^nicUSE BiLt.} HOUSE OF REPRESENTAl:^fVE^' D^c. 2S. ISOS.—Read first and necoiul times iind referred to the ComMiirtee an the Quarterraiister an iCoininissury Department-*. Jan IS, 1834. — Reported back, place •- on the Calendar, and ordered to be printe I. [By Mr. Garland. 1 A. BILL To be entitled An Act to suppress abuses in the Quartermaster and Commissary Departments of the army. i iSection 1. The Congress of tJie Confederate Slates of Anvrica do 2 enady That the President, by and with the advice and consent of 3 the Senate, shall appoint, for each military department, one com- 4 peteni person, to be styled inspector of such department, who shall be commissioned, and have the rank, pay and allow^ances of 6 colonel of cavalry; and two assistants, who shall also be com- 7 missioned, and have the rank, pay and allowances of captains oi.' 8 cavalry, and be styled assistant inspectors of such d.»partment. 9 Such inspectors of department shall be allowed two clerks, and 10 such assistant inspectors shall be allowed one clerk each, which 1 1 clerks, for their services, shall be allowed the sum of 12 dollars per month, and rations, each. 1 Sec. 2. Each of said inspectors and assistant inspectors shall, 2 before entering upon the discharge of their duties, take and sub- 3 scribe the following oath : ** I, , having 4 been duly appointed and commissioned inspector (or assistant in- 3 spcctor, as the case raij hi,) of (such) department of the army 6 of the Conf.deratc States of America, do solemnly swear that I 7 will, in all things, according to my best ability and understand- 8 ing, faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of my said 9 office, as required by law, without fear, favor, affection or 111- 10 will; so help me God." Which oath may be taken before any 11 judicial officer having authority to administer oaths, and shall be 12 cndorsed«-upon his commission, and a duplicate thereof filed in 13 the office of the Secretary of War. 1 Sec. 3. It shall be the duty of each inspector of department, 2 with the aid and assistance of their assistants, from time to time, 3 and at least as often as once in every fiscal quarter, carefully and 4 thoroughly to examine and inspect the official affiirs of every 5 quartermaster and commis&ary within his department, as well C those serving at posts and departments as those serving with 7 any army, army corps, division, brigade, regiment, battalion or 8 detachment of troops, in the field. In such inspections, said in- 9 specters and their assistants, shall ascertain the amount of lU money and property received by each such quartermaster and 1 1 c nimissary, for or on the account of the Government, when, 12 where, and from whom received; if money, the kind of funds re- 13 ceived ; if property found, not in the possession of any person, 14 when, where, and under what circumstances found, and when 15 entered upon their rolls; amount of money expended. f>r what 16 expended, when expended, to whom paid, and the amount re- 17 maining on hand, carefully examining every voucher, and where 18 any dovbt arises, requiring additional proof in relation thereto, 10 noting all di'focts and deficiencies. They shall, in person, care- 20 fully cxa,mrae and inspect the property and all accounts of everV 21 such quartermaster and commissary, noting the number, kind, 22 and character of property, and the condition thereof, and also 23 examine every invoice, receipt, roll, bill or other voucher, in rc- 24 lation to such property, and if alleged by any such quartermas- 25 ter or commits iry, to have been by him purchissJ, noting 20 the price of each article, when, where, and of whom purchased; 27 and as to property turned over by other officers, when, where, 38 and by whom turned over, comparing the articles with the in- 2D voices ; and as to property found and taken up upon roll, ccm- 30 paring such property with such roll, in every such case noting 81 any deficit or discrepancy. And in case of any deficiency, 33 inquire into the manner in which such deficiency occurred, 33 examining the vouchers therefor. And where it shill be alleged 34 that such deficit has occurred by death, by being worn out, 35 captured by the enemy, abandoned, or expended, such inspectors 3fi and their assistants shall have the right to demand, and in case 37 of doubt, shall demand evidence other than the statement cr cer- 4 SS tificatc'of any such quartermaster or commissary. Such 39 inspectors