Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1878-12-05

THE VAR DEPARTMENT.
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
robberies. He had decided, after looking into
the law, that he had the right TO use the army
Ill projecting 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
right 10 pursue the thieves and retake the
property, owing to the posse-comtsatus clause.
The Secretary gives other instances where he
THINKS the law has worked 10 great disadvantage.
Tie Secretary takes no ground on the ques
ton of the transfer Of the Indian Buroau 10 the
War Department. He argues, however, that
the army Is much too small for it, work, hut he
does not recommend It's increase. Tie Secre-
tary says that the Indian war the troubles
THE Mexican frontier, and other cases during
the past year air coming together, and each re-
qslrln5 attention, was d sore tax on the small
and scattered army The Secretary says that,
even III times of peace, II Is impossible without
a large army, to concentrate strong force at
any one place without leaving many of the
forts, posts arsenals, etc, without adequate
protection.
llsf S<cretarr SHOWS mar there are now IN the
United States abont ~ military posts, eighteen
arscnals and arInories, besides about forty
storchoilscs or dcpots
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-comitatus clause is constitutional.
The Secretary stoutly maintains the right Of
the Government TO pursue with military force
the Mexican raiders over our border.
AGRICCLTURE
Gen William q. lie Due Commissioner of Ag-
riculture, in his annual report, shows that the
department during the year has been engaged
inexamining into the practicability of introducing
new products, and has been to some degree sue
cessful. 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
eiyn nations. He has grouped together. and
gives in table, list Of articles annually i'm
ported into this country, amounting in 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, Peruvian bark, paper ma
terial, rice, barley, hemp. axseed, wool,
the building and repairing Of the Mississippi
levees at the expense Of the General Govern
lnenI
The Commissioner states that the wheat crop
OF the present year has been promising in
high degree during the entire season COM
parisen of the crops of the past three seasons is
given, as follows the figures fer the present
year being preliminary and subject to revision.
in completing and perfccting the estimates of
the year:
Corn. 1,84o,Vp,OOO I,sS8 Sg7. 500 ,f,sI .OO0
Wheat. 36O.OuO.0O0 2Sg356.5D0 2t2 i36.t0l
1y,s ssSSSSSS s" z, 500 nc
Barley..... 350N.000 3S.,l0.5D 36aS, f1lf
Potatoes. 14Goco.Voo 12I-s21.UU 1851 zoe
PENSIONS.
Mr.. Bentley, the Commissioner of Pensions,
In his annual report states that the number Of
new claims OF all classes filed during me year
was 6,,5ca. OF these 1882 were original
invalid claims. being more than double the
number of the same class filed in either of the
four years from 1871 tolsS4: Az many a. Is 240
were for service in the war of lsl2. One in six
only were the claims of survivors, the balance
being those of widows.
At the beginning OF the year the number of
pension agsrdes was reduced from fifty-eight
to- eighteen. saving in salaries for the year
$1,000, making an aggregate saving III the
solidation the pensions have been paid more
promptly than before. The pay service has
advanced to high degree of efficiency. The
Commissioner is of the opinion that the reduc-
ton in the rate of the agents compensation
made in the Appropriation bill for the current
year cannot be maintained without injury to
the service, and some further allowances should
be made for their expenses On the 30th of
June, 1873 there were 22235 99S pensioners on
the rolls, reduction of 2,6+5 during the year.
1t is expected that the number will increase
considerably during the current year on ae-
count of the 1872 pensions. The amount paid
for pensions during the year s26, $50, 73. 10.
Of this amount, s240, 901. 80 was retained from
the. pensioners and paid to claim agents for
their fees
RIVERS AND H4RBORS.
The annual report Of Gen. A. A. Humphreys,
Chief Of Engineers is devoted mainly to the two
subjects of Notifications and river and harbor
improvements 1t is shown that, during the
fiscal year ending June 80, the sum of s:,19,-
4S3 was expended for the improvement of rivers
and harbors, and balance of 81 SOS 67S, re-
manning from the previous appropriations is