Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1869-12-03

which F2ss,033 81 have been allowed, !
and y, ,5sl, ,06I IS have been rejected.
During the fiscal year 1897 accounts
and returns have been received, from |
various offices, of which ii ,7s7 have been
examined and referred to the Third An
dlIor for final settlement. A change in
the army ration, by extending the vari-
ETY. Of articles, and also In the manner of
disposing Of the savings OF soldiers
fnesses ard bakeries would be of advan-
tAge. A change in the law Ia recon-
mended so as 10 allow officers OF :be line i
when acting as assistant commission /
ers Of subsistence $40 per month in |
addition to their pay, instead Of $40 less |
one ration per day, now allowed.
THE RIVER AND HARBoR WORKS
have progressed as rapidly as the means
appropriated for their execution allowed. |
The appropriation in April last of g.
| 000, 600 for these works was distributed /
| In accordance with the law so as to sub
serve the interests Of commerce. The
survey of Northern and Northwestern
lakes has progressed commensurateiy
with the amounts appropriated for con-
| ducling it. The Lake Superior survey
| is dra wing TO completion. II has devel-
| oped many new harbors OF refuge, and
| made known dangers to navigation
| highly important 10 the commercial in
/ terests of the States dependent upon the
| water line of communication for the
transportation of cereals and ores.
Reeonnoissanees and geographi-
! cal and geological explorations
| and surveys have been con-
tinued during the year In ths terri
tory west Of the Mississippi river, and
the information thus obtained Is sup
piled TO the troops occupying that sec
| ton of the county. The survey of the
Colorado of the West has not for special
reasons been resumed. Collateral sur
vevs now i'm progress may furnish evil
dence Of the necessity OF the survey of
the upper portions Of the river and Of
the Improvement Of the lower portion as
line Of military supply and Of travel
ana transportation from the mines OF
Southern Nevada. The geological sur
vey, Just completed from Sierra Nevada
to the Rocky mountains, is fruitful in
valuable results, especially In relation
70 the mining regions and TO the extent
of the coal formation. 1t also furnishes
other scientific data OF great interest.
, Liberty arsenal, Missouri, has been
sold during the year. under authority of
the act of July %, 1868, and realized the
sum of $S, ,0l2 so. The St. Louis arsenal
| will be sold under the same act as soon
as it can be spared, but certain buildings
thereat should be reserved from sale and
devoted to general army purposes. The
l sale OF the ATnOEY DEOp-
erty will take place on November 80,
1863. The Rome arsenal, the Champlain
arsenal, the Mount Vernon arsenal
| (Alabamal, the Appalachicola arsenal
| and the North Carolina arsenal are
| recommended 10 be sold. Il is advisable
that this should be done. and that the
| captured lands in Shreveport, Louisi-
ana, in Marshall and Jeffer.
son, Texas, ard in Marion
and Davis counties, Texas, should be
similarly disposed of. A principal arse
nal of construction and deposit and a
powder depot are recommended to be
| established on the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts and In the valley ofthe Mississippi.
The sale of some Of the present eastern
arsenals is ssuggestt as means TO raise
| funds whprewith 10 establish the pTinoi-
pal arsenal for the Pacific coast. Rock
Island is the principal point for the prin-
cipal arsenal for the valley of the Missis-
sippi. Powder depots should be estab-
lished on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
The army will probably be able to alb
sorb the cadets as fast as they graduate,
. | II being but two-fifths larger than the
now authorized mum Der, while the army
has more than doubled in the meantime.
Upon the question of raising the
standard of admission, he remarks that
every addition to the list Of preparatory
| qualifications necessarily restricts the
} | circle from which can be drawn, and
that the present list embraces all the at
J taInmeuts that can be obtained by a
very large majority Of the youth OF the
country.
Since ghe standard was raised by law
IN 1866, the reiections for want Of the
necessary educational requirements have
increased from IS per cent. to q per
cent. AS substitute for the other re-
! commentators of the Board, the In
spector proposes schools Of appli-
cation for the several arms, such
as exist In Europe and have always
been favored by military officers here,
and the nucleus for two of which are to
be foEnd in the artillery school at Fort
ress Monroe and one of the three enRi
neer depots already established. He
gives various reasons for his PROPOSE
/, tion; principal among them the ready
and economical application OF facilities
already at hand, and the depressing in
fiuence upon the cadets of long resi-
dence amid unchanging scenes and IN
varying modes of life, study and disci-
| pline. The estimates for the support Of
the academy during the coming fiscal
year amount to $3.50, ,264 20, of which
$2l2, ,0l9 20 is for pay and allowances of
instructors and cadets.
The division commanded by Lieuten-
ant General Sheridan embraces the De-
partments of Dakota, the Platte and the
Missouri, commanded respectively by
Major General w. s. Hancock, Brevet
Major General Augur and Brevet Major
General Schofield. These three depart
ments cover a territory of great extent,
| In which most OF the civilized, semi
civilized and wild Indians abide, and