facts, setting forth by whom and for what purpose the property was taken, and to what use it was applied. 5th. Claims for damages or for losses sustained by thefts or depredations committed by troops, or so much of a charge for stores or supplies as is an element of damages, will not be considered under these acts and joint resolutions. 6th. Powers of attorney legally executed by claimants to agents (bearing properly affixed and cancelled internal revenue stamps) must accompany claims presented by agents. 7th. The general allegation that stores for which payment is claimed were taken by the officer in command of a large body of troops for whose subsistence or use the property was applied, or by his order, is not suf ficient to establish a claim under this act. Such officers seldom if ever personally receive stores, (that duty devolving upon subordinate officers;) and though issuing orders authorizing the taking of the property as a military necessity, seldom have any knowledge whatever of the particular cases affected by the execution of such orders on the part of their subordinates, except, perhaps, in some few cases arising under peculiar circumstances. Therefore, to facilitate the examination of claims and to enable the officers deciding them to comply with that clause of the law requiring them, before recommending claims for payment, to be "convinced" that the property was taken in the manner and for the purpose therein set forth, (as distinguished from thefts and depredations by whomsoever committed,) claimants are required to furnish the following information (or so much of it as they reasonably may) as a part of their sworn declaration in each case, viz: 1. The name, rank, regiment, and, when known, the post office address of each officer who took any portion of the stores. 2. Immediately after each officer's name and designation state the articles and quantities (with their prices) taken by him, together with the exact date when and locality where taken. 3. Name the brigade, division, and corps with which, or the station or post at which, each officer was serving; the name and official designation of the commissary or acting commissary of subsistence of that brigade. station, or post, and that of the officer in immediate command thereof at the time; and add thereto such attendant facts and circumstances as transpired at the time in any way bearing upon the case. 4. State the exact locality of claimant's residence: if in a city, give street and number; if in the country, the nearest post office. 5. The claims must be legibly written; and particular care should be taken in the declarations of claimants, and in the affidavits of witnesses, to correctly state the month and year in which the transaction occurred. 6. Claimants will be required to prove the genuineness of the signatures to the receipts filed in support of claims submitted under joint resolution No. 50, of March 2, 1867, and to furnish evidence that the persons executing such receipts were acting under the authority of Major General Wallace. D. H. RUCKER, Brevet Major General and Acting Quartermaster General. Brevet Major General and Commissary General of Subsistence. Approved October 10, 1867. U. S. GRANT, Secretary of War ad interim. FEBRUARY 13, 1869.-Laid on the table and ordered to be printed. To the House of Representatives: In answer to a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 13th ultimo, requesting information as to expenditures by the northwestern boundary commission, I transmit a report from the Secretary of State on the subject, and the papers which accompanied it. WASHINGTON, February 9, 1869. ANDREW JOHNSON. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, February 9, 1869. The Secretary of State, to whom was referred the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 13th ultimo, requesting information concerning the expenditures of the northwestern boundary commission, has the honor to lay before the President a report of the 28th ultimo, from C. M. Walker, esq., the Fifth Auditor, and one of the 3d instant, from Archibald Campbell, esq., the commissioner of the United States, which contain the information called for by the resolution. Respectfully submitted. The PRESIDENT. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Mr. Walker to Mr. Seward. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, FIFTH AUDITOR'S OFFICE, SIR: In compliance with your request of the 16th instant, I herewith transmit a statement of the expenditures on account of the United States northwestern boundary commission to the 31st December, 1868, as they appear from the records of this office. I am, sir, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, C. M. WALKER, Auditor. Secretary of State. Detailed statement of disbursements on account of northwest boundary survey, from February 14, 1857, to December 31, 1868, including salaries of employés and contingent expenses, as appears by accounts adjusted in the office of the Fifth Auditor of the Treasury. * Deduct amount paid John G. Parke, chief astronom er, &c., as U.S. army officer.. Amount paid above o fficer and employés of the N.W. B. S. during the year ending Dec 31, 1857... June 11 Sept. 30 ....do.... do.... 1,300 22 27,920 26 Peter Simson James Watson.. John Transen Robert Smith. Louis Wilson.. John Franklin.. John Frudenburg.. Do.. John M. Middleton.. Master's mate... Carpenter's mate. Quartermaster .do.. ....do.... 3 20 ....do........do.... ..do.. ....do.... do........do. 3 20 .do... 2.50 275 00 3 20 20 3 20 ....do........do.... 3 20 ..do..... † Commutation. 3 20 |