The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-12-06
TIE ADMISSION OF COLORADO.


said state, when formed. into the Union, upon
an equal footing with the original states. a
constitution having been adopted and ratified
by the people of that state. and an acting
governor having certified to me the facts, as
provided 10y the said act, together with copy
OF such constitution and ordinances as pro-
vided for in the said act. and The provisions Of
the said act of congress having been duly com
piled with, issued proclamation so stating
on the lst Of August, 1915, copy Of which IS
hereto annexed.
THE ARMY.
The report of the secretary OF war shows
that the farmy has been actively employed
during the year In Subduing, at the request Of
Indian bureau, certain wild bands Of the Sioux
indian nation, and preserving peace III The
south during the election. The commission
Instituted under act of July p, 1874,
whole subject of the reform and recognizing
of the whole army, began its work in August
last, and has collected large mass of s;atls-
tics OF points bearing on the subject before II.
These are now under consideration and their
report is Progressing; am advised, though, :,
will be iinpracticabe TO comply with that
clause of the act requiring the re-
to be dn the rsI 5sf0"sn day of
this session. There has not been time for that
mature delberation which the Importance of
the subject demands; therefore / ask that the
time Of making the report be extended to the
18th day of January, lSz7. In accordance with
the resolntion Oh Augnst 10 1875 tne army
1875 have not been promulgated. but are held
until after the report of the eabovenentioned
commission shall have been received and
acted upon. BY the act of August 10, ISss, the
cavalry force OF the arlny was IN
creased by 300 men, with the provlso
piration of the hostilities. Under this author
ity the cavalry regiments have been strength
ened and a portion of them are now in the
field pursuing the remnants of Indians, with
whom they have been engaged during the
summer. The estimates OF the war depart
ment are made upon the basis of the nunber
lou ira-
ments rs shown by years OF experience, and
also with the purpose of effort of the bureau
officers to provide for. all contingencies that
may arise during the time for which. the eSti-
mates are made exclusive of the engineers
estimates, presented in accordance with acts
of congress calling for surveys and estimates
for improvements at various localities.
INCREASED ARMY APPROPRIATIONS ASKED.
The estimates now presented are about six
millions in excess of the appropriations for
the years 1874, 1915 and 1876. This increase is
asked in order to provide for the increased cav
airy force, should their service be necessary, to
prosecute economically the work upon inn
pOrtant public buildings, to provide for the
armament of fortincatiOnS and the manufac-
ture of small arms, and to replenish the work
ing stocks in the supply department.. The ap-
DrOpriatiOnS for these last named have Tor the
past few years been so limited that the accu-
mutations in store will be entirely exhausted
during the present year, and it Will be neces-
sary nj once TO begin TO replenish them.
j Invite your attention 10 the following
that the claims under the act of July, 1864, for
Supplies taken by the army during the war be
removed from the offices of the quartermaSter
and cOmmissary generals and transferred to
fhe southern claims commission. These claims
are OF n precisely similar nature to those now
before the southern claims commission and
the war debt bureaus have not the clerical
force for their examination nor proper ma
chinery for investigating the loyalty OF the
claimants.
2 That congress sanction the scheme of an
annuity fund for the benefit of the families of
deceased officers, and that Ii alsoprovide for
the permanent organization of the regular
service, both of which were recommended
i'm my last annual message.
3. That the manufacturing operations of the
ordnance department be concentrated at three
arsenals and an armory, and that the remain
ing arsenals be sold and the, proceeds applied
to this object by the ordnance department.
RIVERS AND HARBoRs
The appropriations for river and harbor i'm
provementS for the current year were 81 ,0l5 600.
With my approval the secretary of war direct
ed that of this amount S200,0O0 should be ex-
pended and no new works should be begun
and none prosecuted which were not of ma
tional importance, nc :, subsequently 81, this amount
progressing on this basis. The improvement of
the south pass of the Mississippi river under
j. b. Eads and his associates Is progressing fa-
mel of 20 $40 feet I'm depth between the jetties
at the mouth of the pass and 49, feet at the
head of the pass. Neither channel, however,
has the width required before the payment
shall be made by the United states K com
mission Of engineers and officers is now exam
lining these works, and their reports will be
presented as soon as received.
THE NAVY.
The report of the secretary of the navy
slows that he believes the service to be in a
condition effective it is possible to keep it
with the means the appropriations give the
department. lt Is, of course, not possible 10
rival the costly and progressive establishments
of the great European powers with the old ma
teriai OF our navy, TO whien no inerease ahs
small cruisers, bui 10 supply the place
of others which had gone TO decay, yet all
has been done that was possible WITH the
building some of our old ships with durable
material and completely repairing and refit-
Ting our monitor fleet, the navy has been grad
ually 50 brought up that, though IL does not
maintain It's relative position among the pro-
gressiye navies Of the world, IL is now In con-
dition more powerful and effective than it
ever has been in time of peace. The
complete repairs OF our heavy iron clads are
only delayed on account of the inadequacy of
the appropriations made last year for the
workings of the department., which We're
tualy less in amount than those made before
the war, Notwithstanding the greatly en-
hanced price of ltbor and the increase in the
cost OF the naval service, growing out of the
universal use and great expense of steam ma
chinery. The money necessary for
those repairs should be provided at
once, that they may be completed without
further unnecessary delay and expense. When
this is done all the strength there is in the
navy will De developed and useful to its full
capacity, and all will be powerful for the pur-
pose of defense, and also for offensive action,
should necessity for that arise within a rea-
sonab'e distance from our shores. The fact
that our navy is not more moderfrand power
fnl than il is has been made a cause of conn
plant against the secretary of the navy by
persons who at the same time criticise and
complain of his endeavors To bring the navy
that we have TO its best and most efficient con-
dition. Hut the good sense of the country
viii understand that il is really due To his
y acttcal action that we have at this time
any effective navy force at command.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
The report of the postmaster general shows
an excise of expenditures excluding the ex-
penditures on the account of previous years.
The receipts forthe fiscal year ending June 20.
1876 are 81, Isl $3.50. The estimated expendi-
lures fOr tie fiscal year ending June 30, 1876,
are SS,572, p 3.3'. The estimated revenue for the