Premiums continued to be paid in accordance with the foregoing orders and instructions until June 4, 1863, when General Orders, No. 163, of that date, from the Adjutant-General's Office were issued, which limited the premium to volunteer recruits to $2. In accordance with the last-mentioned order this premium was paid until January 11, 1864, when General Orders, No. 16, were issued, annulling all orders previously issued authorizing the payment of this premium.

This order, however, was not intended to apply to colored recruits, and a premium of $2 was continued to be paid to them until July 19, 1864, when Circular No. 27 from this office was issued prohibiting the payment of all premiums for the presentation of recruits.

Circular of October 24, 1863, from this office, authorized the payment of premiums for the presentation of accepted recruits from draft and substitute fund,as follows:

For the presentation of an accepted "veteran" recruit, $25; for the presentation of an accepted recruit, not "veteran," $15.

These premiums were paid in accordance with the above-mentioned circular until March 1, 1864,when they were reduced as follows: (See telegram of February 29, 1864, from this office.)

For the presentation of an accepted "veteran" recruit, $15; for the presentation of an accepted recruit, not "veteran," $10.

These premiums were paid until July 19, 1864, the date of Circular Mo.27, of that year, from this office, which prohibited the payment of all premiums.

DISBURSEMENTS FROM APPROPRIATION FOR COLLECTING, DRILLING, AND ORGANIZING VOLUNTEERS.

Under the act of Congress approved January 31, 1823, disbursing officers were required to render their accounts quarter-yearly to the proper accounting officers of the Treasury, and in compliance with this act accounts were so rendered until the passage of the act of Congress approved July 17, 1862, which required disbursing officers to render accounts monthly to the proper accounting officers of the Treasury.

As the officers disbursing this fund were acting under the direct instructions of this office so far as related to the disbursement of this fund, it was considered expedient as well as necessary that their accounts should first receive and administrative examination in this office before action was taken on them in the office of the Second Auditor, and for this purpose they are sent to this office as soon as received at the Treasury.

EXAMINATION OF DISBURSING OFFICERS" ACCOUNTS.

The mode adopted for the examination of disbursing officers" accounts under the appropriation for collecting, drilling, and organizing volunteers is as follows:

As soon as the account is received at this office it is entered in a book dept for that purpose and headed as follows:

Names of Rank. Regiment. When received and Month or

disbursing acknowledged. quarter.

officers.