This statement embraces funds that have been received from sales retained and dis bursed by officers, funds that have been carried to the credit of appropriations in the Treasury and subsequently drawn out and disbursed, and funds carried directly to the surplus fund. Up to 1871 these funds were generally held by the officers receiving them, and expended or transferred as disbursing funds.

Statement of amounts from the appropriations of the Quartermaster's Department covered into the surplus fund under act of Congress approved March 3, 1874.

This statement embraces only those amounts of which this office has been officially notified, and is doubtless less than will appear from the books of the Treasury.

WAR DEPARTMENT, QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE,
Washington, D. C., March 14, 1878.

SIR: Referring to letter of the 23d ultimo, addressed to the Hon. Secretary of War, by Hon. G. Schleicher, House of Representatives, a copy of which was received at this office 2d instant, calling for a list of the buildings rented to the War Department throughout the country, with amount of annual rental paid for each, I have the honor to submit here with statement of the number of buildings and rooms rented by the Quar

termaster's Department, showing the location, for what purpose rented, and amount of rent paid per month.

Also, statement of the number of rooms rented as quarters for officers throughout the country, and the amount paid by the Quartermaster's Department from month to month, without lease.

These statements were carefully prepared from the reports on file in this office for the month of January, 1877, in response to a call from the Hon. Secretary of the Treasury last year. They have been changed, so far as relates to quarters rented for officers at Washington, New York, Chicago, and Saint Paul, to correspond with a report recently made on the same subject, and further modified by omitting posts discontinued since the report referred to was made.

I do not think that the difference between the amounts paid for buildings and quarters rented by the Quartermaster's Department during January, 1877, and December, 1877, the last complete reports received at this office from which statements could be made, is sufficient to justify going over the entire ground again to furnish the precise information now called for.

I hope that these statements will answer the purpose for which they are required, as it would take the entire force of examiners two weeks to prepare new reports.

There are several other calls from Congress upon this office for information that are yet unanswered, but are being attended to as rapidly as possible.

All communications from Congress are made special, to the detriment of the current work of the office, which at the present time is rapidly falling behind. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

The Hon. SECRETARY OF War.

M. C. MEIGS,

Quartermaster-General, Bvt. Maj. Gen., U. S. A.

Statement of the number of rooms rented as quarters for officers throughout the country, and the amount paid by the Quartermaster's Department from month to month, without lease, prepared from reports of January, 1877.

RECAPITULATION.