The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-12-31
w ASHIN GTON.
GENERAL WASHINGTON OESPAT cHEs.


WASHINGTON, Dec. 80, 1871
MAGAZINE oUNs--INvENroIs TO BE INVITED TO
SUBMIT THEIR SAMPLES.
The Secretary OF War viii soon invite by advertise
ent IN the principal papers Of the country inventors
OF magazine guns 10 submit their samples and appear
In person before tho Board OF Officers Of which Lco
tenant Colonel J. G. Benton Ordnance Department,
IL president, which meets NJ thu Springfield Mass
Armory the Sd or April next. The meeting OF the
Board has been deferred uns that date order TO
give inventors ample time TO prepare their samples.
which must be OF calibre As, the the Spring.
held rife now use, and carry the United States
service cartridge. The Board will probably be
iu session until midsummer. and should they deter
mine upon magazine gun suitable tor the service
they win SO report. Inc Secretary Of War, by the
army Appropriation bin recently passed. is authorized
to expeud S2o0V0 tor the manufacture OF such gun.
This amount, OF course, will pay Tor but fcw hun
ircd OF them but the number viii be sufficient for
thorough trial Of them, aud others will be msnufac-
turcd aiterward should they be found 10 meet the
requirements OF the service.
THE MILITIA ENROLLED IN THE SEVERAL
sTATEs-REPLY TO THE RESOLUTION OF
SENATOR DAVIS RECOMMENDATIONS DY THE
SECRETARY or WAR
The reply to tho resolution OF Senator paT.s, OF
West Virginia, In regard 10 the militia enrolled In the
several States, the amount annually apportioned 10
each State for equipments, &C., 10 now beng prepared
at the War Department and will be transmitted TO the
Senate By the Secretary Of War upon the reassembng
or Congress. Tho resolution requests Score
tary 10 submit any accommodation he may have
looking 10 more thorough organization and the col
lection OF Information and reports concerning The
lttt,
DO u lengthy report iron tho Chez Of ORD
nance which lie Will renew hts recon-.
mcndatons TO The effect that The annual
appropriation Tor proviuing arms and equip
men,s Tor the whole body. Of the militia
be increased from 5000, 900 10 $l,U00 0o0 and that
the law be SO amended as 10 Fix the responsibility
for arms issued TO tne stases AM require the neces
sary property returns TO be maue ut stated periods
to the Ordnance Office The OF 1908 makes tho
annual appropriation OF 5000 900 10 provide and
equipments Tor the militia, but iii argued that
the population Of that time did exceed
eight millions, and besides expensive
then than at the present tune The effect Of
increasing the Appropriation 10 ST. 600 900 would -
TO encourage the organization Of tho militia. The
records OF tho War Deparm show that tho organ.
lied militia Of the country numbers 90 s85 the
unorganixed 2,S76, 469 Tho Secretary Will review ut
length tho militia laws, many OF which, although sim
upon the statute books, arc now obsolete as for
stance the Of March 2, 1903, section ea2 Of the
Revised Statutes which requires each dragoon Iur-
nish himself with horse, PAIR OF pistols &c, and
general revision of such laws VIII be recommended.
Congress will also DO ask 70 lcgisate the
proper liability and OF the Issued to
tho States rho Attorney General recently decided
that the States are Invested with nothing than
qualified property IN tho issued " Thorn, the
statutes mako no provision Tor any accountability
whatever 10 the general government rcsDect-
ing the disposition OF tho arms when they
have been delivered to the States II will DO
recommended that the and equipments
Issued to them shall DO accounted Tor In the same
the regular army. and loss OF or damage
TO such arms except the ordinary aud accden
Of service, shall be made good TO tho United Statsx
During the troubles growing out OF the labor strikes
last summer the government had means OF knowing
the number condition Of arms in tho hands OF the
militia OF the States OF this detect in tho
tho law. Tho books OF tho War Department showed
the number issued from time, but no reports had
been received 10 way not known whether the arms
were serviceabe or where they were to be found.
In reply that portion OF the resolution calling
for information to whether any OF tho states have
been excluded from the benefits Of the appro-
pration OF 500 900 above referred to, IL will be
SHOWN tuht Ai1uhma, rloruh NOtth uuu ooutn caro-.
lima entitled 10 receive certain credits. Under
tho act Of March g. 1873 ali tho States that had been
In rebellion wero credited on the books o.
the department with their respective quotas
from January !, 1861, TO April ., 1865, and
| the arms were issued TO such made az.
| pcaton for them. In the Army Appropriation
bill for tho fiscal year ending June 80, 1876 clause
was inserted. providing that 30 much Of the annual
appropriation OF $780, 900 would been used FOL
the purchase OF between January ], 1881, and
April o. 1885, to be distributed TO the several states
that In the rebellion should bo into tho
Treasury. After tho passage OF the act Of March g.
1879, and before the passage OF tho Army bill contain
ing the above mentioned provision, Arkansas, Georgia.
Louisiana Mississippi, Tennessee Texas aud Virginia
drew thor quons amounting tho aggregate to aoou
$1S41 72 20; but Alabama, Florida, North and South