Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-12-05

sible to reduce the force in that quarter, but
it is hoped that an improved condition of af'
fairs may ere long permit the desired redoc'
ton.
The Interest of coiored soldiers, sailors and
marines, engaged in the late war having oeeh
transferred from the Freedmans bureau 10
the War Department, are being faithfully
cared for in reference to their claims Tor pay
, bounty, prize money, and the Ike. The sec
rotary recommends the adoption Of q code
providing specific penalties for well defined
offences in the military service, for the gov
eminent of courts martial, in order that great
er uniformity of punishment my be secured !;
also, that suitable places for confinement OF
prisoners guilty of military offences, be pro-
vded, in order to obviate the necessity OF
sending them to jails and penitentiaries to
herd with common criminals. The examina-
the late war have been completed, and the
business of the department brought up to the
present time. All accounts Of money and
and transmitted to the treasury for final set
Element. The balance due to the government
from indebted Southern railroads now amounts
to S4734, 442.43, some three hundred and
! seventy thousand dollars having been realized
from this source during the year.
The national cemeteries, numbering seventy
four. contain the remains of 3l7, 9G2 persons,
and the greater portion of these grounds have
been, or will soon be, enclosed. The Gettys-
burg Cemetery has been transferred to the
care of the War Department and accepted
under resolution of Congress. Legislation
is recommended for placing the United States
Cemetery near the City of Mexico on the
same basis with those at home, with regular
SUPERINTENDENT and share Of the annual APP
propriation for cemeteries. The monthly re-
| ports of sick and wounded of the army
! Tor the last year show an average mean
strength Of 24,lOl white and 2494 colored
soldiers. The deaths reported among the
white troops amounted to 807, and among the
colored to so.
| The report recommends sale of such of
the government arsenals east Of the Missis-
sippi as can be spared, and that the proceeds
be applied to the construction of one large
arsenal on the Atlantic coast. The former
government policy of establishing arsenals in
almost every State in the Union is deemed to
be unnecessary at the present day, owing to
the greatly improved means for rapid COM
mupication, and the consolidation of several
local arsenals into one establishment is ad-
vised upon economical grounds. The work
upon coast defences and Notifications has
been steadily and vigorously prosecuted
during the last year, and means for the ener-
getic continuance of this work are asked for.
The success of the experiments under Majo
II. l.. Abbott, with torpedoes, for accessory
1aca hoSh aa cfu to
warrant the adoption of this new explosive
power bv the department, and an estimate has
been submitted for means TO apply the system
to few of the principal harbors. The in
creased security and facility to navigation
which the government works for river and
harbor improvements have afforded, are
urged by the Secretary as strong induce
ment for the further prosecution of these i'm
provements. The bridge across the Mssis-
sippi at Rock Island has been completed and
| it is to be opened at once for railroad and
wagon use. The site for another bridge
across the same river, at La Crosse, as au-
thorized by act of Congress, has been select
ed by the department.
The survey of the lakes has been prosecu-
ted to completion on Lake Superior, and
nearly so on Lake Michigan, while satisfac-
~ progress has been made upon Lakes Erie,
Ontario and Champlsin and the St. Lawrence
river. The geographical exploration of the
Rocky mountain region is nearly completed,
and similar reconnosances have been made
in the region of the Upper Yellowstone river
| and of the Utah mountains. The survey of
the boundary line, between the United States
and the British territory, from the Lake Of
the Woods to the Rocky mountains, is now
| in progress. The report contains much inn
portant and satisfactory information as to the
business of the signal office, and the extern
sion OF its operations. The veritication of
the forecasts of meteorological condition,
known as probabilities" gives the highly
satisfactory result of about seventy-seven
per cent. as the proportion Of accurate pre-
dictions at the present time, and with pros
pect of still greater certainty in the forecast
as the facilities for Geographic communication
shall be multiplied Secretary Belknap closes
his brief and comprehensive report with
statement of the condition of the Military
Academy at West Point, and suggests some
modification of the existing mode of select
ing cadets, with view of securing better
qualifications on the part of those who are
admitted.