DEPARTMENT OF DETAILS |
| DIRECTOR Theodore Vespa |
ABOUT
The expenditures accounted for in the settlements of the Second Auditor embrace moneys appropriated by Congress for the use of the pay department of the army ; the recruiting service ; medical and hospital department; ordnance service, armories, arsenals, ordnance stores, purchase of arms, &c.; expenses of collecting, drilling, and organizing volunteers; contingencies of the army; aa also the disbursements of the Indian department.
The accounts reported by the Third Auditor cover a very large field of public expenditure, embracing the quartermaster's department, construction of gunboat fleet, and steam rams ; clothing of army, subsistence of army, engineer department, fortifications, military pensions; the settlement of State disbursements under acts of 17th and 27th July, 186], and other expenditures of the War Department, for details of which I have, respectfully, to refer to the Auditor's official report.
The Fourth Auditor's accounts were for expenditures of the naval establishment, comprising disbursements by paymasters of the navy and marine corps, navy agents, naval storekeepers and navy pensions, prize money, &c.
Many of these settlements embraced a large number of vouchers, and included very heavy expenditures, and not only required time but a high degree of official capacity and experience in their investigation.
All undergo here a critical revision in reference to the legality and correctness of the payments, as well as that they were authorized in pursuance of appropriations duly made by law.
'I have reason to believe that the work thereon has been promptly and satisfactorily performed. '