subsistence, with the rank, pay, and emoluments of colonels of cavalry; two assistant commissaries-general of subsistence, with the rank, pay, and emoluments of lieutenant-colonels of cavalry; eight commissaries of subsistence, with the rank, pay, and emoluments of majors of cavalry; and sixteen commissaries of subsistence, with the rank, pay, and emoluments of captains of cavalry.

*

SEC. 23. That the

Commissary-General of Subsistence shall hereafter be appointed by selection from the corps to which they belong,

SEC. 25. the Subsistence Department is hereby authorized and required to furnish such articles as may from time to time be designated by the inspectors-general of the Army, the same to be sold to officers and enlisted men at cost prices, : Provided, That this section shall not go into effect until the first day of July, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven.

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January 31, 1868 (14-246).—Surplus desiccated potatoes and mixed vegetables may be issued to all classes of destitute persons in the South.

June 11, 1868 (15-253).—Rations to be issued to Professor Powell's expedition engaged in exploration of the Colorado River,

Act of March 3, 1869 (15 Stats., 315).

AN ACT making appropriations for the support of the Army for the year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy, and for other purposes.

SEC. 6. That until otherwise directed by law there shall be no new appointments and no promotions in the Commissary Depart

February 15, 1870 (16-65).—Necessary supplies may be furnished to the poor and destitute of the District of Columbia.

Act of March 3, 1873 (17 Stats., 485).

AN ACT to provide for the better care and protection of subsistence supplies. That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized and empowered to select from the sergeants of the line of the Army who shall have faithfully served therein five years, three years of which in the grade of noncommissioned officer, as many commissary-sergeants as the service may require, not to exceed one for each military post or place of deposit of subsistence supplies, whose duty it shall be to receive and preserve the subsistence supplies at the posts, under the direction of the proper officers of the Subsistence Department, and under such regulations as shall be prescribed by the Secretary of War. The commissary-sergeants hereby authorized shall be subject to the rules and Articles of War, and shall receive for their services the same pay and allowances as ordnance sergeants.

April 23, 1874 (18-34).—Temporary issue of supplies of food may be made for the relief of the sufferers by the overflow of the Lower Mississippi River. [By the act of May 13, 1874 (18-46) the authority given was to expire September 1, 1874.]

May 28, 1874 (18–287).—Rations to be issued to destitute people on the Tombigbee, Warrior, and Alabama rivers.

Act of June 23, 1874 (18 Stats., 244).

AN ACT reorganizing the several staff corps of the Army.

SEC. 3. That hereafter there shall be three assistant commissariesgeneral of subsistence, with the rank, pay, and emoluments of lieutenant-colonel, instead of the two now allowed by law of said grade in the Subsistence Department; that the number of commissaries of subsistence with the rank, pay, and emoluments of a captain of cavalry is hereby reduced to twelve, and no appointment to fill a vacancy in said grade shall be made until the number thereof shall be reduced to twelve, and the number thereafter shall remain fixed at twelve.

SEC. 6. That no officer now in service shall be reduced in rank or mustered out by reason of any provision of law herein made reducing the number of officers in any department or corps of the staff.

SEC. 8. That so much of section six of an act entitled "An act making appropriations for the support of the Army for the year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy, and for other purposes," approved March third, eighteen hundred and sixty-nine, as applies to the Subsistence Departments of the Army be, and

the same is hereby, repealed

February 10, 1875 (18-314).—Rations to be issued to persons on the Western frontier made destitute by grasshoppers. This act to expire September 1, 1875.

SEC. 1094. The Army of the United States shall consist of—

SEC. 1134. Assistant quartermasters shall do duty as assistant commissaries of subsistence when so ordered by the Secretary of War.

SEC. 1140. The Subsistence Department of the Army shall consist of one Commissary-General of Subsistence, with the rank of brigadiergeneral; two assistant commissaries-general of subsistence, with the rank of colonel of cavalry; two assistant commissaries-general of subsistence, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel of cavalry; eight commissaries of subsistence, with the rank of major of cavalry, and sixteen commissaries of subsistence, with the rank of captain of cavalry.

SEC. 1141. It shall be the duty of the officers of the Subsistence Department, under the direction of the Secretary of War, to purchase and issue to the Army such supplies as enter into the composition of

the ration.

SEC. 1142. The Secretary of War is authorized to select from the sergeants of the line of the Army, who shall have faithfully served therein five years, three years of which in the grade of noncommissioned officers, as many commissary sergeants as the service may

require, not to exceed one for each military post or place of deposit of subsistence supplies, whose duty it shall be to receive and preserve the subsistence supplies at the posts, under the direction of the proper officers of the Subsistence Department and under such regulations as shall be prescribed by the Secretary of War. The commissary sergeants hereby authorized shall be subject to the rules and articles of war, and shall receive for their services the same pay and allowances as ordnance sergeants.

SEC. 1143. The officers of the Subsistence Department shall, upon the requisition of the naval or marine officer commanding any detachment of seamen or marines under orders to act on shore, in cooperation with the land troops, and during the time such detachment is so acting or proceeding to act, furnish rations to the officers, seamen, and marines of the same.

SEC. 1144. The officers of the Subsistence Department shall procure, and keep for sale to officers and enlisted men at cost prices, for cash or on credit, such articles as may, from time to time, be designated by the inspectors-general of the Army. An account of all sales on credit shall be kept, and the amount due for the same shall be reported. monthly to the Paymaster-General.

SEC. 1146. Each ration shall consist of one pound and a quarter of beef or three-quarters of a pound of pork, eighteen ounces of bread or flour, and at the rate of ten pounds of coffee, fifteen pounds of sugar, two quarts of salt, four quarts of vinegar, four ounces of pepper, four pounds of soap, and one pound and a half of candles to every hundred rations. The President may make such alterations in the component parts of the rations as a due regard to the health and comfort of the Army and economy may require.

