The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-01-09

clearly while has given no reason TO dstrust the advan
ages which hoped from the changes indicated Tha
the right OF command should follow rank by certain
and determinae rule that officers who hold commissions
which ente them TO the command Of troops should
snons on the etai which afford opportunity for In
ereasng military knowledge or confirming military hab
its that troops organized equipped and necessarily EN-
poyed for the service should be divided into DIFF
ierent arms that those serving foot with regmenta
organization and bearing muskets rifles should not b,
divided into artillery and infantry mounted men
armed and equipped alike be divided into dragoons
cavalry that engineers should not be divided into TIVE
corps with nsmina distinction of engineers and topo
graphical engineers though their requirements capabty
and duties entirely alike that it has been found
eessary to adopt arbitrary rule assigning each par
OF the duties Of both hese propositions The basis of The
principal recommendations submitted in my lasteport They
appear loo clear 10 to need TO be enforced by argument
and hope that the evils which the bare statement of the
facts expose will not be suffered to exist after the subject
shall have secured the consderae attention Of Congress
measure scarcely inferior in Importance to those which
relate 10 rank, command and organization is that which
has in view to increase the efficiency Of the army by
tring from active service those officers who longer
capable of fulfilling s requirements but their profess
sion affords little opportunity for attentiono personal in
teests, and the very low rate Of compensation allowed
for their services indicates that il fixed in connexion
with the idea Of permanent tenure il would scarcely
to be just abruptly to discharge them without any
provision for the future Nor would such be
sisn with the gratitude due TO those who amid the dan
gers and pryatons Of military life have been disabled by
many years of faithful service, by wounds received In
battle AS however the claims OF individuals must al
ways be subseryent the public good nothing jus
tity system which retains In Office for which they
have become disqualified When age wounds, or other
casualties OF serce have stripped officer OF the power
to discharge the duties of station which earlier life he
adorned ust consideration for his fame and due
regard for e public welfare demand that he should give
place whose mental and physical activity equal to
the station and who stimulated by early promotion would
not fail to emulate the honorable fame OF him whom he
succeeds
AS of the recommendations intimately connected
with this subject have to renew that made in my former
reports for increase of the compensation of army officers
aud revision Ut the laws respecting their allowances
That this has failed heretofore the at
tention which j, in my opinion due to il, attribute TO
the misconceptions which general, to the amount
OF the pay and emoluments OF great majority of officers in
active service In the present condition of the laws regua
ting the pay and allowances OF officers may under
certain circumstances receive much larger allowances than
Others and iadeed than the of the service
usuhes and these which but exceptional cases, have
given rise to general impression that the compensation Of
the officers much higher than it actually is Perhaps
the would have less prevalent it that
their compensation Is made up OF many items which vary
according 10 circumstances and render 1t difficult to COM
pute the amount in all with certainty but whenever
the subject shall he fully considered the result WILL
confident show that the officers OF the army are the
average less literally compensated than those who pursue
any other occupation demanding equal capacity and ae-
quirements.
also the recommendation that the provisions OF
the act of August 1851 increasing the pay of the rank
and file of the army be extended to all enlisted men,
few OF whom are by the military Specification of the
words used in that statute excluded from the benefits that
were probably intended for all who under military
obligations by enlistment
commend 70 consideration the represeu utatons of the
Surgeon General respecting the necessity for ncrease OF
the mediUl corps. Such increase is required in
quence OF tic subdivision of roops and the want o
medical officers renders necessary the employment Of cit
zen physicians, often at higher compensation than that
ola surgeon of the army, the appontmeIu would be
attended with additional expense J. therefore, recon-
mend the adoption of the measure.
concur with the Quarermaser General in recommend
ing the adoption OF five military soreepers to bis depart
/ ht.f lF aln
aud camp and garrison equpage aud the supplies for
the whole array have TO be despatched thereom to each
company the distribution only be made at long inter-
yals and consequently, In large quantities that the
companies embarrassed in their movements and the
expense Of transportation increased by the large amount
OF stores which they have TO take with them With five
depots properly located the distribution could be made
frequently aud 10 small quantities. the troops would
thus be less encountered with baggage and the expense
their would be diminished.
By the Tth section OF act in addition 10 the several
for the establishment and regulation Of the Treasury,
War; and Navy Departments approved May !, 1920, II is
provided that land shall be purchased account Of
the United States except under law authorizing such
purchase Although the steady progress Of frontier
westward and the advance Of military posts with It,
has rendered II frequently necessary TO abandon old sites
and occupy ones the prohibition TO purchase land has
until recently been the Of much embarrassment
since the troops operating n territories where nearly
all the land already the property Of the government
Ia Texas however tho derent there this govern
mcnt land except such IL may have acquired
by purchase for epechc objects and the greater number Of
military posts stand upon The property ofpriyae per-
Of the State Embarrassments have arisen from
this cause and have therefore 10 recommend that the
above cited be amended 10 permit this department
under such limitations Congress may deem proper 20
purchase such land may be required for the sites Of mil
itary posts.
have again ask attention TO the necessity Of cga-
ton 10 authorize this department TO sell useless military
sites Two have been enacted for this purpose
but neither according 10 the concmpoaneous
ton given them applicable the largest class Of
that embarrasses the department According TO that
construction the act Of March g lsla 3 Stat 520
plies only 20 sites then In the possession Of the United
State and that Of April 2s 1923 "a Stat 264 applies
only to lands conveyed 10 the United States for military
purposes; neither including reservations from the public
domain which not occupied military sites the
81 Of March, 1919. Owing 10 this OMISSION when the
troops find II necessary TO abandon post Of this descrp
ton the department cannot sell the land upon which the
buildings aud improvements Of the abandoned post To-
Gated but only sell the buildings to be torn down and
removed and Of course the price obtained bears pro-
portion TO their value hope that authority will be given
the department in such 10 sell portion OF the land
with the buildings and the proceeds for the establish
men Of posts in such advanced positions as II may be
necessary for the troops TO occupy.
Ia transmitting tho annual report OF the board OF
mssouers OF the Military Asylum for The past year take
occasion 20 transmit also their reports for three preceding
years which made annually this department ppr-
regulations bat which have not been heretofore
forwarded.
The view which these reports gve Of the results Of the
Institution does not fulfil the aniicpaons which
terained the time OF its establishment Although early
taken give notice Of their rights all ent
tied 70 the benefits Of the Asylum by orders published TO
the army and by handbs sent TO every post office In the
United States yet the aggregate number OF inmates Of the
several branches OF the Asylum was at the dates Of the
specvo annual reports so Ts IL and 81 in addition
the last number six men having families were receiving