To Prevent Fraud in Quartermaster & Commissary Departments

5 3/4 x 9 1/2, imprint, 3 pages.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, December 18, 1863. Read first and second times, referred to the Committee on Quartermaster and Commissary Departments, and ordered to be printed. [By Mr. Clapp.]

A BILL. To be entitled An Act to ammend an Act entitled "An Act to prevent fraud in the Quartermaster's and Commissary's Departments, and the obtaining under false pretense transportation for private property," approved May 1st, 1863.

Section 1. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That in each military department or district there shall be appointed by the President, as soon as practicable, after the passage of this act, such number of persons as he may deem necessary, who are over the age of forty five years, or unable to perform duty in the field, as Inspectors of Quartermaster's and Commissaries accounts, whose duty it shall be to ascertain by such means as may be necessary whether the several Assistant Quartermasters and Commissaries, whether stationed at posts or accompanying the troops in the field, within the district or limits assigned to such inspectors of accounts, respectively, have duly executed and delivered official bonds, as required by law, the amount and adequacy of the bond in each case, and the sufficiency of the security thereto; to examine carefully and as often as once in every two months, if practicable, the books, accounts, and vouchers of each quartermaster and commissary, ascertain his manner of purchasing, distributing, preserving or transporting such Government property and supplies as may come to his hands, the character and extent of his official transactions and the number and age of the agents or subordinates in his employ; and to inquire diligently into all violations of the act of which this is an amendment, a copy of which, and also of this act, shall be procured by each of said inspectors before entering upon the duties of his office; and in all cases of doubt or suspicion the said inspectors shall obtain such proof or information as is practicable of the supposed offence, and shall preserve a memorandum thereof in writing, including the names and location of witnesses, and shall at least as often as once in every month report in writing, the result of their investigations to the Quartermaster or Commissary General as the matter reported may pertain to the department of one or the other, which reports shall be preserved among the files of the department to which they are transmitted.

Sec. 2. The office of Inspector of Quartermasters' and Commissaries' accounts hereby created shall continue so long as the President may deem it conducive to the public interests to make appointments for the same and the person filling said office shall receive compensation when travelling in the discharge of his official business, and when inspecting the accounts of quartermasters and commissaries with the troops, he shall also be entitled to draw rations for himself and forage for his horse, where a horse is necessary for the performance of his duties, and his account, when stated for monthly periods and supported by affidavit shall, upon the certificate or order of the Quartermaster General, be paid by any quartermaster to whom it may be presented within the district or limits of such inspector; but before entering upon the duties of his office he shall take and subscribe an oath in writing, to be filed in the department of the Quartermaster General, for the faithful performance thereof, and any dereliction of duty, shall be cause of immediate removal and of forfeiture of all compensation accruing and unpaid at the time of such removal.

The Rebel Archives/War Department stamp on the top indicates that this document was captured by the Union Army in Richmond, Va. in April 1865 when the Confederate capitol fell. Very scarce and desirable captured Confederate document! Excellent condition.