New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-01-30

/ To n, Editor Of The y. J. 15iblHS
SIr. Hbnce is cav espe,ially of thing one does
mot r,fcr.ard II is the fi,sliln 10 abptc the con-
it-ac.s for nuskcts made by tho War Department
lint I think 10 will in the rcsnlis he io1Ld 10 ur
among the wisest acs Of Mr. Cameron thus 70 'os.,'
die establishment Of private Afm0iIcs loi 'b' manu-"
facture OF the improved or humh leId h''" u
to, one Of these contracts, which am preparing 10
cerr,. ont ir GOOD faith, ard wien ohltli't we
As,i-teUt SECRETARY OF War distinctly sLstec tla' II
was the policy Of tie Go'eiahcnt tAus 10
,,,courogo The establishment OF private afm3-
rios that the country might never again be
ItoUd ~ such an unpTepaIed state n u Wa
wien this rebellion broke out. AT that me
lie Springfield Armory, when cost many miIilo'S
of d, lars was the Only resource that lie Govern
men, had for the curly OF TIE approved mu,kc'.
, Mo ANIMAL PRODUCTION lad been about 1000 arms
f.r month: but under the extraordinary demand lor
arms its productive calac!iy as been or atty IN.
,sseI ana last month II produced, by the hid oi
Iouiside machine shofs. over o,Vuu arms, ana II is
bored that the annual production will yet exceed
10000. There are fonr or five private arinoflefi
car. lie Of producing p eco Per month, running orai
nary time. which will be IN operation durug he
Summer ard Autumn Of l>69 llese have been
started under The favorable Oilers OF the cover meut
~ so rer musket snd sppendages. The arm known
"a Inc Springfield mas ket IL Of the most perfect con-
gttuction and cannot be made in any arnory IN the
world other than the Springfield, except AZ the Cow
eminent Aimory o. Enfield, England, The machinery
for which was made Ia THIS county ana slaIleu ny
/ American mccl arics.
Tie cost Of an armory capable Of producing 1000
arms monthly Will exceed 100000, and require
reriod OF lime not less than two yeateto complete H.
Tie loatiug capital required 10 conduit ne Lusiness
|propeIly-oyen u prompt payments shonld DC inade
= vyou,d exceed 600. The Estimated cot VI pro-
Iduction OF arms ~ the Springfield ArmOry, Ind
down in the Revived Regulations, j. IL .5-lOO
dollgrs with further cost ~ 10, dollars for mp
.ueudaaes thur making market ooet OF II .}-luu
drllsr- These eiimates made under the peace
d. !. mud q cost IN.
creased since the BIZ the scarcity q experts and
the advance ~ the cost % The material required Tor
the construction. This cost, moreover includes
nothing for the interest On the vast expenditures o.
the Government at Springfield, nor for the salaries
OF oilcers, Sc II Is simply the cost Of the material
and labor expended on The gun.
The greater Part Of the machinery required for
making guns is Of that special character, that II
will be useless for other purposcs when the war is
over or the requirements Of tic Goyernmcnt
cease. 800
II IA certain that not many Of the million gun con.
trac,s can ever be completed for few parties Of cnpa
would engage In AN enterpuee involving 70 much
money and 40 much rex, for simply an order Tor
% 90 nrus except with the intention OF continuing
the manufacture "a a busness, depending upon the
private wants OF the country IN improved arms OF
peculiar construction, after the Government con-
tracts cease. $500
Tho first call for volunteers limited TO 70 900
- men. principally for the reason that any greater
+ number could not have been equipped, without
great embarrassment, a. Floyd had stolen nearly all
9f the available aTns IN our arsenals. The Govern
i ment was obliged 10 rest under the mputaIon OF not
c auUrecintin tho magnitude Of the rebellion, for II
q would have been suicidal to have proclaimed the
, actual facts; but every effort was made to procure
= arms. go
The Springfield Amory was increased. The
= markets Of tie world were canvassed. iot II was
impossible TO supply our army with suitable srnis.
d Those received from abroad proved to he, in many
instances, the rejected or eas-oh arms Of England or
, tie Continental States Meantime ourgreai require
ments already raised the price OF arms 10 such "A
degree that irst-cass musket, equal 10 the Enfield
or Springfield could not be imported al less cori
@ than syj and the market here advanced 10 So i,
d while some sales were made rs high NJ $50 Cover
uors of Staten were obliged to import arms on their
= own account knowing that their volunteers could
] not be armed otherwisei and when they arrived,
4 frequently the Government were Obliged 10 take
them for other regiments which otherwise could not
1 leave their camps. such was the demand that the
Government found great difficulty in returning such
Y loan, Even rome regiments IN the Burnside ozpo-
dtion particularly the 10th Connecticut, could not
l. leave their camp, although under marching orders.
because the Government could not return muskets
uairioticay loaned by Gov. buckingham.
This great scarcity OF arms and the possibility OF
rupture with Europe, which would cut or entirely
any further supply led the War Department to oher
, contracts 20 private aimones for the manufacture OF
gums at $50. These contracts were carefully guarded,
and were forfeited an assignment IA tho o. Iect
sas TO increase the number OF private armories and
the rrce YVES made at least s. PER musket less than
the current rate in the market The time Of delivery
{ vas put some months ahead because the machinery
for N amory cannot be got together in less than
month"; the stock alone requiring eighteen different
s macbiner for it, construction. gun cannOt lie
made with the same facility Cd pan Of Amy Shoes
= or uniform. The machines are peculiar numerous,
aud expensive, and the parties competent TO make
J, these machines very few.
At ieas. oHe-haf the muskets in the hands Of our
soldiers not what they should be, and are being
4 exchanged for tie improved mnHhet very slowly.
Meanwhile the Springfield authorities state that the
production yearly ought to be equal TO oe-thlrd Of
the aggregate in service. This would require about
10000 guns per sunum, beside the number needed
10 replace the smOOth.bOres aud unssryCeable mus
kets imported from Europe, and 70 Store up Tor iu-
lure use.
Under these circumstances submi, that II was the
policy of true wisdom Oh the part Of the Secretary
Of War TO encourage the growth OF private nrnoF1e'
by these contracts but IN every case where such
contract war obtained simply ior purposes OF specna-
ton, il should at once be snnuled. 4.
TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENTS FOR TIE
REBEL STATES.
Mr. Hutchns has introduced the following bill into
the House of Representatives:
BILL 10 establish Isrori, Government IN each - tie
districts OF country embraced Thin the limits Of the recent
Sses Of South Carolina, north Caroline teofga Florida
AaLama Mississippi, Louisiana AfiGlsas, and Tehnc'acr,
snd foI other purposts $500
e,,as Lye IA that pant tie u iisl
States heretofore snown the Stars of south Carolina Norm