The Portland daily press., 1870-12-06

To the colored and other poor in the Distric
| of Columbia, the number of rations issued wa
90! ,S73, at cost of 5000 Coal, wood AM
coke were issued amounting to $4450, ant
clothing amounting to 1919.
The number of commissioned medical Off
GERS for duty with the troops for June 30, 1870
was lat. There were 217 military posts be
sides many detachments, each requiring tn
services of medical officer. Hence the EN-
plOyment of contract surgeons must continue
should the existing laws be unrepealed.
The present number of paymasters is S. tb'
number authorized by the law of July %, 1866
is 60, but no vacancies can be filed. This il
required by the great number of our military
posts. The monthly payment of troops in
stead of bi-monthly, as at present, will be ben
eficial
Constructions upon the permanent defence.
during tue past fiscal year have been restricted
to their repair and preservation. The Engi
neer Department has been actively engaged
upon plans for the modification of the defence:
to meet the requirements of the latest improve
ments in modern warfare.
The battalion of engineers at Willett's Point
New York. has been made the torpedo schoo
OF the army, and is engaged in Investigations
and experiments as to the best methods of EN-.
ploying this auxiliary in harbor defence.
An officer has been detailed to superintend
the survey and examination of the Willamette
river, Oregon, with view to the location OF
the proposed bridge from Portland to the east
bank of the river, but no report has yet been
received. The question of the location and
construction of the bridge across the Niagara
river, from Buffa'O to Canada, is still under
consideration by board of engineers, and
more detailed and extended surveys are in pro-
gress.
The Green Bay and Mississippi Canal Com
pany not having filed satisfactory agreement
States the property and franchises mentioned
in section OF the act of July T. 1870, for the
improvement of water communication between
the Mississippi river and Lake Michigan by
the Wisconsin and Fox rivers the amount APP
propriated by the act of July Is, 1870, 800 900,
has not become available.
1t is recommended that Rome Arsenal, New
York; Champlain Arsenal, Vermont Mount
Arsenal, Alabama; Appalachcola Arsenal,
FLORIDA; and North Carolina Arsenal, North
Carolina, be sold, and that the captured lands
in Shreveport, Louisiana, and Marshall and
Jefferson, Texas, and in Marion and Davis
counties, Texas, be also disposed Of Rock Is
land Arsenal, Illinois, has been established as
the tn principal arsenal for the valley of the
Mississippi. An arsenal of like character in
the East could be erected from the proceeds of
the sales of useless arsenals, without any ap-
preparation of funds from the public treasury.
When the new form of breech- loading arm
is decided upon and placed in the hands of
troops, there should he called in from all the
80 nAc "a VIZ Oiu Sty 10 WAiCu nave ucreIO-
fore been issued land new issue made to them,
of those of the improved pattern.
The duties imposed upon the War Depart
ment by the enactment of Congress providing
for the observation and report of storms by tel
egraph and signal have been discharged under
the management of the Chief Signal Officer
Military organization and control secures a
promptness and thoroughness in the execution
of this work perhaps not otherwise attainable.
It is asked that proper provision be made by
Congress for service involving such extended
The report pays high tribute to the late
Gen. Thomas Gen. Schofeld now commands
the Pacific division. No other changes of di-
vision or department chiefs occurred
Incursons of Indians from the south side of
the Rio Grande, seem to constitute systemat-
ic business, only to be broken up by co.opera-
ton on the part of the Mexican authorities.
Pursuit by our troops stops at the border, while
our citizens can pass into Mexico and witness
the sale of their animals recently stolen.
The report closes by recommending the con-
solidation of the different Washington offices
in one building, and with the preparation of
official war documents of the slavery rebellion.