Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 2.djvu/853



shall render quarterly accounts of the disposition and state of all such stores and supplies to the superintendent aforesaid, and shall also make such other returns respecting the same, and at such other times as the Secretary for the War department may prescribe: Provided however, that the accounts and returns thus rendered shall relate to the articles of supply only, which may have been received and disposed of, [or] as may remain on hand, and shall not embrace the specie accounts for monies disbursed by such officers, agents, or other persons; which specie accounts shall be rendered as heretofore to the accountants for the war department.

. And be it further enacted, That the officers, agents, [or] other persons who may receive monies in advance from the war department, shall render quarterly accounts to the accountant of the said department, of their specie receipts and disbursements, and shall moreover make such other monthly summary statements thereof to the secretary for the said department, as he may prescribe. And the quarterly accounts of supplies, or of monies, rendered as aforesaid, shall be respectively settled by the superintendent general of military supplies, and by the accountant of the war department, according to their respective authorities, within three months after the time when such accounts shall have respectively been rendered to them.

. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary for the War department shall be, and he is hereby authorized and directed to define and prescribe the species as well as the amount of supplies to be respectively purchased by the commissary general’s and quartermaster general’s departments, and the respective duties and powers of the said departments respecting such purchases; and also to adopt and prescribe general regulations for the transportation of the articles of supply from the places of purchase to the several armies, garrisons, posts, and recruiting places, for the safe keeping of such articles, and for the distribution of an adequate and timely supply of the same to the regimental quartermasters, and to such other officers as may by virtue of such regulations be entrusted with the same. And the secretary aforesaid is also authorized to fix and make reasonable allowances for the store rent, storage, and salary of store keepers necessary for the safe keeping of all military stores and supplies.

. And be it further enacted, That the superintendent general of military supplies shall be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate; but the President is hereby authorized to make the appointment during the recess of the Senate, which appointment shall be submitted to the Senate at their next meeting for their advice and consent.

. And be it further enacted, That the superintendent general of military supplies shall be authorized to employ a sufficient number of clerks: Provided, that their annual compensation shall not exceed in the whole seven thousand dollars; and the sum of eight thousand dollars is hereby appropriated for paying the said compensation and that of the superintendent aforesaid, during the year one thousand eight hundred and thirteen, to be paid out of any monies in the treasury, not otherwise appropriated.

. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby empowered, as he may deem it expedient, either to appoint for the time being a special commissary or commissaries for the purpose of supplying by purchase or contract, and of issuing, or to authorize any officer or officers in the quartermaster general’s department, to supply and issue as aforesaid the whole or any part of the subsistence of the army, in all cases where, either from the want of contractors, or from any deficiency on their part, or from any other contingency, such measure may be proper and necessary in order