The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-12-10
aiations viii be submitted Is soon

additional appropriations viii be submitted Is soon
~ they can be prepared
The expedition which mentioned Ia my last
Dual report IS having been sent under the commsud
Of Brevet Captain Lorenzo Sifgresves, to explore
the Zuni and Colorado rivers from the of tho
former to the Pacific, has completed the exploration
miited.
Early last spring Captain Marcy was sent with \
party to ex pore the headwaters OF the Red river.
He accomplished the object and has returaed, but
the report Of the expedition has not Jet been pre-
pared.
It affords me pleasure to repeat my eomnsudt.
tons of the good order and discipline which prev all
ut the military academy, and to my sonsic.
ton of tho benefits which result to the service from
that institution.
Tue reports Of the chief of the Ordnance Bureau
and Of the Quartermaster's Department will show
the operat Of these important branches of the
service. Several Of the suggestions contained in
them are deserving of attention
The rs Of these two reports exhibits very salts
factory view of the operations of the national armo
ries at Springfield aud Harpers Ferry; aud concur
in the opin ion that no benefit would be likely to
suit from return to tho former mode Of governing
these esta blishments
In my last annual report I called your atten-
ton to several points in regard to which legis-
lation appeared to me to be necessary. will
simply renew there suggestions, without. repeat
Ing the reasons on which they were founded
First: That the Department be authorized to
abolish such arRenals no longer needed and
are . source Of useless expense.
Second That an additional number Of commissa-
Third. That retired liit Of the army be estab-
lished, as measure Of justice both to the officers
that disabled, and to those that are not
Fourth Thai the distribution of arms among tho
militia Of the States and Territories under the
of 1908, be made hereafter the basis Of the free
white male inhabitants Of age to bear rs shown
by tho latest census instead Of the off a returns Of
the militia, which frequently not furnished, and
when furnished often inaccurate.
To these recommendation, beg leave to add
few more that further experience has suggested
BY the fifth section of the act of September 18th.
1850 it is made tho duty of the Secretary Of War to
discharge any soldier who. at the tme of his enlist
ment, under the age of twenty one years unless
such enlistment had been made with the consent Of
the parent or guardian Of the soldier.
YOur men are frequently enlisted who represent
themselves to be of age, but whose discharge is af
forwards applied for she ground Of minority. The
consequence is that they are frequently discharged
after they have been clothed and fed for months
without rendering any service, or after they nave
been sent ut great expense, to some remote station
There is reason to believe that in some Instances
parties have enlisted with view to defraud the 60
vernment
recommend that any person being above the az |,
of eighteen years who shall practise such an impo
sition, may be compelled to serve out his term of
enlistment.
If further appropriations for Notifications and for
river and harbor Improvements should be made the
number Ct officers In the corps of Engineers AID To-
biographical engineers will be insufficient to supply
the necessary details for these works, ana for tho
coast and lake surveys, added to the other duties
they are called upon to perform, l recommend,
therefore, that In that event, the officers of thsss
corps be increased by annual addition to each
for six years, of not moro than three second lieu
tenants to be taken heretofore, from the gradu-
ates Of the Military Academy.
In consequence of she great number Of remote
military posts at which troops stationed, the
Der ofmedical officers has been for years past
entirely inadequate to the wants of the service
consequence Of which is, that number Of private
physicians are necessarily employed
am satisfied that IL would be measure Of econ
cmy to authorize an increase of the medicsl corps
Besides the above recommendations, there are
several contained in the report Of the General in
Chief, hereto appended. which appear to me to de-
serve attention will mention particularly his sug
Resions that the third lection Of the act OF June
18th, 1850, entitled Gan act to increase the rank
and file Of the army, and to encourage enlistments,
be repealed; that measures be taken to distribute
for the Of the militia of the States and Terrific
ries the books of tactical instruction used in the
regular service; and that the pension laws BE- 20
amended as to place the widows and orphans Of of.
fsers of the army equal footing with those Of
naval officers. Respectfully submitted,
G. n. CONRAD, Secretary of War.
To the PRECEDENT Of the United States.