Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-11-30
Army Affairs.
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY or WAR.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR.
The Secretary Of War in his annual reoo.t
shows that the present strength of the army is
"a, I61 enlisted men, including 1925 infantry.
1859 cavalry and $3.50 artillery, tie remainder
being chiefly engaged on special duty. Great
ca e has been taken in the enlistment of re-
cluts, which has had the effect OF reducing the
nLml er of desertionS to 1,67S during the paSt
fiscal year. lie deVOteS some space 10
THE INDIAN PROBLEM,
and holds that while we should perSeyere in the
eholt TO improve the condition of the various
tribes by teaching them the arts of the herds
man ard afterwards those Of the husband nan.
and by providing for the education OF their
youth, we should at the same time confront
II EN- with such military force as will teach
them the fatlllty Of any attempt to resist the
power OF the United States. Fair ana Just treat
ment and the fulfillment of every promise on
cur part should be adhered to. The Secretary
speaks encouragingly of the subject OF edlca-
tion IN the army; also OF the good result OF oar
vigorous policy in suppre Ssing raids ana OUT
lawry on the Rio Grande border. In regard 10
TIE POSSE COMITATUS CLAUSE
of tie act OF June Is, ISIS, he says he thinks
that either the provision should be repealed or
that the number OF cases in which the use OF
tie army shall be expressly authorized be very
lnEch enlarged. In many portions Of our west
ern territories and in some portions OF the newer
states reSOlute desperate with a few followers
can defy the officers OF the law and any local
posse that car be organized The Secretary re-
lefS 10 tlc Issue OF r2tionS and tents and other
supplies 10 sufferers by the yellow fever in The
south, justifying his action by the characte. OF
TIE emergency, and recommending TO Congress
the CAREFUL consideration Of the question Whe-
tier such emergencies in future NAV not be
provided Tor b. law. He refers TO the death OF
Lieut.. Henner While IN command OF the yellow
fever relief boat. and recommends the granting
OF pension to his widow ana some expression
OF the nations gratitude for the SCI-SaCriIicinr
Lel oisln OF tie deceased.
TIE EXPENDITURES
a tie War department for the year ending
1ot1. Tie estimates for the year ending June
- 1850, as p! eSeutCd by the ClieiS OF bureaus,
were 81, ,!53, but the secretary has reduced
fIe>e TO 40,Ss1,'iS. Which is only $l.9l0,Si2 in
excess OF the appropriation for iSs19. Il is
recommended that the authority OF Congress be
asked 10 increase Tie extra per diega Of soldier
school teachers from - to 80 cents 1t is fur
ther recommended that q liberal appropriation
be made for expenditure. under the direction OF
the qu; ermaSter general. for the erection OF
buildings for schools and libraries at the diIer-
ent POSTS.
THE MEXICAN BORDER
Tie increase OF our force in the vicinity OF the
RIO G ande, and the vigorous policy which for
some time has been pursued in uealing with ma
faudeiS invading oursOii from Mexico. have pro
duced the result predicted Although the DeO-
pie Of Texas have not been exempt from these
lEcurSlonS during the year, and several of them
have been attended by heartTending atrocities
yet they have been fewer in number than dur
ing any year Tor long period, and within the
past loGr months almost perfect quiet has pre-
vailed.
CONFLICT BLTwEEN STATE AND FEDERAL Ju-
DICIAL AUTHORITIES IN NIRGINIA-A special to
the Baltimore Sun from Richmond. Nov. -
says: The interference OF Judge Rives. of the t.
