Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1876-12-09

vised, thongh, by the president of
the commission, tina. ii will be
impractlcable to comply with the
clause Of the aci requiring the
report to be presented. through me,
to Congress Oh the first day Of
this session, as there has not yet
bet n line for thatinature deliber-
atioa which the importance of the
SUBJECT demands. Therefore l a'k
thai the time Vt making the re-
port be extended 10 the 20lh day
of January 1877.
In accordance with The resolu-
ton Of August Is 1876. the army
regulations prepared under the
act Of march,, 1875, have not been
promulgated, but are held Until
after the report Of the above-men-
toned commission shall have been
received and acted apOil.
1 BY the act of August Is 1876,
the cavalry force Of the army was
increased by $500 men, with the
provlso that they should be dis
charged on the expiration of hos
tilities. Under this authority,
the cavalry regiments have been
strengthened and o portion of
them are now in the field pursuing
the remnants ofthe Indians with
whom they have been engaged
during the Summer.
The estimates of the War De-
partment are made upon the ba-
sis Of the number Of men author
lied by law and their require
ments as shown by years expert
ence, and also with the purpose,
on the part of the bureau officers.
to provide for all contingencies
that may arise during the time
for when the estimates are made
Exclusive of engineer estimates
presented i'll accordance with acts
Of Congress calling for surveys
and estimates for improvements
at various localitie~) the estimates
now presented are about six mil
li0nS.in excess of The appropria-
tons for the years 1S74-'75 and
1876. This increase is asked in
order 10 provide for the increased
cavalry force Should their SER
vices be necessary to prosecute
economically work upon import
tant public buildings. to provide
for armament or fortificatiOns,and
manufacture of small arms, and to
replenish the working stock in
the supply departments. The APP
preparations for these last named
have, for the pastJfew years, been
so Limited that the accumulalions
in store will be entirely exhausted
during the present year, and ii
will be Necessary to at once begin
to replenish them.
invite your special attention
to the following recommendation
Of the Secretary OF War:
First That the claims under
the act of July 4 1864. for sup
plies taken by the army during
the war, be removed from the Of
f1Ces OF the quartermaster and
c0mIDissary generals and trans
fored tOthe southern claims COM
mission. These claims are of
precisely simiiBr nature to those
now b1sare The southern claims
commission and the War depart
ment bureaus haze moi the clerical
force for their examination nor
proper machinery for investigat-
ing the loyalty OF The claimants.
Second That Congress sanction
the scheme of an annuity fund for
the benz fl of the families of de-
ceased officers, and that it also
provide for the permanent organ
izatIOn Of the signal service; both
Of which were recommended in
my last annual message.
Third That the manufacturing
operations Of the ordinance de-
partment be concentrated at three
\ arsenals and an armory, and that
the remaining arsenals be sold
and the proceeds applied to this
object by the ordnance depart
'ment.
The appropriations for river
and harb0r improvements for the
current year were $50l5,000.
With my approval the Secretary
Of " ar directed that of this
amount $2,000,000 should be ex-
pended. ana no new work should
be begun and none prosecuted
which were not of national i'm
poriaLco. Subsequently the
amount was increased to 2,237,-
! 600, and the works are now pro-
3gressIng on this basis
The Improvement of the South
Pass of the Mississippi river, un-
der James B Eads and his associ-
ates is progressing favorably, AT
the present time there isa chan
mel of twenty and three-tehths
40 3-10ths) feet in depth between
1.-THE jetties at the mouth of the
Pass, and eighteen and one-half
18k) feet at the head of the Pass.