The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-12-13
and Gen. Howard's campaign against the


The Paymaster General renews the re-
commendation for establishing an an
nuity scheme for the heirs of deceased
officers, and to prevent frauds in CON
tracts, suggests that bids be made alb.
solutely binding on the bidder and hi;
sureties for at least sixty days, unless
sooner rejected. The bidder should be
made to accompany his bid with bond
pledging him to keep his engagement
for sixty days.
The work of the publication of wal
records, both National and Confederate,
has been steadily prosecuted. The
amount of printed matter is very con-
siderable already. AT present the vol
umes aggregate forty-seven embracing
upward of $4,000 pages), of which
thirty-seven relating to the United States
and ten to the Confederate States have
been published up to the end of the year
1854. The mass of material yet onhand
fot the publication is very large.
The appropriations for the Quarter
masters Department for the last fiscal
year were 81, 800, 600 less than in the
previous year, notwithstanding the in
crease of the cavalry arm. Yet the expen-
ditures and liabilities have been kept
within the appropriations, except in the
item of transportation, for which a de-
fciency estimate at 81 100000 has been
submitted. Exigencies have caused the
numerous movements of bodies of troops,
and great expenditure has been incurred,
in their concentration at critical points.
The courts having decided in favor of
the claims of land grant railroads to
pay for transporting men and material,
the department asks the repeal of the
act Of March 8, 1876, prohibiting such
payment. There will remain 1880
claims, aggregating 1891, 1850 for
Quartermaster's stores furnished to the
army in States not in rebellion. 1t is
recommended that these claims be trans
ferred to the Commissioners of Southern
Claims or some other tribunal. Two
new posts have been located, one on
Tongue River, and one on Little Big
Horn, at an expense of $200,0 The
establishment of a ntw post at He'll
Gate Pass, of the Rocky Mountains in
Montana, has been begun.
recommends additional legislation which
shall fix beyond question specific pc
riod of limitation to prosecution in cases
of desertion.
ENGINEERING.
The report of the Chief of Engineers
states that work upon seacoast defenses
has been practically limited to their
care, preservation and partial repair,
but he again urges the adoption of some
reasonable system of annual expenditure
upon our harbor defenses. Experiments
and practice on the general system of
torpedo defense have been continued at
Willett's Point. An appropriation Of
100000 for the coming year is recon-
mended for this purpose, and for the
purchase and storage of such portions
of the material as would be Immediately
required in case of sudden hostilities.
In the survey of the Northern and
northwestern lakes, under the Engineer
department, the triangulation has been
carried from Westfeld, N. Y, to Pains
vile, Ohio. The topography and hydro
graphy have been carried from Ashta:
bula, o., to Vermillion, Ohio. The lati-
tudes and longitudes of Mount Forrest
and Cairo, Illinois, have been deter
mined, and assistance has been rendered
in the telegraphic determination of the
longitude of Fort Fetterman, in Wyo
ming Territory, and Forts Stockton
Concho, and McCavett, in Texas. The
difference of level between Lakes Mich,
igap and Superior has been determined
A list of the new charts of the lakes
printed and published during the year
will be found in said report. The sur
vey of the Mississippi River, which ha.
been carried on by the officer charged
with the lake survey, has been extended
from five miles above Cairo, ILL.,, to {
point eight miles above Columbus, KY
The systematic survey of the territor!
west of the one hundredth meridian
which for several years has been carried
on by the engineers and other officers O
the army, has been continued during tn,
year in portions of California, Nevada
Colorado, and New Mexico. The con
tinuation of:.this useful work, in its pres
ent satisfactory condition of organiza
ton, will, it is hoped, commend itself t.
the favorable consideration of Congress
The Engineer Department maps usec
by the troops engaged in the recent cam
paigns against the Nez Perces and Siou1
have proved of great utility, and tits de
sirable that the unexplored areas in tn
countries traversed by the troops ant
hostile Indians be mapped as soon a
possible.
In consequence of the failure of tn
appropriation of the army, the manu-
facture of arms at the National Armor
at Springfield was stopped on the LIST o
July last, and there is now only on ham
a reserve supply of 1852 rifles and 5,9S
carbines of the latest model. 1t is tn
opinion of the department, as meas
ure of precaution and military foresight
that much larger number of arms Q
the latest and most improved pattern
should he on hand in our arsenals i
cases of emergency.
The organization, arming and dii
ciplining the militia has received the al
tentive consideration of the Chief Q
Ordnance, whose departmentisre required
under the act of 1908, to provide arm
for the whole body of militia. Unde
that act an appropriation of $780, 900
annually made. which is not sufficier
to arm and equip more than 5000 il
fantry. The organized militia of tn
States is now reported 10000 men, an
if it be the purpose of Congress to el
courage the increase and efficiency {
this force, a much larger sum than
now provided will be necessary. Th
armament of our sea coast fortifcatio1
is progressing very slowly.
ESTIMATES.
The estimates for this department fl
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1870,
revised, amount, in the aggregate, to tt
sum of $43, lis. .443.24, as follows:
Salaries, contingent expenses, and post
,l93 SS4
Military establishment. .....--..... 81, E97, ,270
PUBLIC 79H3Of7
81 ,2lO
The estimates for the support of Il
military establishment are for an arm
of $4,000 enlisted men, and the aggr
gate thereof may be increased or {
minished in proportion as the streng
of the army is finally fixed at larg
or smaller number. The estimates su
mitted by the chiefs of bureaus have,
some instances, been considerably I