Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-12-09
EVENING STAR.
Departmental Reports.
Observation-Disclosures.

Secretary Sehofield in his report says: Tn
strength Of he Army on the 3Jth OF SCpism5el
was i-.CsI, which, by the Let of January next
will be reduced, by expiration of term Of ser
vice alone, to about 1900. Orders were ISSUED
m November las: to reduce an regiments o.
Infantry and Artillery except ten hSht bat
teIles) 10 70 men per company. No recruiting
rendezvous are now IN operation except for In,
Cavalry service, and the expense OF the I. cruit
ing service is reduced TO the minimum AL
OluEteer officers, except one, have been mus
iered out OF service; AZ the suggestion o
gwen on the 9th Of October last for the rnnsfar.
IN of one regiment of Volunteer Cavalry fr,u
the State OF Kansas for service against hestile
Indlans: ne service OF this regiment Is not
expected TO exceed six mon his alter whi N IL is
hoped me Regular Cavalry will be sufficient
for the frontier service
IL may be reasonably exnectsd that a con-
EiueIaoie reduction of the Infantry OF the Army
may Dc made within the ,xt year without
u'uLnieAt 10 Zee Interests of the country, anu
tne secretary recommends that such reduction
Or autIorlzed by law 10 be mads gradually BY
oiuInaTy cast aitISs. by Discharge OF ncOmpe-
-h' and unworthy officers, and by consOlIda-
uon OF REGIMENTS. he also recommends that
tue Tour regiments constituting the eterdn
htstrNe Corps be diSbanded, officers unht Tor
acuNe service be retired and EI Others to be
transferred to active regiments I1e term CT
ehllstmen tor all arms of the service should be
lnoreased 70 five years, a. j meas ure OF economy
and efficiency.
The officers of the Bureau of Military Justice
consist OF Judge Advocate General, an ASSIs
2nt Judge Advocate General, and eight Judge
Advocates. The two vacancies in the grade OF
Judge Advocate, and the absence Of any legal
provision for filling them, has prevented a
compliance with several applications from De-
paTtment Commanders for such officers. The
work OF the Bureau is comprised IN 1916
records Of Military courts received. reviewed
and registered and. 1.4J7 reports on various
subjects especially referred for opinion. 1t
is RECOMMENDED ihat the number aud grades
of oficers Of the Bureau be permanently fixed
by law, so that vacancies may be filed.
Provision has been made during the past
year for such general instruction IN military
biography and signaling a. may be necessary
fOr the service. Books of instruction have been
furnished each company and post, aud steps
nave been taken 10 provide necessary tele-
graphic apparatus and the equipments for sig
mailing.
The report of the Quartermasier General
shows the total expenditure OF that Depart
ment during the fiscal year ending June 30.
Iobe, including claims for stores taken for the
use OF the army during the war, to be
500 6,5-l.53. Claims tor property taken
during The war have been allowed to the
amount OF SJOO,3i32~; rejected S2.65i,431.3s and
are SUI pending to the amount OF $50 5,69l.lS.
IN Inc National Cemeteries 3ls,233 remains of
soldiers have been collected. of which I15,76l
are ldehtIhed- The total cost has been about
Ss,aN,ItO. The f4e-prCOf warehouse at the
Sehuylk arsenal has been COMPLETED and the
expense of rent greatly reduced thereby. The
warehouse authorized a. Jacksonville will not
be erected, that depot will be broken IN
ne sISO,OtO appropriated for that warehouse
mas been RENTED to the Treasury. Of the debt
OF southern railroads for material sold TO them
after the war, Si,627, 69S.17 remain unpaid The
erection of a suitable building To accommodate
tne several branches OF the War Department is
recommended a measure OF economy and
fMcleney. An appropriation OF So 100 is asked
for stock farm 10 supply horses for the Cav
airy.
An increase Of the number of Assistant
Cuartermasters 10 fifty Is urgently recon-
mended as necessary to the proper admlnistra.
ton of that Department.