and their assistants shall also carefully examine into 40 the accounts and vouchers of all &uch quartermasters and com- 41 missaries, rnd into their manner of transacting business, and 42 keej^ing accounts thereof, and if they, in all respects, conform 43 to the requirements of the army regulations an^ orders as to 44 their several departments, noting all variations from, and viola- 45 tions of, the same. They shall also inquire whether any such 46 quartermaster or commissary has, himself, or by or through any 47 clerk, sergeant, agent, partner, attachee, employee, or any other 48 person been engaged, either directly or indirectly, in any specu- 49 lation in any commodity or article of property whatsoever; and 60 whether any such quartermaster or commissary has bet any 51 money or property upon any game whatsoever. They shall also 52 ascertain the names of all persons in service with every such quar- 53 termaster and commissary, the nature of the service performed 54 by each, whether as clerk, sergeant, agent, messenger, courier, 55 wagon-master, forage-mascer, teamster, butcher, laborer or servant, 56 and the company and regiment to which each belongs, or if still a 57 citizen within the ages of conscription, and whether such' per- 58 sons are, or are not, apparently able-bodied men fit for service in 59 the ranke^ Such inspectors and their assistants shall also 60 ascertain, within their respective departments, the names and 61 locality of all men unfit from any cause for service in the ranks, 5 62 and who are fit, and willing to take service in either of the 63 departments of quartermaster or commi^^sary, and tlu ir qualifi- 64 cations for such, service. Tiiej ^hall also inquire into the manner 65 in which the supplies and issues are obtained, and made by such 6Q quartermasters and commissary's ; whether issues are made reg- 67 ularlj, in suflScient quantities, and of proper quality, and if not, 68 the cause or causes therefor. 1 Sec. 4. Every quartermaster and commissary shall, upon the 2 demand of the inspector or either of the assistant inspectors of 3 the department within which he is serving, aflford to such 4 inspector or aosistant inspector every necesSary facility, aid and 5 information, to enable them to make the inspections by this act 6 required; and shall, exhibit to such inspector or assistant 7 inspector, all their public moneys, official books and papers of 8 every kind whatsoever ; and upon refusal so to do, shall be 9 immediately reported to his commanding officer, who shall 10 without delay, place him in arrest, and cause him to be tried by 1 1 a court martial upon cl arge for disobedience of orders, and the 12 inspector shall proceed \\iih his inspection, so far as he can, 13 without the assistance of such quartermaster or commissary. 1 Sec. 5. The assistant inspectors shall be subject to the orders 2 and directions of the inspector of the department within which 3 they serve, and the Secretary of War may, at such times as he 4 may deem advisable, cause such inspectors and assistant inspeo- 6 5 tors to alternate, from one department to another, in performing 6 the duties required of them by this act. Each inspector and T a?;-ist:int in=ppct;r, in c.hc of such nlterni ion, shall have the 8 ?ar.ic powers and ii^;hts. and shall perform the s ime duties in the n department to which he f-h ill be thus sent, as in the department 10 fur which he may lave been appointed. 1 Sic. 6 Each inspector of department shall make full and 2 par:icular deailed reports of all inspections male by himself 3 and his assistants, to the Secretary of "War; which reports shall 4 be in duplicate, one to be forwarded to the Secretary of War, and .) the other to be delivered to the commander of the department G within which such inspection shall have been made. 1 Sec. 7. If it shall appear by any such report, of any inspector 2 of department, that any quartermaster or commissary in such 3 department has been guilty of any malfeasance in office, or shall 4 have been in any "^^ ay, directly or indirectly, engaged in any 5 speculation in any commodity or property whatsoever, or shall 6 be guilty of embezzling any property or money of the Govern- 7 ment, or shall be a defaulter to the Government for any amount, 8 or shall have bet any money or property upon any game, or shall 9 have been interested in any such bet, or shall bj for any cause 10 incompetent for the discharge of his official duties, or shall be 