The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-11-30

The estimates for the military establish.
ment are $40 1886, 1927 SO, and are on @ OASIS Oh
25 $50 enlisted men, the force now allowed by
law These figures, compared with those Tor
1879. which were on q basis OF 10000 enlisted
men, show a reduction of $2,26l, 543 So, which
occurs principally In the QuartermaSter S
Department; and compared with the apprO-
priations for 1879 lin the aggregate S25,93G,-
III 49,. which, as understood at this depart
ment, were on q basis Of 20450 enlisted men,
exhibit O difference Of only S33o9Gi0 Is be-
tween the amounts of the present estimates
and the amount OF appropriation for the cur
rent fiscal year, These estimates, II rendered
for the Increased number of men on what Is
regarded rs the basis Of tho legislative allow
ance for %, $50 enlisted men for 1879, would be
for about 2,A2O, JAG At.
The estimates for public works are S7G7O,-
9S1 30, the Same being S282,09G 46 less than
those for 1879, and 81 1914 493 10 less than the
amount appropriated at the last session OF
Congress- The largest differences between
this head appear in the titles Qualifications
and other works Of Defense and "harbors
and rivers
In order to continue operations on fortifica-
tions and other works of defense during the
fiscal year of 1876, appropriations amounting
to $s15,00O were made in 1876. Since that time
estimates for upwards of $4,000, 600 have been
rendered to Congress each year, but no greater
appropriation than s15Q,000 per annum has
been made for such works. In view of these
from 1878, 400 to 81 100000 which sum, II
wisely allotted, can we'll be applied to improve
some of the i'm portant works of public defense
and preserve them FROM waste and ruin
In connection with the reports OF eEamna-
tions and surveys of rivers and harbors,
made by order of Congress, since July 81, 1868,
this department prepares and submits to
Congress full statements OF all existing facts
tending to show to what extent the general
commerce OF the country will be promoted
but C nj IL
tempIated by such examinations and surveys
(see section 231, r. s. These statements nee
essariIy include estimates to continue all
works once commenced under legal authority
and remaining unfinished for want OF funds.
The annual estimates submitted to Congress
for the improvement of rivers and harbors
have thus become largely in excess OF the ap-
obtained for the works; as Tor
1876, on Sl3,504500 submitted, $6,G43,-
SOL 100 reported, $5,o15,000 were al
lowed; and for 1878, on $13, 22o;,1o
nothing was appropriated, The
estimates for 1879, compiled by the Chief OF
Engineers In order to show full statements OF
all existing facts relative to these works OF
improvement, were rendered for $13 1000,
but were reduced by me to correspond with
the aggregate appropriated August IA, 1876,
the same being $5015000 This amount was,
however, exceeded in the appropriations for
1879. which we're So 276. 100, or 80, 261 200 more
than the estimates as revised. The aggregate
originally stated for rivers and halbors for
1886 was S15D19006. This has been reduced
Oh my revision to correspond with the estl-
mates as revised Tor 1879, and the reduction is
based on the belief that $5.015,000 judiciously
expended during the fiscal year 1880 will be
liberal allowance under this head of appro-
priatiOn for the promotion OF the general
commerce of the country.
In the estimates for miscellaneous objects
some items show an increase over the esti-
mates for 1870 but the several amounts con-
sidercd as q whole are deemed reasonable
when compared with similar items In the ap-
preparations for the current fiscal year.
REPORT OF THE QUARTERMAsTER GENERAL.
Military Sites IN 1erns.
Eek. Doc. No. 2S2. Forty third Congress, first
session. contains the history Of the effo,ts to
obtain ownership of the sites of military
posts In Texas occupied to restrain hostile In
dams on the north and western frontier Of
that State, and to preserve the peace and
protect property and life along the Rio
Grande frontier.
A board, assembled under q law of Com
gress. reported in favor Of purchasing q
humber of posts on both frontiers. The
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, considering the doubt
as to the propriety of expanding money in
purchase Of land for sites of posts occupied
on what was supposed to be an advancing
frontier, recommended the purchase OF the
posts along the Rio Grande only.
Congress appropriated, third OF March,
1875, $4,000 for purchase OF sites of three
posts only-FOrt Brown, RiDggold Barracks,
and Fort Duncan and 50 restricted the War
Department that to this day the United
States has no title to any one Of these posts
and has not been able to use the money ap-
propriated for the purpose,
Fort Clark, which is some thirty miles
from the Rio Grande, though. q post on that
frontier, was excluded from the appropria-
ton, and no appropriation was made for it's
purchase. 1t has been military post since
1862. Whenever d military post Is estab-
lished on unclaimed land in the Wilderness of
Texas, which the law Of the United States
does not allow the War Department to pur-
chase from its lawful owner, the State, some
person soon appears as owner, with q title de-
rived from the State, and increases with the
expiration of every lease his demands for
rent, though settlement has not, except by
the United States own improvements. yet
appreciated the value of lands in its neigh
borhood The buildings, temporary or per-
manent, necessary to protection and shelter
of troops and military supplies become, under
general law, the property Of the land owner
on termination of q lease, and the officers OF
the United States are helpless to guard the
interests of the government, which, from
want Of judicious legislation, is obliged to
submit to the demands of tho claimant as to
great damage to the United States and great
suffering to the troops, and thus incur the ex
penditure necessary to build q new post in
some other locality on another lease, and run
the same road OF improvidence again, OF else
to abandon posts on the frontier indispensa-
bic to the defense of the people OF Texas
against such atrocities as are filling the news
papers of the day.
Were the law to trust the Executive with
the power to purchase sites for such military
posts as may be found necessary to establish
on this Texas frontier, land could be bought
for all of them at insignificant prices-5O
cents to 81 per acre; while, after spend
ing, in military occupations, and in huts, bar
racks and stOrehouses, many thousands OF
dollars, these same sites are held against the
United States at $40 to 500 per acre, or
even higher
REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS.
The mississippi River
It is greatly to be hoped that the attention
of Congress will continue to be given to the
problem how best to improve the navigation
OF the Mississippi river The importance OF
the subject can scarcely be over estimated,
and the large expenditures now being made
in the improvement of the mouth OF the river
gives it added prominence.
improvement Of South Pass Of the MISSISSIPPI
mi