Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-12-06
THI, WIZ DEpAPTlfENT

Secretary of War McCrary, in his annual re-
port to Congress, recommends the repeal Of the
! posse -comitatus clause of the Army bill He
holds that it operates greatly to the injury of
the public service, and cites some instances. He
says in New Mexico there have been some mail
robberes. He had decided. after looking into
the law, that he had the right to use the army
in protecting the Government property. and.
thinking the United States mails were United
States property, he thought he had a right to
protect them. But he was sure he did not have
Il right to pursue the thieves and retake the
property owing to the posse comitatus clause
/ The Secretary gives other instances where he
thinks the law has worked to great disadvantage
The Secretary takes no ground on the quos-
ton of the transfer of the Indian Bureau to the
War Department. He argues, however, that
the army lis much too small for its work, but he
does not recommend its increase. The Secre-
tary says that the Indian war. the troubles on
the Mexican frontier, and other cases during
the past year all coming together, and each re-
qnirinS attention, WAS sore tax on the small
and scattered army. The Secretary says that,
even in times Of peace, it is impossible, without
large army, to concentrate a strong force at
any one place without leaving many of the
forts, posts, arsenals, ETC.. without adequate
protection.
The Secretary shows that there are now in the
United States about go military posts, eighteen
arsenals and ar1nories, besides about forty
stOrehouses or depots.
He thinks that the morale of the army has
improved. He thinks the army has right to
preserve the peace and enforce order in cities
and communities, and seems to doubt that the
posse -comtatus clause is constitutional
The Secretary stoutly maintains the right Of
the Government to pursue with military force
the MeAican raiders over our border.
AGRIcUZTx-PE.
Gen William G. LIE Due. Commissioner of Ag-
riculture, in his annual report shows that the
department during the year has been engaged
ineAamining into the practicability of introducing
new products, and has been to some degree sue
cesstul The following extracts and condensa-
tons show in outline the work of this depart
ment for the year, as stated by the Commits
sioner himself
Gen. lie Due is an enthusiast on the subject
of making the United States Independent of for
eign nations. He has grouped together, and
gives IN table, a list of articles annually I'M
ported into this country, amounting III value to
many millions of dollars which he is confident
might and he thinks ought to, be produced at
home. Among these articles are enumerated
tea, coffee, sugar, Peulvian bark. paper ma
terial, rice barley hemp, flax seed, wool,
the building and repairing Of the Mississippi
leveet at the expense Of the General Govern
ment
The Commissioner states that the wheat crop
of the present year has been promising in a
high degree during the entire season A com
parlson of the crops of the past three seasons is
given, as follows, the figures for the present
year beng preliminary and subject to revision
IN completing and persec.ins the estimates of
the wear.