Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-12-14
LANCASTER WISCONSIN THURSDAY DECEMBER A. 1876

or the executive departments of the
| government. 1t is believed that
other governments are in advance
of us upon this question, and that
the practice we adopted IS now IN.
satisfactory.
ADMISSION OF COLORADO.
Congress, by act approved March
3, 1875, authorized the inhabitants of
the Territory of Colorado to form q
state government with the name of
the State of Colorado, and therein
provided for admission of said states,
when formed into the union upon
an equality with the original state,
q constitution, having been adopted
and ratified by the people of that
state, and the acting government
having certified to mo the facts
as provided by said act, together
with copy of such constitution and
ordinances as provided for in the
said act and, the provisions of said
act of Congress having been duly
complied with, issaed proclama-
ton upon August l., 1876, a copy of
| which is hereto annexed.
THE ARMY.
The report of the Secretary of War
shows that the army has been
actively employed during the year
in subduing the request of the Indian
Bureau, certain wild bands of the
Sioux Indian nation, and preserving
peace in the South during the cleo
ton.
The commission constituted un-
der the act of July "a, 1876 to con-
slider the report on the whole SUBJ
ject of reform and reorganization of
the whole army, in August last has
collected large mass of statistics
and opinions bearing on the object
before It, These are now under con-
sideration and their report is pro-
crossing. | am advised, though, by
the president of the commission, that
it will be impracticable to comply
with the clause of the act requiring
the report to be presented through
me to congress on the first day of
this session, as there has not yet
been time for that mature delibera-
ton, which the importance of the
subject demands. Therefore, [ ask
that the time of making the report
be extended to the 20th day of JAN
,uary 1877, in accordance with the
resolution of August Is, 1876.
The army regulations prepared
under the act of March l, 1876, have
not been promulgated but are held
until after the report of the above
mentioned commission shall have
been received and acted upon. By
an act of August Is, 1876, the cav
slry force of the army was increased
by $500 men, which provided that
they should be discharged on the
expiration of hostilities. Under this
authority the cavalry regiment have
been strengthened, and few of
them, are now in the field pursuing
the remnants of the Indians with
whom they have been engaged with
during the summer.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
The estimates of the War DEPART
ment are made upon the basis of the
number of men authorized by law,
and their requirements as shown by
years of experience, and also with
the purdose of q part of the bureau
officers to provide for all contingent
cies that may arise during the time
for which the estimates are made,
exclusive of engineer estimates, pre-
sented in accordance with the acts of
Congress calling for surveys and es-
Inmates for improvements at various
localities. The estimates now pre-
sented are about $4,000, 600 in excess
of the appropriations for 1874, 1879
and 1876. The increase is asked in
order to provide for the increased
cavalry force, should their services
be necessary; to prosecute eco
nomical work upon important pub
lie buildings to provide for arma-
ment of Notifications and manutac-
ture Of small arms, and to replenlsh
the working stock of tho supply de-
partment. The appropriation tor
these last named have for the past
few years been so limited that the
accumulation in store will be entirely
exhausted during the present year,
and it will be necessary to at once
begin to replenish them. | invite
your special attention TO the follow
Jog recommendation of the Secre-
tary of War;
First-That the claims under act
of July 4tb, 1864, for supplies taken
by the army during the war be re-
moved from the office of Quarter
master and Commissary General
and transferred to the Southern
Claims Commission. These claims
are of precisely similar nature to
those now before the Southern
Claims Commission and War Dept.
Bureaus, which have not the clerical
force for their examination, nor the
proper machinery for investigating
the loyalty of claimants.
Seeond-That Congress sanction
the scheme of an annuity fund tor
the benefit of families, of deceased
officers, and that it also provides for
the permanent organization OF the
regular service, both of which were
recommended in the last annual mes
sage.
Third-The manufacturing opera
tons Of the ordinance be concen-
trated at three arsenals and an
armory, and that the remaining
arsenals be sold, and the proceeds ap
piled to this object by the ordinance
department.
RIVER AND HARBoR IMPROVEMENTS.
The appropriations for river and
barber improvements for the current
year were $5,015, 900. With my ap-
proval, the Secretary of War direct
ed that of this amount, $4,000, 900
should be expended, and no new
works should be begun, and none
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