Attention Is invited TO the operation of the
JOINT resolution of March 81, ISIS, by which the
control OF the appropriations tor the War De-
partInent Is taken, IN great measure, from the
Secretary OF War and vested in thu accounting
officers Of the Treasury, in Consequence Of
which large sums have been and are being paiG
rom those appropriations contrary TO thu
advice and opinion Of the War Department
The disbursements Of the Pay Department
ouIing The last fiscal year have been
for the h. Euiar Army ,Sr}.96s.j3
fcr The Military Acadeny-..-... I69,log.Ji
Total -.....---......-.....--- $50 500 ,61I.65
There are now in service 81 Piynasters of
inc IreuIaI establishment and Is OF tie tempO-
TaTy establishment, il being expected that all
OF NE latter VIII be mustered out prior 10 the
date OF the n X report.
Tie disbursements for Reconstruction pur-
poses have been S2,261,i1j.G3. There remains
an available balance CT $40, $50 1t, which, il is
Renewed, viii cover ali future expenses; but as
the specific amount for each Military District
as FIX by law, authority is asked tor the trans.
III OF amounts from districts not requiring
the N 70 others InsufficIently supplied.
During the year claims for additional bouu-
" were allowed TO the number of 1892, III
tOiylng an expenditure of S1},6i9, I5s g
tiaImS Were rejected 10 the number of q.iO7,
and ltS,lti Were still unsettled at The close of
ne nscai year. Since the date of the act
s,5,l.9 claims have tSsn received, ,O9i paid,
-, a. rejected, and 1j,10j Were Yet unsettled a,
the Gate of the Paymsster Generals report.
i he total Disbursements on these claims have
been So, "a, 81 s, 10 which must be added the
CLAIMS settled by the accounting officers OF the
Z, asEry- bringing the aggregate up 10 more
thaH - t'p' 90. The expense OF settling these
CLAIMS has been kept within fva-sixrhs Of one
Fer cent. on the amount disbursed. or about
Inc average cost OF seventy per claim. II f.
recommended that the Attn OF March next b.
nxf q by law as the date beyond which no more
olaIms Will be received, and that all claims
then remaining unsettled b. transferred 10 tha
Second Auditor VI the Treasury for DISPOSE
ton.
All officers of the Corps of Engineers. excspt
y, are employed on various special and de-
tached dutles-engaged upon the permanent
iauChaI oeienses, survey OF the lakes, i'm
IrONement Cf MYERS and harbors, explorations,
CONN and and Instruction of engineer troops,
ard m charge of the public buildings. grounds
and works IN the District of Columbia.
Estimates amounting 10 >i5,iuJ for erecting
ana eoEtiL uIEg The erection of Engineer bar
racks are submitted
Extensive surveys FOR the i'm proyement of
riyers and haIbOrs have been and are being
made, and the preparation of the necessary
Ilans Is being conducted with great energy.
ne appropriations for puelic worAs in the
District OF Columbia have been Well applied
and with satisfactory suits
he Expenditures of the Ordnance Depart
ment during The last fiscal year, for all purpo-
res, inclusive of the paymeat of war claims,
Were little more than $780, OJ-less than
thIee-tftLs Of The expenditure Of the preceding
year.
few smoo,h-bore and rifle guns Of heavy
eahbre, are being made, tor tiih If their 20 yer
and endurance. When the most suitable kinds
have been determined large lumber Of guns
Tor foruhca'iOns VIII have 20 be made. and au-
thority 10 make them as fas; as can be done is
"a ked
The necessity OF draining the extensive
marsh-lands reclaimed by enlarg cement of the
Washington arsenal grounds Is set for b in the
report Of the Chief OF Ordnance.
Large reductions of the officers and agents Of
the Freedmsn's Bureau have been made during
the year, and arrangements are in progress to
close II up by the LIST of January next, except
the educational and claims divisions. The to.
tai expenditure Of the Bureau during the rs.
car year were S3,@-s ,oiI-72. The balance on
nanu was s3-622u67.S:. The Commissioner
recommends appropriations 10 continue the
hospitals al New Orleans, Nicksbury. Rich
mond and WshngLon. To dispose of the
TO the corporations and u ustee. who now have
them in charge, guarantees 70 BE- taken that thew
shall Dot Be diverted from their proper uses
A grant Of public lands In aId Of The scnoals ~
the District of Columbia. OF all grades, is re-
&C mmend-d.