to enable them to give food, fuel, and shelter to their families. These can only be obtained by cash payments. The pay of a soldier, which is made at irregular times and perhaps at comparatively long periods, will not provide the necessary support to their families in cities like New York and Brooklyn, and they are frequently broken up and ruined. Every consideration of justice and humanity demands that unequal burdens should not be thrown upon them. It is proper I should say that since the beginning of this civil war these cities have not only furnished their full quotas, but are to-day entitled to a credit of about 3,000 three-years" men. It would be an act of justice to count each of these men against three men under the present call for service for one year. But these cities have done more; they have on repeated occasions promptly answered the calls of the War Department in times of peculiar peril.

They have been able to do this because at a great expense they have kept up a well-disciplined militia. The cost of this has been as much for the advantage of the United States as for the city governments. These excessive enrollments also subject to heavy taxation those who have been foremost in filling in the National Treasury and giving to the Government the money which has enabled it to pay its soldiers.

I know that you will agree with me that the cities of New York and Brooklyn have strong claims not only upon the equity, but upon the gratitude, of those who are administering national affairs.

In answer to an appeal which I made to you last year to correct a similar wrong, you appointed William F. Allen, of this State, Chauncey Smith, of Massachusetts, and John Love, of Indiana, a commission to examine into the enrollment of 1863. They submitted an able report, showing its great injustice, and you relieved those cities from a great wrong. I urge that some similar plan be adopted now, whereby the quotas of this State, which, especially in the districts I have named (New York City and Brooklyn), appear to be unequal and oppressive, may be adjusted equitably in proportion to the demands made upon other parts of the country.

Since the enrollments were made there has been no opportunity to correct them; neither can this be done in time. While names may be added to the lists, those which were improperly placed there cannot be stricken off. In the large cities the excess of names cannot be detected, as citizens are not familiar with the names and conditions of their neighbors. In the country districts it is otherwise.

Truly, yours, &c.,

HORATIO SYMOUR.

WAR DEPT., PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, D. C., August 3, 1864.

His Excellency Governor JOHN BROUGH,

Columbus, Ohio:

Mustering of recruits enlisted by agents in rebel States cannot be done in any other way then that prescribed in general orders without producing difficulty and confusion in the matters of bounty, credit, assignment to regiments, equipment, &c. I don"t think the rules should be changed, at least at this time.

JAMES B. FRY,

Provost-Marshal-General.