creating an injurious competition, and that such contracts have been so limited in time as to embarrass them and destroy their usefulness. The preliminaries to such operations have always required time for their adjustment, and before they could be arranged the time has expired. I am now in possession of information which I think positively reliable that an arrangement has already been agreed to by the highest military and political officials of the United States Government to furnish any amount of military stores in bulk, provided cotton is guaranteed in exchange therefor upon the delivery of such stores into our hands. This is all that our Government has heretofore required, and the terms of such exchange will be most advantageous to us. In view of this fact, and of the pressing necessity we have for blankets, shoes, axes, stationery, medicines, bacon, salt, &c., I respectfully call the matter to your attention, and beg leave to urge the propriety of perfecting at once the necessary arrangements on our part.

I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

B. F. JONES,

Major and Inspecting Quartermaster.

[45.]

MONTGOMERY, ALA., December 13, 1864.

Major General M. L. SMITH,

Mobile, Ala.:

While on duty at Mobile you are relieved from duty on engineer service in this division. Your assignment, however, was merely temporary at Mobile.

GEO. WM. BRENT,

Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

[45.]

WAR DEPARTMENT, C. S. A.,

Richmond, Va., December 13, 1864.

His Excellency JOSEPH E. BROWN,

Governor of Georgia, Macon, Ga.:

SIR: Your letter of the 14th ultimo has been received. In accordance with the rule I have prescribed to myself in my correspondence with you, I shall avoid all notive of the observations in your letter which do not, in my opinion, form matter proper for official communication, and therefore much of your letter will have no response. An act of Congress of February 28, 1861, provided "that to enable the Government of the Confederate States to maintain its jurisdiction over all questions of peace and war, and to provide for the public defense, the President be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to assume control of all military operations in every State, having reference to, or connection with, questions between said States, or any of them, and powers foreign to them." On March 6 of the same year they empowered the President "to employ the militia, military, and naval forces of the Confederate States to repel invasion, maintain the rightful possession of the Confederate States in every portion of the territory belonging to each State, and to secure the public tranquility and independence against threatened invasion."

These acts of Congress do not exceed the competency of that body under the Constitution. They confer plenary powers upon the President