1 1 addicted to drunkenness; it shall be the duty of the commander 12 of such department to cause any such quartermaster or commis- 7 13 sary to be immediately suspended from thi performance of the 14 duties of his office, plaoal in arrest, anl tried by a court martial 15 upon charges to be preferred by any such inspector, or assistant 16 inspector, or any other commissioned offictr; and if, upon trial, 17 any such quartermaster or commissary shall be found guilty of 18 any embezzlement of any money, or property of the Government, 19 or found to be j^defaulter to the Government, or of having been 20 so engaged in any speculation, or. to have bet money or property 21 upon any g;ime, or been interested in any such bet, he shall be 22 cashiered; and if found to be incompetent to discharge tlie duties 23 of his oSEce, by reason of mental incapacity, ignorance, want of f 24 business rjualifioations, or intemperate h ibit-?, he shall be dis- 25 missed from liis oITuo, and in all such cases of conviction they 26 shall be immediately conscribe I and placed in the ranks of the 27 infantry, if \v thin the nges of conscription, and physically able 28 for duty i'\ th it arm of service ; if not so able, th"y shall be put 23 to such service, a:^ a private, as they miy be phy>ically able to 30 perform, and suit sliull be instituted against their securities upon 81 their oflijial bonis for any default whatsoever, which miy be 32 within the condition of such bond. 1 Sec^S. If it shall appear by any such report of inspection, 3 that there are able-bodied men in the employ of any such 3 quartermaster or commissary, and that there are in such depart- 4 ment, disabled men, who are qualified, and vfilling to perform 8 5 the duties in said quartermaster and commissary departments, 6 the department commander shall cause such able-bodied men, if 7 belonging to companies, to be at once retu-'ncd to their respect- 8 ive commands, when practicable, if not practicable, by reason 9 of the absence of such coram md from such department, or if 10 such able-bodied men do not belong to any comminl, and are 11 within the ages of conscription, ouch department commander 12 shall cause them to be placed in service with some company withia 13 his department, and the places of all such able-bodied men shall 1 4 be supplied by such disabled men, or men not fit for service in 15 the ranks, as iray be able and qualified for such service. 1 Sec. 9. The terms quartermaster and commissary, as used in 2 this act, shall be held to include officers of any rank, in these $ several departments who are exercising the functions of each 4 office. 1 Sec. 10. It shall not be necessary for any of said inspectors, 2 or their assistants, to give to any quartermaster or commissary, 3 Kuj notice of any such inspection, but such inspections may be 4 made at such time as miy be most convenient in the course of 5 the performance of inspection duties, avoiding unnecessary 6 inconvenience, to any such quartermaster or commissary. 1 Sec. 11. If any such inspector, or assistant inspector, after 2 ' having entered tfpon the discharge of his duties as such, shall 3 wilfully fail, neglect, or refuse to make the inspections and 9 4 reports thereof, or any one of either, as required by this act, or 5 shall through any fear, favor, or affection, or for any reward, or 6 the promise or hope thereof, fail, neglect, or refuse to make true 7 and faithful reports of acts of malfeasance, defaults, embezzle- 8 ments, or other improper acts in oflSce, by any such quartermas- -ter or commissary, whose affairs it shall become his duty to to inspect, as provided by this act, or if any such inspector, ot ! I assistant inspector, shall, through any ill-will, prejudice, or for li any other cause, wilfully make any false report as to any such 13 matters, he sliall, upon conviction thereof, by a court martial, be 14 cashiered, or suffer such other punishment as may be adjudged 16 by the court trying the case. 1 Sec. 12. It shall be the duty of the Secretary of War to cause 2 the inspections, and the reports thereof, required by this act, ^ to be promptly made, according to form, as he may prescribe. AMENDMENT. Amend the first section by adding at the end the following : t The chief inspectors, their assistant and clerks, to be appointed 2 under this act. shall be appointed from disabled soldiers or officers 3 or persons not liible to military service, if practicable to obtain ■i them.