The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-12-09

annual appropriation for arming and equip
ping the militia, and q mere reference to its
Importance to the interests OF the whole
country is now made. The annual appro-
priation of $780, 900 was made in 1908, when
the population was about eight millions. At
the present time, with population OF over
forty millions, the amount appropriated Is
still the same, and IL is impossible for this
department to meet all the demands made
upon It by the States and Territories. III 1t
be the intention and desire of Congress, as
expressed In the act of 1908, TO provide
earns for the whole body of the militia Of
the United States" then the necessary means
ought to be supplied by largely increasing
the annual appropriation. The last official
report gives the aggregate strength OF the
militia Of the United States Organized, 84,-
72i; oreanized, 3,701 ,977; and there is
little doubt that were earns and military
equipments" more freely supplied, the or
ganized force would be largely augmented.
The hope is entertained that this may receive
the attention of the proper committee OF
Congress, and that further legislation may
be had at its next session. The Secretary
recommends the retention of all the arsenals
east of the Mississippi, except those at Pixies
vile, Maryland, Detroit and Columbus, as
essential for the necessities of the Ordnance
Department, unless the plan proposed by
the Board of Arsenals in 1874 is carried out.
He also recommends an appropriation for
the purchase of site and erection OF
magazine for the storage of gunpowder.
The entire army has been supplied with
new rifles and carbines, caliber 40, and we
have now in store reserve supply OF these
arms of twenty-six thousand. At the end OF
the present fiscal year our reserve supply
may reach a total Of forty thousand arms of
the new model and caliber-about enough,
in case of war, to arm one army corps. Our
soldiers should be armed with the best
weapon that ingenuity aud workmanship
can produce, and in our country, where
armies are to be imprOvised, made up on the
instant by recruits from the anvil and the
pillow, the want of military discipline and
training should be much as possible COM
pensated for by the quality of the weapon
the soldier is to use. Our arsenals should,
therefore, be well stocked at all times with
a large reserve supply of the best rifles and
carbines.
The actual expenditures of the War
Department for the year ending
June 80, 1874, including river and
harbor improvements, were.......".. S42,32S,3i4 IL
The same for the last fiscal year, end
ing June 80, 1875, were...........-. 4l,277S7o %
Showing reduction of ............. S1,0iS 939 40
The estimates for the military estab-
lishment for the ensuing fiscal year
ending June 80 1871, are. ........ S33, 1886 80
Those for the current fiscal year, end
ing June 80, 1876, were..........." 81 4sS.969 90
Being an increase of.................. 1908 427 90
The appropriations for that purpose
for the current fiscal year, were..... S72740I 30
The report of the commanding General of
the Department of Texas contained detailed
information concerning the difficulties which
have created such excitement on the Lower
Rio Grande, where some of the most promi
nent officers and wealthy merchants OF that
part of Mexico appear to be regularly en-
gagged in fitting out parties to plumber the
stock.ranches on this side of the river. Re-
ports of murder in open daylight of several
influential citizens, including United states
officials and soldiers, aud other dastardly
outrages on the part of these vagrant Next
cans, were made to the division commander,
who invites attention to the grave character
of the invasions, and the Importance of
prompt and decisive measures on the part OF
the Government for their suppression.
Many of the reports from that locality are
probably sensational in character, and are
believed TO have been instigated by parties
whose personal interests would be subserved
by the presence of more troops on the
borders of Texas; but many others are OF
undoubted reliability, and measures have
been instituted by the department COM
mander, under orders from superior authori-
ty, to preserve the integrity of and enforce
a proper regard for the territory of the
United States.
Good progress has been made during the
year in the preparation of the official records
of the war Of the rebellion, both in the Fed
eral and Confederate branches. l have
placed the general supervision OF the COM
pilation of these records in the charge OF the
Chief Clerk of the Department, who, under
my direction, has organized sufficient force
of assistants, selected from those clerks who
are best acquainted with the arrangement of
the official papers on hand, and who are well
al tAI q 4, Co. th. kxxa
perience with department and army records.
Information has been received from diff
ferent sources that many private individuals
have in their possession important official
records, principally of the late Confederate
Government, which they are willing to dis
pose of for a consideration, but for the pur-
chase of which there are no funds available
at the disposal Of this department. OF
course these records are properly the prop
erty of the government, but it seems impos-
sible to obtain the information necessary to
their recovery through the courts, or other
wise than purchase. No doubt is entertained
but that many of these papers contain data
that would enable the government to detect
many fraudulent claims, which could only
be proven to be such by the agency of these
papers, and it is recommended that Con-
gress, by appropriate legislation, place this
department in position to recover such as
properly belong to its files. As it now is,
these confederate records are so incomplete
that the result of their compilation will ne
cessarily be very unsatisfactory to all con-
cerned.
On the LIST of March, s72, an act was passed
by Congress, dedicating and setting apart as
public park, or pleasure-ground for the
benefit and enjoyment of the people, large
tract of land in the Territories of Montana
and Wyoming, lying along the head aters of
the Yellowstone. This includes and en-
braces that portion of the country alluded to
above, whose attractive localities and won
derful geysers were first discovered by Lieut.. |
Doane and the party which accompanied
him, in 1870.
Under the above named act of Congress,
this park is under the exclusive control of
the Secretary of the Interior, but IL may not
be out of place for me to state in this report |
that it is the wish and desire of this depart |
ment to unite with the Secretary of the In !
terror in doing what is possible to be done |
with the limited appropriation at hand for |
opening and surveying this region, so APP |
called Wonderland" At pres |
ent it can not be reached except by long and |
tiresome travel, of from the usual route but |
when railroads are built in that direction,
and when that region is opened to more |
prompt communication, IL will doubtless be |
the resort each year of thousands of those
who will seek to visit il.
The curiosities OF the park are rapidly be-
ing destroyed. How they can be preserved
is problem, but they should be saved; and
il authority were given to the War Depart
ment to make survey Of the routes alluded
to, and to station one or two companies of
troops in or near the park for the purpose
of preventing spoliation, which will other
wise frequently occur, have no doubt that
the result would be satisfactory. Surely
everything should be done that can be TO pro-
tect all that is grand and beautiful in that re-
region.
The total expense of making full and sat
exhibit of our war materials has
heretofore been estimated at 100000. Con.
gress, at the last session, appropriated only
$l33O0O for this amount, and burdened the
with pro rata share of the
expense of any building that might be
erected for the accommodation of the entire
government exhibit. Experience has shown
that the amount thus left for the practical
exhibit of theWar Department is In adequate,
and recommend that Congress supplement