The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-12-29
ABSTRACT OF THE REPORT
THE SECRETARY OF WAR.

| 80 VI y ,oa VI INC 'Ii.'I' "it" e.h
Rioyeu III manning about l3o posts oil different kinds
me force Is TOO small to afford all the protection required
ana lndan depredatnns on our Southern and Mexican
border nave not been as yet chassed for want of men
Ihe war which last year was gong on with the Canaan
ches and Kiswas is still unfinished but the theatre of it
mas extended from the western part OF the Texan bounda
ry 70 he region lying on the head waters of the Arkansas
ana Canadian rivers The Secretary suggests the plan Of
esng mounted men Tor periods OF six months to oper-
ate on ihe frontier each man to find his horse for
liberal Per diem and the Government not to be liable for
any casually to he animals unless injured in actual bat
te he thinks this system would result in an improved
| service ana considerable economy
STAFF DEPARTMENTS AND CORPS.
Inc Secretary recommends the bill reported to the last
congress entitled For the better organization OF the
general staff and Of the engineer and ordinance depart
ments,' with some notifications as embracing ali the
Improvements he IS prepared to suggest in these depart
! iheh'S- lie urges It's adoption.
,.-. r RETIRED LIST;
provision Tor retrlng disabled and lntrm officers
Is recommended separate bills in identical language
were reported TO each House at the last session for this
purpose, m whlch met the HON Secretarys concurrence
tb ei T otloo ~ Ui .'S Pr'nc'Pe as necessary TO
! '''' ''"''e''S W tIe seIYlte
i recommended aartI oa ' - ooe;
and cmo I :, TaamTtS h rs Ms o measure o, rnC,ency
economy. II becomes more necessary as our opera
t" , e '"'ther remove" peNohd tue por"eFs OF our
''''7'"'s' ~
| or, b;hr, o, CANhLs . a,.. 49,, .
al ar iiS,y "pPIoVeu as d most enlc'eht anu eC'hom-
| @ eoiS u, u,'IlsPorI me? Wll carry the'r hurneh
over ground where mule without load can scarce walk
"lthont assistance IheY VIII i've many days without
water, ana snosist themselves on the products OF the
ms, @ 'i'7 ''E'"'S' ne 'ee'hmehuS an increase Oh 'he
supply
| raouras i,craosa ~, coT,o 49, =. sva h. , =;
too small and opght IN he nrreasad Tho roy,omtS f
Major Mordecai and Col DeIaied on the miItarv sve "
TENS of Europe submitted tn the last Congrass
much valuable matter and sbond be nromntIv nnhIisb
ed
ARTILLERY
The constant and active employment our whole force
renders instruction in scientific ariIervnractice diff
cult The evil of this has been mitigated by dividing
the artillery corps into two classes one to garrison the
more important permam Notifications where it can
have heavy practice the on the frontier ports
where it provided with guns for light service in the
MILITARY SIGNALS
Assistant Surgeon Albert J. Meyer had submitted tc
this department system of military signals for the pur
pose of communicating intelligence between distant
points land series of experiments Instituted under
Board appointed to examine into the system developed
highly favorable results and the system is recommended
lor adoption. WIN an equipment weighing but sixteen
pounds, simple and strong, which may be carried by
man on 100. OF on horsepacE and requiring IN It's use but
single man, communication may he kept up day and
ngh distance OF fifteen miles Messages have been sent
hve miles without any apparatus specially provided for
the purpose The nature of this remarkable discovery is
not disclosed
THE MILITARY ACADEMY
at west Point is highly commended. The fve-year
course of ofinstructon is approved.
ENPENDlTUREs OF THE DEPARTMENT.
Under this head the Secretary enters into review of
the which have increased the expenses apparently
much faster than the increase of numbers in the army
would seem to require. ITO arrive proper conclusions
on this question Of expenditure they must be compared
with the service rendered The present army has work
to do which might employ usefully and actively five
times its numerical orce it does that work effectively
and at certainly not incommensurae with its value
and benefit the country The whole cost of the army
proper for its entire support maintenance reaches the
of S13O9S 725.72 With the half the legislation
asked for this may be materially reduced" THE
''' U,,n,n ma, rs 'r', % SSJ pc ~ "1,,u,
have ordered the estimates from the Rureau oF Ord
nance to be made mainly in conformity to the polcy
which the action Of the last Congress- seemed h ndcaa
lry its appropriations cannot forbear to exnress the
oninion however that IN ahrdqe tbe manuf1ctnra of
arms Is 70 sar The Least r,esSrrn Of 80 doI,btfui
economy and NAV nrovr in the end to he bo dangernns
d .r i tofo ff III oe Is e, a. we oon
ate demand for an immsnse numbar Of arms " nrnhnSiv
epongb ra.rlr - strfn al o,r arssnolS ia r;rS
the purchase Of further supDlies from manufacu
nn ~ ~ - o " 49, @ @G 81 -, : ip. - o ~ II ~ az 10 i ~
emeruepcies oF var - -
Besides the manufacture OF arms other exnenses are
pacessar;I, i,,c,,rraS IN 80 "a G .i %
th b;yh % ~ ~ ~ n' 1 t. anu IN w H II.
nr tbo cn,,rtr-, Tbnt ennstort ina"n -; ~ W w i So w.
