New-York tribune., 1879-11-24

100000 per annum, payable in equal quarterly iu-
stainents The first quarterly payment has heen de-
inanded ana Is under consideration certificate
Gently received from the Engineer Office setting forth
that The maintenance bv James b. Eads and his
ciates OF cbaunc through the tcties az the mouth OF
snuth fass, Mississippi River. twenty-six feet In
at the bottom, and having through 4 central depth
o thlly feet without regard to width. has been accom-
pshed from July TO October g. 1879. with the eXcop
tion of twenty days. when failure IN part to
MAINTAIN such channel occurred The failure was on
the llh - h. l6in aud 18th Of August for the first
Ierod. aud from August 27 TO September IL. inclusive
for The second period During tie whole OF the interval
from July T. October :. 1879. navgabc channel
having greater depth than twenty-sx feet has been
maintained a! tne head OF South Pass and throughout
that interval of time the twenty-six channel has
bcen nj an times and IN all places here at least 100
The Attorney General has been requested to render
an opinion ON several questions as TO the proper con
bearing upon the claim for Taymcn, If the opinion
pending shall he favorable to Mr. Eads ard associates
made.
should the full channel be maintained within the
meaning of the law for period OF six months from
july last then Mr. Eads and associates VIII doubtless
pe p1 % o on Ul rTs ,o at S hsr
Gets Of March g. 1879 and 1879. The demand on this
account viii be duly considered as OF course when
presented for adjustment.
Besides other works connected with the creation and
maintenance Of the channel during the past year. the
Jettes at the mouth South Pass have been capped
with stone their lower ends additions have been
1000 fcct OF natures walls substantially new. nave
been constructed: The works established ut the
mead OF Tie Pass, in order 10 increase the
nn,w n,w Of water ,h,oogh south Pass; have
year has been sgnaztd by n greater measure OF
succcs in the attainment OF results than otner year
since the Inauguration of the works The problems
IN connection with the improvements. from an engineer
lnC point Of view. remaining TO be answered In the
future, those involved with the successful and con
tnuOus maintenance of the channel already obtained.
The Secretary says that the important tests of the
eight-inch breech-loadng rifle gun continue.
There good grounds for the opinion, he says
that IT Will stand its thorough proof and establish
the fact that convert, after tins system,
original smooth-boTe cast-ron guns into breech-
leaders. or produce original brcech-loadlng cannon
of the heaviest construction, using III short time
wholly the products of our own foundTies and
other manufacturing establishments" During the
year there were made 20.OO5 Springfield rifles and
1000 experimental Hotchkiss magazine rifles
Much space In the report IS devoted to the Signal
Service. but the SccretaTy's remarks this subject
simply a repetition of the report of the Chief of
that Service which has already been published.
Among the other recommendations of the report
these The sale of a large number of abandoned
military reservations: the fixing of a certain term
of amenabiity in the of deserteTs; the making
of an appropriation for subsistence available from
the passage of the act; and the building of $4,000
cottage at West Point tor the of official WIS.,
itors. The clerical force of the Department is
stated to be too small for the proper dispatch of
business.