New-York tribune., 1870-12-06
tor the now Onoe budins.. are particularly rooOm.

safisfactop% evidences Of the high state OF discipline
aud the comprehensive Judgment which cha[acter1Ecs
tiOn disclosed some defects and exhibited some mans %
of detail in which changes desirable put ttaned ~,
The act Of Congress passed at rs last session placing the
professors in respect to reeme1Mi ~ S Srmy /. regarded
as lust provision giving those gentlese9 s wTsu du
have been spent 9 the daily t liberal pay when the
! efficiency of the corps requires their te'uemon'
SALE or RAILWAYS.
put ltte nroeress has been made by the Railway com
ios IN sottIing the debts contracted by them at the
.,o or nv the purchase Of the material Of the
,t,,tarv railroads The total debt remaining due and
rpnaid on June 80 1870 t69i2,i6 81, principally
owing from southwestern companies. Their payments
during the year amounted to the sum OF $565ssc 49, but
owing the amount Of interest the entire reduction was
only S5S12s o. Action by Congress IN ther reneI hhs
been sought by some OF the Ioads Wnlo SUITS nave III
some cases inst utedagainst those detanltng
In the matter OF transportation, the Pacific Railroad
has saved the Government muclI money but as Deiore
stated, with the opening to settlements OF he Wider
and further into the wilderness and as the stations are
extendea the expenses Of transportation are and Will re-
During the year the Subsistence Department has been
enabled increased degree, TO purchase supplies
the points where they required for consumption
by the troops, obtaining them at much less expense
for transportation. Increased agricultural and CONNER
cal progress the States and Territories west OF the
Missouri River and the completion of the lines OF rail-
road to Denver have enabled the Department TO Obian
therein many the supplies for those sections and II is
evident that the transportation now necessary from
large quantities OF supplies furnished for the Indian
Department for Indians reservations on the Upper
Missouri River and In the Indian Territory The expenses
thereby incurred amounting to $GOOOOO. to be
funded and bills therefor being prepared for presen
The number OF commissioned medical officers for duty
with the troops June 80 1870, was l47 There were
27 military posts, beside many detachmens, each re-
Qurng the services OF medical officer. Hence, con-
tract surgeons employed the number of regular
subserved by filling the vacancies in the medical staff,
and increased efficiency gained in this branch of the
continue should the existing law be unrepealed.
Under the act of July TO- 1870 the officers of the army
kinds The system has been in operation but lew
months but that short experience shows the change 70
tOns of the old system avoided and the payments
rendered simple more prompt and far more satisfactory
1t is believed that the monthly payment OF troops, In
Stead of bmOnthly at present will be beneficial anu
II found practicable, steps Will be taken 10 secure ILLS
ENGINEER DEPARTMENT.
Constructions upon the permanent dcfenses during the
past fiscal year have been restricted to their repair and
preservation The Engineer Department has been
actively engaged upon plans for the modification OF the
defenses TO meet the requirements Of the latest improve
mens In modern warfare Many Of the plans for the de-
tense Of most important harbors have been approved
by and the estimates submitted by the Cet OF I'm
neers for carrying them out presented for the con-
sideratiOn OF Congress Sueh appropriations as were
maue dl lHe idst sS9alO va lo M 70 l.i D.,
ton NewYork Philadelphia and san Francisco are being
! applied to those defenses
Upon the Recommendation OF the Chief of Engineers
three able and experienced officers Of engineers were
sent to Europe TO examine into the manner and extent OF
the employment OF iron in seacOast defense They have
been received with great courtesy by all foreign officers
aud every facility has been Afforded them Tor making
their examinations and indebted TO the honorable
Secretary Of state for the pains he has taken " insure
The battalion of engineers stationed chiefly at Wiletts
Point, NewYork has been made the torpedo school or
the Army, and Is engaged in investigations and expert
ments as TO the best method OF employing this auxiliary
in harbor defense The battalion carefully instructed
and maintained In an efficient state for field service IL
assists in the instruction OF practical engineering at the
equpage and engineers tools at engineer depots makes
military surveys and has been occasionally called upon
for infantry service in enforcing the revenue laws which
service has been done with efficiency
The river and harbOr surveys and works have been
conducted with energy satisfactory progress has been
made, and active operations are going on, except at
points the Gulf coast where the prevalence Of
reports upon each of the surveys called for by the act Of
July last will be submitted as soon as received The
report of the Chief Of Engineers exhibits In detail all
necessary information upon the progress Of these works
Action bas been taken as follows in connection with
certain acts and resolutions passed at the last session of
Congress In accordance with the act OF February 2
vey and examination OF the willamette River, Oregon
with view TO the location Of the proposed bridge from
yet been received The question Of the location and
r falo to Canada is still under consideration by board
1T engineers and detailed and extended surveys
progress No plan and drawings of the bridge
the Arkansas River at Little Rock with map showing il
location as rsggTgSd Py the 9ft & Oh Sgy 1919 ma
L, Company, and no action has, therefore been take
T, by the Department in this matter The Green Ba.
and Mississippi Canal Company not having filed salts
" factory AGREEMENT writing to grant convey to h
section Of the act of July 1870 for the improvement
"a Of water communication between the Mississippi Rive
and Lake Michigan by the Wisconsin and Fox Rivers IN
e amount appropriated by the act OF July 5 1870 100000
)r for the improvement O he Wisconsin RIVER mas not be
available The officer in charge OF the improve
ment has been directed 10 submit project for the appi
cation Of the amount. The appropriated for widen
ing and deepening the ship canal in the Patapsco Rive
y and chesapeake Bay Is now being applied TO tins i'm
the harbOr waters OF the mouth of the Susquehann
"a River, for which sum OF $1,000 was appropriated
ne Te hoard of aicers Tor the evampaton of al
bridges erected I'm process of erection tn
now o IN sion HSs af nn1Haf Ohio The ogeSo az an m
location Of pier III the Delaware Bay, at or Lewes
Delaware, and the extent and material, whether stone
irOn to be used in its construction, is under cOnsdeTa
ton It expected that report will soon be received
to the best manner OF applying the amount apprOpri
aed for the structure The survey of the Bayou TeChe
provided by the joint resolution of May 1870 made
and the result submitted to Congress at its last session
An appropriation OF Sl75OO was subsequently made fol
the Improvement OF this bayou and contract entered
into for its execution but the work has been delayed by
/; the prevalence Of the yellow fever in that region
In the survey OF the lakes operations chiefly car
ried ON In Lake Superior, extending to Lake Michigan
close of the season, parts OF Lake Champan Such OF
the results of the surveys OF special value for
poses of navigation are made known at once by the pub
hcation OF preliminary charts preparation OF more eab
OF great utility and the estimates for this object com
mend themselves TO attention The surveys and recon
nOiSsances required III connection with the permanent
seacoast defense for other military purposes and for
the movement OF troops IN the territory occupied fire.
Qutneu lnuldh LilDcs, nave received
The geological survey the central route Of cOmmuni
cation with the Pacific coast has progressed in the
satisfactory manner and the publication OF its results
Will form highly valuable contribution TO science and
TO the varied wants OF the Government and the people
These surveys and recOnnOissances are progressing
actively in the field and Office and are essential TO tho
operations Of the Government. Provision shOdld 10
made for them By annual appropriation.
ORDNANCE.
In the Ordnance Department the estimates are far in
advance Of any submitted since the close of the war; for
the reason that no appropriation for ordnance ord
stores requested made for the present
The unexpended balances placed beyond the reach
Of the Ordnance Bureau, and much embarrassing was