


hands during the next winter, and our cit
lizens should be released from all demand
, upon them which are not unavoidable.
We trust that the government viii tax


immediate action in this matter and a
ford facilities to every soldier in our 81
{ mics to assign such portion Of his pay a
. he may think best to the support of thos
who are dependent upon him. By carin
for this, promptly, many men can be secul
ed for the army who now hold elOof, b
cause they cannot leave their families de-
t titute, but who would gladly enlist if the
could make even q very moderate prov
: sion for them.