This administrative examination appears to be, by the new law, dispensed
with ; at least, the law provides no means to enable the quartermaster general
to accomplish itT and permits the Auditor, who is to receive the accounts directly
from the officer, to settle them without any reference to the War Department or
the quartermaster general. Some accounts transmitted direct to the Auditor
have been by him referred to the quartermaster general, with a request that
they may be submitted to such examination.
Believing that some supplemental law would be necessary to carry out the
intention of Congress and to secure a proper control over the expenditures of
this department by its head, its officers have, with your approbation, been
required, while transmitting their accounts, in compliance wiUi the new law,
direct to the Auditor, to send triplicate copies to this office for examination.
This increases the labor of keeping accounts, already onerous ; but the law per-
mits it to be required, and there seems to be no other way by which the depart-
ment can have knowledge of or control over the expenditures for which it is
accountable. The administrative examination being preliminary, and the trea-
sury examination and settlement final, time is lost by sending the accounts first
to the treasury.
