Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1872-12-07

e.,
are $38,SOl ,37S.7S The estimates of the Chief
OF Engineers are submitted separately for
| iorhncatOns, river aud harbor improvements,
ana lOr pubic buildings and grounds and the
Washington Aqueduct. The affairs of the
Freedmens Bureau have all been transferred
TO the War department, and regulations have
been put into execution for the speedy pay
mcnt OF bounty, pay, etc, due cOlorcd soldiers
| properly coming under that bureau. All war
accounts for money and property prior iO 1871 ,
have been examined and transmitted TO the
Treasury for final settlement During the
| fiscal year there has been paid for ira nsporta.
| ton ON Railroads, 81 100000 of which $50.
S57 was over the Pacific Railroads; for trans.
portatiOn 10y water, $62 637 ,352 and by stages
| $4o,9I5o4 aud iOr The purchase of trunspOr-
| taion animals, wagons, hire of team sters, etc,
1924, ,65O.O4. About S37o,o have been col
lected from Southern railroads during the year,
leaving about $4Ooo,ooo still due. The
| quarterlnaster has examined and transmitted
To the accounting officers for settlement, $780,.
7l72I2 OF claims Cy loyal citizens Tor quniter-
masters stores taken during the war Sub
sistence supplies to the amOult of So 904Sl2
have been issued TO Indians. The annual
average mean strength Of the army was "a
l0l white and 2,494 colored soldiers. The
total number of deaths for the year reported
were 361 white and "a coOred. The disiribu-
tion OF the medical and surgical history of the
war is yet To be ordered by Congress. There
exists AN absolute necessity for medical corps
| of the full number established by act of Con
gress OF July %, 1856 there being now 80
vacancies aud the number OF successful candi-
dates rarely exceeds eight or ten in any one
| year. Tue river and harbOF improvements
have been carried on with energy and economy
! Though many are only partially completed,
! the results have saved to Commerce many times
the amount expended. The increase vi COM
! merce, with greater depth of channels, greater
security in navigation, and the saving VI time
adds millions To the wealth of the country, and
increases the resources of the government.
The bridge across the Mississippi river at Rock
! Island has been cOmpleed and the proper
site has been determined upon at La Crosse.
The able and exhaustive report made by the
Commissioner appointed to investigate the
Sutro Tunnel has been transmitted to Con-
gress.
SIGNAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT..
The observations and report of the signal
Office have been continued. Stations nave
been maintained al each of the principal lake.
seaport and river cities ten additional stations
have been maintained in the United States and
arrangements hav@ been made for an exchange
ui reports with Canada, and similar exchange
of observations Is contemplated with the Vest
luda Islands.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO CoNGREss
The favorable attention of Congress is in
vited to the following recommendations OF
the Secretary OF War: A discuulnuance of
the appointment of extra licutenants 10 serve
AS adJul"nts and quartermasteis the adoption
OF cQde providing specific penalty Tor
| well defined offense so that The inequality OF
sentences adjudgtd by court martial may be
adjusted; the consultations of accounts un-
der which expenditures are made as II measure
ot economy IA re-apprOprialion of the money
for depot at San Antonio, the title to the
site being now perfected; u special act
placing the cemetery at the city of Mexico on
The same basis as other national cemeteries;
authority 10 purchase military posts in Texas;
the appointment of COmmisary ser geunts from
nOn-commissoned officers, as "a measure for
securing the better care and protection of
supplies; an appropriation of the catalogue
table ot the anatomical section OF the Army
Medical Museum; re-apprnpration of the
| amount Tor the manufacture of breech loading
| arms, should The selection be 50 delayed by the
! Board OF Officers aS to leave the former up-
preparation unexpended nj the close of the
fiscal year; the state of such arsenas east of
| The Mississippi as Can be spared, and the pro-
| ceeds applied to the establishment of one large
| arsenal oi construction and repair upon the
| Atlantic coast, and the purchase of n suitable
site lor proving and experimental ground
| Tor heavy ordinance; the abrogation of the
| laws which deprive inventors i'm the United
! States service from deriving any benefit from
| their inventions; the repeal of the law pro.
hlOltlng promotions in the staff corps ; a CON
| tnuance OF the work upon the coast dcfenccs :;
The repeal OF the seventh section of tho act OF
July l3, 1866, taking from an engineer soldier
NE per diem granted TO other troops; a.lmi-
taliOn OF time for the pres s.nialiOn of subsist-
cnce supplies, under net OF July 4th 1854, and
mOdlncalion OF the mode OF the selection OF
Cadets Tor the Military Academy in order
10 enhance the usefulness of the Academy,
winch Is impaired 10y reason OF the large
amount OF time necessarily expended in giving
nlw Rasl 10
elementary branches OF learning, which they
should acquire before enternin5 the Academy
also an appropriation Tor philosophical appa-
ralus, ana an increase in the number and the
pay OF the Military Academy Band
THE SUBJECT OF CHEAP TRANSPORTATION
The attention of Congress will be called
during lis present session TO various enter
priscs for the more certain and cheaper trans.
porlati0ns OF the constantly increasing surplus
ui The Western and Southern products to the
Atlantic seaboard The subject is one that
will force itself upon the Legislative branch of
the government sooner or later and / suggest,
therefore, that immediate steps be taken TO
gain all available information to insure an
equitable and just legislation. The route to
connect the Mississippi valley with the Allan
Tic at Charleston, South Carolina, and Sayan.
nah, Georgia, by water, by the way of the
ONO and Tennessee rivers, and canals and
sluckwater navigation to the Savannah and
OcnulSee rivers, has been surveyed and report
made by an accomplished engineer, an officer
of the army. The second and third new
routes will be proposed for the consideration
OF Congress, namely, by an extension OF the
kanawha and james River Canal To the Ohio,
and by the extension OF The Chesapeake and
Ohio Canal. am notprepared to recommend
government and 10 these or other enterprises
until II is clearly shown that they are not only
OF national interest but that, when completed,
they will be OF u value commensurate with
their cost, That production increases more
rapidly than the means of transportation in
our country has been demonstrated by past
experience; that the unprecedented growth in
population and products vi the whole country,
will require additional facilities and cheaper
means inr the more bulky articles of commerce
to reach tide water and a marker, will be de-
mandcd IN the near future, is equally demon
srable. would therefore suggest either u
committee or commission 10 be authorized to
consider this whole question, and 10 report TO
Congress AZ some future day, for its better
guidance IN legislating ON the important sub.
Ject The railroads OF the country have been
rapidly extended during the last few years to
meet the growing demands of producers, and
reflect much credit upon the capitalists aud
managers engaged in their construction In
addition TO these, project to facilitate COM
merce by the building OI u ship canal around
Niagara Falls, ON the United States side,