Evening star., 1866-12-03

reduction Of the colored troops during The
year has been 75,C2&, and At this date one regi-
nent Of artillery and thirteen OF infantry,
numbersse about looo0 officers and Enlisted
nen. remain in the service. Commenced in
May, 1855, the work Of disch areiag and return
Ing 10 their homes i-OA,064 volunteers would
have been corn peted within three months bat
for the necessity OF retaining in service part Of
that force. Past experience shows that, should
any national emergency require a larger force
armies could be swtftiy orSan,xed al Ieas, TO
the full strength Of q million OF men
The red suction Of the army has been aft- -nded
by q corresponding reduction of material and
retrenchment Of expenditures.
The importance Of speedily providing the
army with breech- loading small arms of the
best pattern mas been recosniSed and acted
upon. BY an order Of January 3, 1896, board
Of competent oficers was convened for the
purpose Of examining, testing and reporting on
the various models Of original breecs -iosders,
and The various plans Tor the conversion INTO
brsech b leaders of the arms heretofore horne by
our troops. This board met on March 10, and
continued in session until June 4, when its re-
pert was submitted, and directions have been
given the ordnance department for the speedy
manufacture of breech loading arms. In view
OF the great number OF small arms on hand, 10
has been deemed advisable 70 convert Spring
neld rife-muskeis, at a comparatively email
cost, into efficIent breech- losders, rather than
10 incur the cost OF the entire manufacture of
new arms Of that description. At a time too,
when the invent on may not have been per-
fected. This alteration of the Springfield mus
ket has been ne cted 20 successfully 20
der 81 an ann believed TO be better in all re-
specis ihen the Prussian needle gun. while its
metallic ammunition ~ regarded as superior TO
that OF the latter. The department has already
on hand treeCh, ,loaders OF approved patterns
adequate fer the supply of The cayairy, ana
mounted and hight infantry.
The total estimate Of military appropriations
for The fiscal year ending une 81. lsS-, is s25,-
2O5,66960. The estimated appropriate re-
Quired for the purposes of the Adiutaut Gen
.Ials office is $4,000. The officers Of the In
specior Generals Department are now those
OF The regular establishment. No appropris-
ilon is required Tor this service. No further
appropriations are required for the regular
service OF the quarteimaster's department, as
d Is believed that the balances now available.
and the sums received and TO be received. will
suffice for the next fiscal year. For contn-
Rencies he sum OF SlUOotO IS requested. The
total amount of money drawn from the Treas
ury and disbursed by the subsistence depart
ment during the past fscal year was s7,5le,-
so 25i. including payment of claims under the
Act OF July 4, 1864. No Appropriation 10 re-
quired for the next fiscal year Medical de-
partment receipts amount TO $3.50, I64 -.
Total disbursements during the fiscal year,
S2,e31, SOL "a; balance in Treasury June 30, 1856,
S2.5i6,i5..li. The estimated appropriation re-
quiree for the medical department for the next
fiscal year rs $4,000. The estimated approprI-
ations Of the pay department amount 10 Sl7.-
7:s,5606O for pay OF the army for the next fscaI
year, and for the corps of engineers So. 10000
The Ordnance Department now limits The
operations at arsenals to the construction OF
wroufht-iron sea-coast carriages, and such
ordnance supplies a. are needed for immediate
use; preserN alton OF the ordnance stores left
on hand at the close Of The war; breaking up
pnserNiceable ammunition: and completing
unfinished buildings. Fire proof workshops
have been completed at " Watervliet, Fran kford,
and Allegheny arsenals; three magazines. with
a capacity for storing 1900 barrels of gun
powder, have been built at 81. Louis arsenal,
and one OF the same capacity AT each Of the
arsenals at Washington City and Benicis.
board OF officers Is engaged IN examining suit
EunDOw0pr.
yioed for by an appropriation of the last ses-
sion of Congress; ard the erection of such
magazines as will furnish secure and suitable
storage for all our powder, ammunition, and
nlire Will be commenced early next epring
The arsenals at the South which were seized
by the rebels, having been retaken, are re-
occupied, excepting The North Carolina arse
nal, which was destroyed, the Harper's Perry
armory, the workshops Of which were burned,
AID which has been used as an ordnance depot,
the arsenal IN lorioa which has been trans
ferred temporarily TO the freedmen's bureau.
and the arsenal i'm Arkansas, which is occupied
by troops of the line. The Cher of Ordnance
Is Of opinion that IL Is not al isable TO rebuild
the North Carolina arsenal, or 10 re-establlsh
the armory at Harper's Ferry, and the sale OF
both lie recommended.
At the last examination the corps OF cadets
At the Military Academy numbered two huR-
ored and twenty eight members, and forty ca
dets OF the graduating class completed the
course OF studies and were commissioned lieu
tenants in the army The estimated appropri-
alton for the Military Academy is S3i3,e67
In he Bureau Of Refugees, Freedmen and
Abandoned Lands, the Commissioner reports
that there is no material change Of organiza-
ton. but business is facilitated and yexed
questions settled by The law of lSoG Tne Bu-
rsau has a balance on hand for purposes of
expenditure OF s6,5l3,S6555 ana there is re-
quired S}.s30,3O.UO.
In compliance with recent enaetments of
Congress, Comm ssioners tC assess the value of
slaves enlisted INTO the United States army
during the war have been appointed for MIS-
souri, Mary land. kentucky, and Tennessee