not | or 80 or5 IL ",ii p * IS s "a '' mp ~
nF1ate ~ r ~ ,o, r
81 % az - @ ~ ~ % " te :! ei ICE VI % oller I1tons'
; mas I' "l 80; ~ S @ nm nv ss aItiNe III ouIs. me . TX
o.. ~ o,,".o; 80 ., % &C. ~ - -! s' - rs " ..i se %
IF carriages for seacoast and aarris conno Lay
rasnItad in com,Iata srccasS TT,a Ia,,,.tnat, ,Io
cticabtv of usin iron IN nIace Of wood f hn fabri
aaa+;on of s,Icb % oarr;o - Va W. - 80 80 ~ " ~ ~. W. , % 60.
o o 1' 81 Gn TSsgs, hot oS 10 Hfty grgSt "uTan1age
sa ving in money tn tbe conntr bI tt ronr,cnra cn
hardly be estimated GuncarriaSes bertofore have not
only Icen exnansiva hut II hoe bee fund i,nossiI ~
preserve the wood of which they were constructed from
decay So that each run in ali onr forts nnne he
ed once everv ton veors n he fl for sarvice Tho erhti
tuition Of iron for wood has reedied tbis narectI and
the gun carriage NAV now he consdared as ndetrnct
hIe Models Of wrought iron sescoas and garrison car
have benr odop+ed or5 iro,
used in their fabrication hereafter
Improvement has been introduced also in the forms
of cannon greatly increasing their endurance under
peated DISCHARGES and rendering them consequently
more reliable for service In view of the not
accidents from tho hrrsting of IRON csnno ord the dis
astrous consequences that NAV result therefrom is i'm
porant that the adopted models should be the best cal
cniatpd for and that nona b be hest material
should he used in and the best processes annled to
their fabrication Experiments to ascertain the best
model instituted carried on with satifac
tory results They still in progress, with special
ference to class of cannon of heavier cabe for the
complete determination of the best method of distr
butng the given weight of metal throughout the different
parts the cannon to obtain the greatest strength
To secure eTectually the best material and mode of
fabrication will require the establishment of national
foundry and again urge this important measure and
repeat the recommendation often heretofore made
the requisite legislation to effect it.
The subject OF red cannon and prOjeccS has received
much attention and careful experiments have been nsti
tuted to variety of such contrivances 1t is not
deemed advisable to proceed to the manufacture of such
cannon beyond those required experimental purposes
until full and fair trials shall have demonstrated practi-
caIv which of the varous inventions possesses most adj
vantapes or whether combination of the advantages
cniar to several of them not furnish The hest overn
| ment model
New patterns of horse euuipmepts for all the mounted
troops have adopted and their manufacture has been
commenced to the extent permitted by the aDpropraton
the wants of the service in this respect in consequence
its reduction below the estimate The new pattern was
adoned after careful consideration of the Vows on the
Subiert of evnerenced officers of the service
ken in connection with the question Of the greatest econ
| omy compatible with fitness for that service
BREECm-LoADIyG ARMS
Under the appropratons heretofore made by CONGRESS
| to i'm hrnac loadi
mportant resuIts have been arrived at The inpennv
and nyeotion dispayed uDon the subect are tnlv
nrisnr and it is risking little to saw that the arm has
baen nearly if not entirely pprected nv several of these
nIans Those arms commend themselves very stronpv Y
for their great range and accuracy of fire at long distsn
cas for the raniiity with which bey can he fred. and
ber pvemntnn from iniurv hv ev1osnra to lon e, CON
! inI,od rn;ps Wa, ,ta hssst braanh Ioa1,, ar, %
sf,I ran ,rorId bn enmoI 70 two UrnhobIr 6raa nrG
ri.I, =, aaI;,,a,s 49,, - ioali,' - r, " -; 90 N
,;nos tT,t -, sia,,Id ~ tat.a, e tntro1,ao ~ -
~ 5noit" % ~ ~ So Sar,iaa "a 80 az 5 ' ~ - 'i m
s'hu,i'F nv ol 81 =, ~ " 'o " Pe'"' "t,oii
O"sIt " VIC i"e 'O' 'e'' iA'n''"'' '' ''e P""'ie
arSen"'S -, -
I'll (, ,o., 80 ~ 80 a. - 81 - ~, I'm; -
me eeS Il" ''e " .the views eNpI
eu III ms 'dSI IePot; oh lle suJeo ol permanent 'of
hcauohs' ne THINKS eaTth-"orks thrown up as uie
emergency ma! alst wiz seheTaii! "e suIHcleh'' lie
recommends abGlUoha utiehceS ior our seap0fts Ne"
YORK IN PHrucua against orces lal may lala on some
unioruhea portion "t coast ana turn the permanent
chahhel lot lcdtoas. ne tecomInehGs u'e hEhlhs o.
our IIol's Win sas, ga $500 ~. rU"lionrS m ny H@ anu S"r,s
~, [, -.. . 80 - ~ " " !, a., - H.. ,
me secretary rec lhie'S VIE "eclSFe a"JVstheht Z"
All Grains ol thls hature.
| EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS
"A report IS presented rom te ohcTr IN charge OF he
once OF eNPloaIohs anu surveys, eNGiuhS the opera
tohs that nave peeh coucte" uuoef IhS ONCE during
thg past year. 80, E. T.. WILL ,r,, . r.. ,, -
ne may toa itH ot it t ana ~ Fun @ pen
ION Ior "icl. special was maui MAJ eel
coihlnenc.u; anu hear! t"o Iu anu NY l's o
~ ~ @ vi yTi "a &c % ,fii @ % - @ es"I. ~ On %
~ @ or .b " a1 "', t i. f tb ditf ' i pen pen
I Ioii .L.o ii "s ii r ttbot % it; VI 20 nun nun