The New York herald., 1872-11-08
THE ARMY.
Tho Annual Report Of the Secretary Of War-Im-
portant Recommendations Plans for Har-
Dor Defence by Torpedoes Perfected.

WASHINGTON, NOV. z, 1877.
The report OF the Secretary Of War this year p
quite brei, the Secretary having but little to o. q
choosing to say 1t In as few words as possible.
compliments Congress by remarking that f.ne AZ ~
legislation OF last session was so cor r.rpete
little room Is left for legislative re.ommep ...o
The most important suggestion. is for T. - as.sn
llshment Of military prison. system In lace ~ the
present arrangement OF sending arr w. conv,c,o to
State penitentiarles, where puy ,ahmepts ara
neither uniform nor sautary. Tb a sacretarv bad
the whole subject investigator loo, wear ANA 10
satisfied that military prisons ara not on,v far teas
costly than the present syst am but are tn
the prisoner, and wour i save the loss OF self
respect entalled upon a man Gagged for purely
nili'ary onenoc nth thieves and male
'aosors' inc oeore' airy also urges the enactment
Of code OF spe' ,iac uunshments for specIded
Grimes ana one noes common to army life, the
present custop OF leaving punishment to the dis
creton o' GOV rts martial being so unsystematc that
"'o,1'.. liable to get two or ten years. condne-
"ehs pc' ore different Courts for precisely the
same OF .ence The President, other reviewing
su'nor ity, being invested with full parlOning and
coinu ,uting powers, there Is no occasion for wide
oisV retion in courts martial.
Jesertons are reported as greatly fallen or the
ast year. under the influence Of the law increasing
the pay and the improved system Of paying the
troops, aided by other arrangements for the in
] creased comfort and welfare OF the soldier.
The secretary renews the recommendation that
the extra lieutenant allowed to each regiment
IN the army be dispensed with as vacancies
! occup thereby saving 100000 year on officers
whose duties might advantageousy be discharged
| bySletail. He calls attention to the recommends
tien OF heads OF STAFF corps asking that their corps
DC opened to promotion by the repeal or modifica-
don Of the prohibitory act OF 1862 and indirectly
advises the raising Of the intellectual standard OF
admission to West Point by attributng the large
number OF failures OF cadets to graduate to the
present low standard. The Secretary recommends
the sale Of large number OF now useless arsenals
In the South and elsewhere, and the establishment
of general arsenal Of construction the Atlantic
slope and another IN the Pacific. These arsenals,
with that already at Rock Island, in the Mississippi
Valley, would efficiently meet the wants Of the
| vice in time of need.
Under the late act OF Congress requiring the
selection OF three systems OF heavy ordnance
for experimental trial the Ordnance Bureau
IS In communication with persons repre-
senting several approved systems; but
progress is naturally slow. The same remark ap-
plies to the selection Of breech-loading small arms
for the army and militia, the productive capacity
OF the country beng so great, when occasion re-
quires, that the more important consideration is
to get the best arm that deliberative and ex-
haustive effort can obtain Excellent results have
been obtained, through the efforts OF army engi-
neers, with projects for harbor defence which con-
sst OF earthen barbette batteries strong enough
to resist the mammoth projectiles Of modern iron
cads mounted with guns delivering q fire Of equal
or greater weight The guns are protected from
injury from direct, nank slightly cured fire. ex
cept at the moment OF firing, by being lowered be-
hind the parape after each discharge though satis
factory carriage for such purpose is not yet secured
| Channel ObatructiOna fOrnadOas ar vol 1uah hIn
accessories to harbor defence, though helpless
without the protection OF heavy batteries. The
torpedo experiments of the engineers far
successful to determine the proper system to be
adopted and recommendation is made for means
to begin the accumulation and storage OF torpedo
material for the defence OF New York and other
| important harbors
The system OF the inspection OF disbursng off,
| cers' accounts and funds promised in the last re-
port. is mentioned as put into operation every
army disbursng oficer being now subject to fre-
quent inspection and veriication OF balances, and
an inspector in each district held responsible for all
| defacations that proper vigilance on his part
| could prevent. The new system Is confessedly
stringent, and cautionary rather than neces-
sary, there being no reason to suspect any
oficer in the service OF inability to
settle his accounts and branch OF the service
the Corps OF Engineers-now Tor the first time
brought under outside supervision, having for
the seventy years Of its existence disbursed the
immense appropriations for fortGcations and
| rivers and harbors without giving bond or cm.
beZzling dollar.
The Secretary repeats his regrets OF last year
that onesixth OF the army Is still detained in the
Southern States east OF the Mississippi, but hopes
the improving social condition OF that section will
gradually relieve the force for service on the from
tier He also reports yearly descending scale OF
expenditure for the support Of the military estab--
| lishment.
HID pTMN MT WIG