:. circuit court, with the circuit court OF Patrick
county, Va, in taking possession OF two OF the
latter courts prisoners. has caused great iadig-
nation, ard will 10 doubt be the subject OF
executive protest and legislative Investigation
bulWell and Lee REYNOLDS, were charged with
murder. and one had been sentenced TO the
penitentiaIy. The exclusion of men of their
own color from the Jury caused them TO appeal
TO Judge RiVeS. who issued a writ of habelS
corpus cum CaHSa. Deputy Marshal WOOton
theieupon went to Patrick court house and
secuted the prisoners. who We're taken b.
him TO Chatham, one hundred miles diStanf
ard lodged in iail there The Sheriff OF PatrirE
was not aJ tie court house when the prisoners
were removed He says that had he been he
would have protested against the removal OF tie
one under sentence. but would not have made
torcibie resistance. Ii Judge Tceadway Une
Virginia circuit Judge had been at the colr.-
house lie would Lave directed the sheriff 70 rt-
fuse Il e marshal the keys Of the Jail. 1t is the
opinion OF Judge TTcadWaS that it is now the
duty Cf TIE governor TO act, as he regards the
acton Of Judge RiyeS and his deputy marshal
as d tla9rant violation OF the constitution.
a HLooDLEsS DUEL-A duel with pistols was
fought Wednesday morning, near Pfneyil.e Y
G., tie principals being Robert Sanders ana
James " NilSOn, both OF Sl,IntercOunty. s. c AM
young men OF good standing. During the fair
at Columbia. :. c., two weeks ago, the two
young men, being acGuatntanceS and friends
made bet upon Il horse race The result was
disagreement and quarrel. subsequent to
which Sanders procured a cOwhide. and search
Ing Wilson out proceeded TO chastise him for
language Which lie had used in the progress OF
tEeir alteration on the race-courSe. Whatever
resistance Wilson may have made at this time
Tie friends OF the parties supposed the difficulty
terminated until Wilson reached home, when.
at the instigatiOn OF his father, he sent chal-
enge to The chastiSer. Wednesday morning last
tie parties proceeded to a spot near the village
CT I1neville, took their positions at the usual
distance. and at the word of command fired II
was found that after the first Shot that neither
Cf the combatantS had been touched. Another
round was fired with like result, aud at this
stage the seconds, young man named Bland,
representing Wilson, and Mr.. DetriviIle, a fel-
lcw-townsinan, representing Sanders, inter
feTed and prevented further hostilities.
PROPOSED TRANSFER OF THE JAMES RIVER
tAEA.-TEe stockholders of the Richm pni
Na,( and AEegany Railroad Company are to
meet in New York to-day TO act on the pro-
IoSed terms OF the transfer 10 that company OF
Tie property and franchises OF the James River
ard kanawha Canal Company. II the railroad
COMPANY accepts the terms proposed the con-
tract VIII tilen only need the ratification OF the
legislature ci Virginia to be complete. II is I'M
dei>tccd that The representatives of The rail
read company who attended the meeting OF The
canal company in Richmond expressed them
selves as satisfied with the DroD l,pd contract
and viii recommend that the pro position De a.
ceptcd.
MRS. La BAU TO BE MARRIED.-The y. Y Tif-
t"fe says Mrs. Mary \. La Ban, daughter of
the late Commodore Vanderbilt. and the con-
teStant in the Vanderbilt will case. viii be mar
lled iii short time 10 Francis Berger, the con-
SUI general at New York from the Grand Duchy
OF Luxembourg. NJ. Berger has been in New
York upon his diplomatic mission only few
months, having been appointed in the spring OF
the present year. He did not come however
as stranger, having been a commissioner
from his own country to the centennial exhibit
ton In 1876. He is said to have high social
and political rank in the Grand Duchy OF Lux
embourg. IL is said that he has IA very large
fortune.
THE LATE ROBERT HELLER-S WIL-Mr Hell
Ter In his will makes bequestS in the English
denomination, pounds, to various friends pro-
videS handsomely for his family, and then dis
timely states that all his apparatus used in the
performance of his tricks be battered and broken
up, SO that no one else shall have the benefit of
his lifelong study. The day before he died
however, he said to his sister, 1--we changed nv
mind ABOUT my apparatus. Let HartZ "a New
York manufacturer of magicianS parapherna-
lia) have them and sell them for your benefit
His will, however, will stand, and the strange
tools OF his profession Will, under its PROVISIONS
probably be demolished. The executriX of his
will is his sister Rachel Gihh- Of Sa,ron n,1-.