cover throughout them no other statutory qualifications for recruits than those established by the earliest legislation to which I have referred. It is not needed that I should specially recite the words of those acts of Congress that provide for the pay, bounty, and clothing to be allowed to soldiers in the volunteer military service of the United States. It is enough to say that under the statutes relative to those subjects and in force during the period of time mentioned in your communication, all volunteer competent and qualified to be members of the national forces are entitled, respectively, to receive like amounts of pay, bounty, and clothing from the Government.

In view, therefore, of the foregoing considerations, I give it to you unhesitatingly as my opinion that the same pay, bounty, and clothing are allowed by law to the persons of color referred to in your communication, and who were enlisted and mustered into the military service of the United States between the month of December, 1862 and the 16th of June, 1864, as are, by the laws existing at the times of the enlistments of said persons, authorized and provided for and allowed to other soldiers in the volunteer forces of the United States of like arms of the service.

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

EDW. BATES,

Attorney-General.

[First indorsement.]

JULY 14, 1864.

Opinion of Attorney-General as to pay of colored soldiers.

Submitted to the Secretary of War.

A. LINCOLN.

[Second indorsement.]

Received July 15, and referred to the Adjutant-General, with instructions to direct the Paymaster-General to pay the colored troops in the service of the United States in accordance with the within determination of the Attorney-General.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington City, July 14, 1864.

Ordered: That the hours of labor of the clerks in the different bureaus of the War Department shall be reduced to the extent of one hour daily, which time shall be devoted to military drill under the general direction of Brigadier-General Fry.

The Adjutant-General will address to the heads of other Executive Departments a request that a similar regulation be made regarding their clerks. The Chief of Ordnance will furnish arms for the use of the clerks of any bureau on requisition of the head of such bureau, approved by the head of the Department to which the bureau belongs.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

[JULY 14, 1864.-For Stockton to Wallace, transmitting proclamation of Governor of New Jersey calling out troops for thirty days" service in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and District of Columbia, see Series I, Vol. XXXVII, Part II, p. 325.]