The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-12-13
THE ARMY .

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
at the reque>t of the Indian Bureau, GER
tain wild bands of the Sioux Indian ma
ton, and in preserving the peace at the
South during the election. The Com
mission constituted under the Act of July
t, 1876, to consider and report on the
whole subject of the reform and reOrgan-
ization of the army, met in August last,
and has collected large mass of Stats
ties and opinions bearing on the subject
before it. These are now under consId-
Grafton, and their report Is progressing.
| am advised, though, by the President
of the commission, that it will be imprac-
tcable 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 deliberation which
the importance Of the subject demands
therefore, / ask that the time of making
the report be extended to the 29th day
of January, 1877. In accordance with
the resolution of August 10Th, 1876, the
army regulations prepared under the Act
Of March l, 1873, have not been pro
mulgated, but are held until after the
report of the above mentioned commits
sion shall have been received and acted
on. By the Act of August Is, 1876,
the cavalry force of the army was in
creased by 1900, with the proviso that
they should be discharged on the expira
ton of hOstilities. Under this authori
ty the cavalry has been strengthened,
and portion of them are now in the
field pursuing the remnants Of the Indi
ans 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 requirements, as shown
by years of experience, and also with the
purpose on the part Of the Bureau Off
GERS to provide for all contingencies that
may arise during the time for which the
estimates are made, exclusive of engi-
neeT estimates, presented in accordance
with Acts of Congress, calling for sur
veys and estimates for improvements at
various localities. The estimates now
presented are about Sc, 900, 900 in excess
of the appropriation for the years 1874,
1875 and 1876 This increase is asked
in order to provide for the increased
cavalry force, should their services be
necessary; to prosecute economically
work upon important public buildings;
to provide tor armament of Notifications
and manufacture of small arms, and to
replenish the working stock in the sup
ply departments The appropriations
for these last named have, for the past
years, been so limited that the aocumu-
lations in store will be entirely eXhaIs e
during the present year, and it will be
necessary to at once begin TO replenish
them. | invite your special attention to
the following recommendations of the
Secretary OF War: 1st, That the claims
under the act of July 4, 1864, for sup
plies taken by the army during the war,
be removed from the office of the Quar-
termaster and Commissary General and
TO the Southern Claims Com
mission. These claims are of precisely
similar nature of those now before the
Southern Claims Commission, and the
War Department Bureaus have not the
clerical force for their examination, nor
proper machinery for investigating the
loyalty of the claimants. ID. That Con-
gress sanction the scheme Of an annuity
fund for the benefit of families of de-
ceased officers; and that it also provide
for the permanent organization of the
Signal Service, both of which were re
by me in my last annual
Sd. That the manufacturing
operations of the Ordnance Department
be concentrated at three arsenals, the
other arsenals be sold, and the proceeds
applied to this object by the Ordnance
RIVER AND HARBoR IMPROVEMENT.
The appropriations for river and har-
Dor Improvements for the current year
were $5,015. 900. With my approval
the Secretary of War directed that of
this amount $1,000, 900 should be ex-
pended, and no new work should be be
gun, and none prosecuted which were not
of National Importance. Subsequently
this amount was increased to 81, 237 800,
and the works are now progressing ON
this basis. The improvement o fthe
SOUTH Pass of the Mississippi river, un
der JAS B. Eads and his associates, is
progressing favorably. At the present
time there is channel of 20 $40 feet in
depth between the ietties at the mouth