SEC. 1147. The Secretary of War may commute the rations of coffee and sugar for the extract of coffee combined with milk and sugar, if he shall believe such commutation to be conducive to the health and comfort of the Army, and not to be more expensive to the Government than the present ration, provided the same shall be acceptable to the men.

SEC. 1148. The ration of sugar and coffee, when issued in kind, shall, when the convenience of the service permits, be issued weekly.

SEC. 1149. Tobacco shall be furnished to the enlisted men by the commissaries of subsistence, at cost prices, exclusive of the cost of transportation, in such quantities as they may require, not exceeding sixteen ounces per month.

SEC. 1150. No officer belonging to the Subsistence Department, or doing the duty of a subsistence officer, shall be concerned, directly or indirectly, in the purchase or sale of any article entering into the composition of the rations allowed to troops in the service of the United States, or of any article designated by the inspectors-general of the Army and furnished for sale to officers and enlisted men at cost prices, or of tobacco furnished for sale to enlisted men, except on account of the United States; nor shall any such officer take or apply to his own use any gain or emolument for negotiating or transacting any business connected with the duties of his office, other than that which may be allowed by law.

depart

ments, .. shall, before entering upon the duties of their respec

tive offices, give good and sufficient bonds to the United States, in such sums as the Secretary of War may direct, faithfully to account for all public moneys and property which they may receive. The President may at any time increase the sums so prescribed.

SEC. 1193. The

Commissary-General of Subsistence, shall be appointed by selection from the corps to which they belong. SEC. 1194. Until otherwise directed by law there shall be no new appointments and no promotions in the Subsistence.

departments.

SEC. 1241. The President may cause to be sold any military stores which, upon proper inspection or survey, appear to be damaged or unsuitable for the public service. Such inspection or survey shall be made by officers designated by the Secretary of War, and the sales shall be made under regulations prescribed by him.

SEC. 1293. Sergeants and corporals of ordnance shall be entitled to receive one ration and a half daily. Other enlisted men shall be entitled to receive one ration daily.

SEC. 1294. For each ration of sugar and coffee not issued, nor commuted for the extract of coffee combined with milk and sugar, enlisted men shall be paid in money.

SEC. 1655. When the militia in the military service of the United States are employed on the Western frontiers, there shall be allowed two ounces of flour or bread and two ounces of beef or pork, in addition to each of their rations, and half a pint of salt, in addition to every hundred of their rations.

SEC. 3714. All purchases and contracts for supplies or services for the military service shall be made by or under the direction

of the chief officers of the departments of war. And all agents or contractors for supplies or service as aforesaid shall render their accounts for settlement to the accountant of the proper department for which such supplies or services are required, subject, nevertheless, to the inspection and revision of the officers of the Treasury. . .

SEC. 3715. Contracts for subsistence supplies for the Army, made by the Commissary-General, on public notice, shall provide for a complete delivery of such articles, on inspection, at such places as shall be stipulated.

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*

*

SEC. 3732. No contract or purchases on behalf of the United States shall be made, unless the same is authorized by law or is under an appropriation adequate to its fulfillment, except in the War Departments, for

subsistence

shall not exceed the necessities of the current year.

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*

which, however,

SEC. 4815. The Commissary-General of Subsistence, constitute a board of commissioners for the Soldiers' Home.

STATUTES AT LARGE.

June 23, 1879 (21-30).-To the cost of all stores and other articles sold to officers and men, except tobacco, ten per centum shall be added to cover wastage, transportation, and other incidental charges.

Act of May 4, 1880 (21 Stats., 110).

AN ACT making appropriations for the support of the Army for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and eighty-one, and for other purposes.

Provided, That to the cost of all stores and other articles sold to officers and men, except tobacco, as provided for in section one thousand one hundred and forty-nine of the Revised Statutes, ten per centum shall be added to cover wastage, transportation, and other incidental charges, save that subsistence supplies may be sold to companies, detachments, and hospitals at cost prices, not including cost of transportation upon the certificate of an officer commanding a company or detachment or in charge of a hospital, that the supplies are necessary for the exclusive use of such company, detachment, or hospital.

May 4, 1880 (21-306).—Authorizes issue of 4,000 rations for the use of the sufferers made destitute by the cyclone at Macon, Miss.

February 24, 1881 (21-346).-The cost price of articles sold by the Subsistence Department to officers and men shall be understood, in all cases, to be the invoice price of the last lot of that article received by the officer by whom the sale is made. February 25, 1882 (22-378).—Rations may be issued for the relief of sufferers from the overflow of the Mississippi River. Additional appropriation for the purpose was made by joint resolution of March 21, 1882 (22-379), and joint resolution of April 25, 1890 (26-671).

Act of March 3, 1883 (22 Stats., 456).

AN ACT making appropriations for the support of the Army for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and eighty-four, and for other purposes.

FOR PAY OF THE ARMY.

after vacancies occurring in the

and hereCommissary Departments

of the Army may, in the discretion of the President, be filled from civil life.

AN ACT prescribing regulations for the Soldiers' Home located at Washington, in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.

SEC. 10. That the Board of Commissioners of the Soldiers' Home shall hereafter consist of the Commissary-General,

February 12, 1884 (23–267).—Subsistence stores may be issued to destitute persons in the district overflowed by the Ohio River and its tributaries. Additional appropriation for this purpose was made by resolution of February 15, 1884 (23-268). March 27, 1884 (23–269).—Not exceeding $125,000 of the appropriation for the

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