The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-03

city arise at the point which shall become its COM
meral entepot Attention has been heretofore called
ba river, and would again commend it to attention and
favorable consideration.
For information regard to the operations Of the ord
OF the Colonel OF Ordnance taking occasion to
the recommendations have heretofore made for ap-
preparation for arsena in Texas and New Mexico, and
the North Pacific coast In Oregon Washington Terri
tory may be found most advisable; also for national
My views regard the expedency Of these measures
~ heretofore given, remain unchanged Tse reasons
then advanced In support OF the recommendations
remain In full force and referred to instead OF being
At the national armories the manufacture Of smooth
bored has been brought to Close New models TO,
all small have been adopted upon the right princi
pe and emb acing the improvements described In my
work upon the before the close Of the year.
which mainly = due the Increase, sss ira. range g
Ioops bearing grooved arms, and its use in actual SER
vice has fully realized all the adv autages that anti
irated.
Am eng the new models fer small is pistol of In
length OF barrel furnished with attachment
the stick Which may BE- in ssnn applied and whoh
BILE in actual service the experiments made in IL
cate difference will be needed between the and
equipments Of dsgoons and those of light cavalry but to
whole armed with this weapon will be rendered In celer
yofmoveme Mt equat light cavalry and In combstas Of
% BE- ss to s5s
and miners Ct men working in the trenches, and of light
artillery men.
breachoadiDg rifles many samples OF thi, weapon have
been examined, and number Of various patterns pur
chased and placed in the hands Of troops for trial in the
field. 1t Is deemed Indispensable to subject them
this ties: before adopting any as standard weapon.
The striouton Of 10 the militia of the several
States for the ent year has been made according to
IN Congress- prescribed by the seventh
section of the Army Appropriation Act approved March
1855. In fixing the quota Of the District Of Columbia
and the Territories which the act is left 70 the dscre
on Of the Executive it determined that the District
and the Territories should receive the quota Of States
sion OF tina act which required this Department to equa
zs far practicable the number Of arms distributed
States arsenss to esch State and Territory which had
received less than two thousand stand many
have been made to convert arms of thu
old mooe ISSUED to the States when desired by Them
into isd arms Of the new model WITH iSa
charged to the States and deducted from their several
quotas of the appropriation for the annual supply OF
arms.
Under the appropriation made at the last session,
edons of cavalry and light infantry tactics have been
procured fer the militia, and are in Course of ditri
button
At the last session of Congress an act was passed
s tn bv s rssden Of Of hs United
States, suitable building for the care and p.eser-
walton of tie ordinance and AIMS, and sec,u-
District of Columbia and for the and preservation
the military trophies of the revolutionary and other
CepObik
for the ma,y vice, for which pur pose the
Of $50 COO appropriated La the execution Of this
act site selected and plan and specifs cation.
tcrmabe TO The means granted, prepared and bids for
the work duly invited by public advertisement.
contract has been entered into, but at so late pc
ROD that progress as been made in the construction
81 the building
The upon the military roads in the Territory of
Minnesota has generally made satisfactory progress Those
10 Utah. Washington and Oregon, for which appropria
tions made last year. have been completes accord
irg to- tie plans adop1ed. Those for which
in Kansas, Nebraska Washington, Oregon and New
Mexi:o, have not BEEN put under construction.
No report has yet been received of the completion of the
necessary pr eDmirary surveys
The survey of the Northwestern lakes has been prose-
cuted With skill and energy. The several pari-s en-
poyed on this work have been almost exclusively
gagged during the past in lakes Michigan and Su
penor, and The St. Msry's river large has been
surveyed than thousand buoys have been located
to'malk Danger reefs shoals and materials have
been gathered for the minute and reliable charts
cessary to the navigation Of those inland seas
The appropriations for river and harbor improvements
have with few exceptions been exhausted reduced
low not to be effective for future operations Snsg and
peeisl works. ard when therefore, the fund pended
it has been proper to sell such boats machinery
snd material and apply the proceeds for the benefit Of
the work FOR money was appropriated The rapid
deterioration and conssn. expense attendant the pre-
sevaon of boats does not permit that they should be
tept beyond short period the contingency OF future
appropriations being made Under these circumstances
and fer these reasons, the snagboats the Western
rivers have been sold and the amounts drawn for the
construction, equipment and repair of these boats from
the appropriations for the respective rivers thus
made available FOR the improvements to which they be-
will have to be adopted in relation to the dredge
the Northern lakes and coasts Of the Atlantic and Gulf
Of Mexico.
Under the authority given in the Army Appropriation
act Of August 1854 section s. to the appropriation
for the removal Of the Rec river rat in such way
would secure navigation in and around said raft,
sxsnin alton Of the distractions and surrounding locality
was instituted and plan adopted to secure navigation
around the greater part IF the rafs through Doosys
is Employ ed in its execution.
Reference is made to the documents accompanying the
report from the Typographical Bureau fer the progress
made in the imp ovement of Western rivers and lake
srbors the construction Of military roads and the
Of The Florida canal and to the report of the Chief
Engineer for the work the Atlantic and Gulf harbois
and rivers.
The reports of the officers employed under the appro-
piations made for explorations and surveys To
tie practicable and nomical for railroad
fra the Mississippi river to the Pacific Ocean, sub
tilted to Cong, the 24th of February last with
eport fem This Department, giving general sketch Of
tie country which they enoed; recapituseon
q their results and comparison of tneIr distinguishing
characteristics, from which l. was cncudet that Of the
routes examined, the most practicable and economical
that Of the sd pal allel report Is herewith
lifted ftom the officer in this Department charged
with the revision Of the work Of the parties aud
eer TO 1t for additional Information, derived from
erals eoec,eo, on luther exalnination OF them by
Euveys, well for the results OF explorations carried
February last many OF the maps, drawings and scien
papers inter ded TO form part Of report which could
only be rrefsIed after elaborate examination of
9erals collected bai non been Tpeted f)- the want
Il time and IL became necessary to substitute hastily
prepared drawings and prelimir y reports This
particularly the case with rgsrd to the work on The
ouie Of The S5th parallel minute examiaat n Of TIE
aeial collected in that survey has resulted in show
ing the ute practicable than it frat
presented to he, ard in reducing to nearly cne-hl the
isir al estimate Of the officer in cha ge OF the survey
which indeed seemed when they submitted. 70 be
xtayegant and were noted in the report from this De-
psrtment a. probably excessive.
Another feature Of interest developed In the Of
e further examination OF the work. the Of the
I'D parallel is hat the Color ado desert which
versed by the route for distance 1873 miles and which
in the eI rterI ed o,ed consisting Of soil
that needed only water to render Il highly productive,
il in fact the delta If the Colorado river ding
20 bsromet ic levels is much lower than that stream
10 be easily irrigated Fl m IT. thus. there is every
to believe sec square mics Of SOIL OF greet fer
iiiy Of which nearly one half is in our own territory
may he brt ught into cultivation IN unbroken
sicng the Under the appropriation made at the
session Tor the continuation of those surveys and other
purposes three parties Lave been in the field curing