The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-12-08

Df this session, as there has not been
lime for that mature deliberstion which
The importance of the subject demands.
Therefore, l ask that the time of max
ing the report be extended 20 the 29th
day of January, 1877. In accordance
with the resolution of August Is, 1876.
the army regulations prepared under the
act of March l, 1875. have not been pro-
mulgated, bni are held until after the
report of the above mentioned Commis-
sion shall have been received and acted
upon. By the act of Angus, Is, 1876,
the cavalry force of the army was in
creased by 2 800 men, with the provi-o
that they should be discharged on the
expiration Of the hostilities. Under
this authority the cavalry regiments !
have been strengthened, and portion Of
them are now in the field pursuing the
remnants of the Indians with whom |
they have been engaged during the
summer. The estimates of the War
Department are made up on the basis Of
the number of men authorized by law
and their regiments, ~ shown by years
of experience, and also with the purpose
of part of the bureau officers to pro-
vide for all contingencies that may arise
during the time Tor which the estimates
are made, exclusive of the Engineers
estimates, presented in accordance with
the acts of Congress calling for surveys
and estimate. for Improvements at var
ious localities. The estimates now pre-
sented are about Sc, 900 900 in excess Of
the appropriation for the years 1S74-5,
1875 g. This increase is asked in order
to provide for the increased cavalry
force should their service be necessary,
to prosecute economical work upon i'm
portans public builsings, to provide for
the armament Of for,ifcntioDs and man
ufacture Of small arms, and replenlsh
the working stock in the supply depart
ments. The appropriations for tho.e
Last named have for the past few year.
been so limited that the accumulations
in store will be entirely exhausted dur
ing the present year. and it will be nee
essary to at once begin to repleni-h them.
invite your especial attention to the
following recommendations of tbs Sec
retnry of War: First, that the claim
under the act of July 4, 1864, for sup-
plies taken by the army during the war.
be removed from the offices of Quarter
MASTER and Commissary Generals and
transferred to the Southern Claims Com.
mission. These claims are Of precisely ,
similar nature to those now before the
Southern Claim Commission and the
War Department Bureaus have not the
clerical force for their examination nol
proper machinery for investigating the
loyalty the claimants.
: Second-That Congress sanction tha
: scheme of an aDnunity fund for thu
; benefit of the families of deceased off
: GERS, and that it also provide for thu
, permanent organization of the regular
service, both of which were recommend
ed in my last annual message.
Third-That the manufacturing oper
ations of the Ordnance Department b.
I concentrated at three arsenals and al
armory, and that the remaining arsenal
b. a,II opI ha nraoaoI. ppltoI tn thi
= object by the Ordnance Department.
RIVER AND HARBOR IMPROVEMENT.
' The appropriations for river and har
Y Dor improvements for the currant yea
f we're S5,O15,OO With my approval
the Secretary of~War directed that @
h this amount 100000 should be expend
Y ed and no new works should be. begu
and none prosecuted which were not c
@ National importance. Subseguentl
h this amount was increased to s. ,237 ,60(
n and works are now progressing on thi
Is basis. The Improvement of the Sout
G Pass of the Mississippi River, under ,
is B. Eads and his associates. is progress
,e ing favorably At the present there is
v channel of 20 $40 feet in depth betwee
,f the jetties. at the mouth of the pas
ir and 1S4 feet at the head OF the pas
to Neither channel, however, has the wids
ii required before payment shall be mao
ri by the United States. A commission
Of engineers and officers is now examinir
in these works, and their reports will
of presented as soon as received.
of NAVAL AFFAIRS.
! The report Of the Secretary Of Il
Navy shows that he believes the servi
=, to be in condition rs effective as it
:, possible to keep it with the means al
~ appropriations given the Departmer
1T is, of course, impossible to rival t
- costly and progressive establishments
. great European Powers with the o
- materials of our navy, to which no
:; crease has been authorized since I
war, except eight small cruisers built
/ supply the place of Others which h
gone to decay. Yet the most has be
done that was possible with the mea
/ at command, and BY substantially
building some of our old ship. with dr
~.
able material, and completely repairi
and retittins our monitor fleet, the ma
has been gradually so brought up II
though it does not maintain its relati
=. position among the progressive navies
the world, il is now in condition M
powerful and effective than it ever
been in time Of peace. The complete
, pairs of our five heavy iron -clads F.,
only delayed on account of the ina,
quacy of tine appropriations made J
year for the working bureaus of the /
partment, which were actually less
amount than those made before the "
- notwithstanding the greatly enhan,
=. price Of labor and materials, and the
crease in tho coat of the naval .erv
growing out of the universal use E
9d great expense of steam machinery.
h; money necessary for these repairs .ho
90 be provided ut once, that they may
mn com mpleted without further unnecess