The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-15 00:00:00

ARMY.

The army, during the past year, has been actively en.
gaged in defending the Indian frontier, the state of the ser-
vice permitting but few and small garrisons in our perms-
nont fortifications. The additional regiments authorised
at the last session of Congress have been recruited and
organised, and a large portion of the troops have already
been sent to the field. All the duties which devolve on the
military establishment have been satisfactorily performed,
and the dangers and privations incident to the character of
the service required of our troops have furnished additional
evidence of their courage, zeal, and capacity to meet any
requisition which their country may make upon them. For
the details of the military operations, the diatribution of
the troops, and additional provisions required for the mili-
tary service, I refer to the report of the Secretary of 'War
and the accompanying documents.
Experience, gathered from events which have transpired
since my last annual message, has but served to confirm ;
the opinion thee expressed of the propriety of making pro- I
vision by a retired list for disabled officers, and for in- l
creased co Lpensation to the officers retained on the list for I
active duty. All the reasons which existed when these '
measures were recommended on former occasions continue
without modification, except so far as circumstances have
given to some of them additional force.
The recommendations heretofore made for a partial reor-
ganisation of the army are also renewed. The thorough
elementary education given to those officers who commence
their service with the grade of cadet, qualifies them to a
considerable extent to perform the duties of every arm of
the service ; but to give the highest efficiency to artillery
requires the practice and special study of many years ; and
it is not, therefore, believed to be advisable to maintain,
in time of peace, a larger force of that arm than can be
usually employed in the duties appertaining to the service
of field and siege artillery. The tidies of the staff in all its
various branches belong to the movements of troops, and
the efficieney of an army in the field would materially de-
pend upon the ability with which these duties are dis-
charged. It is not, as in the case of the artillery, a spe-
cialty, but requires also an intimate knowledge of the
duties of an officer of the line, and it is not doubted that,
zn
to complete the education of an officer for either the line
or the general staff, it is desirable that he should have
served on both. With this view it was recommended on a
former occasion
performedoccasi by
onthatdethtaeilsdufrtoiems otifiethlienest;aff should be
conviction of the advantsges which would
resulatnfdrOmwistuhcha
a change, it is again presented for the consideration of
Congress.

NAVY.
The report of the Secretary of the Navy, herewith sub-
mitted, exhibits in full the naval operations of the past
year, together_ with the present condition of the service,
and it makes suggestions of further legislation, to which
your attention is invited.
The construction of the six steam-frigates, for which ap-
propriations were made by the last Congress, has proceeded