The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-11-22
Last Nights Dispatches.
Annual Report of Secretary of war.

| reports, calls attention to their several re-
concentrations, anddetails at length the or
peration OF the Department. during the yea
| Upon the subject of expenditures. appro
priatiops land estimates the Secretar
says: Expenditures for all affairs unde
the control of this department for th
fiscal year ending June 30th, 1886. wer
$50, 924 ,773, Congress appropriated fo
the service OF current fiscal year $4l ,993
$50. Estimates for the service of tn
fiscal year ending June 30th, 1882 ar
$43,627.O55.
Estimates in detail were originally sub
mitted to me for $62, 1929. 77O. but OF
revision of the same omissions er reduc
tions were made as follows: In civi
establishment. $l3.535 military estab
lishment $25O.O00; public works SIS
514.l29, and in the miscellaneous elias
$25 900. aking the total of revisory reduc
ton $1S.8 .802 ia. Some increase in amount
of the estimates for the year 1882 over tn
amounts appropriated for the year 1888
appears in the civil establishment an
micellaneous. For public work I hav
reduced the estimates to accord with wha
| understand to be the amount require,
for the absolute necessities of the servfce
IN order to prevent a waste of propert,
and damage to commercial interests. Be
hind such necessities it lie submitted that tn,
wisdom of Congress may perceive that al
valuable mprovements surround The
realty OF the government. and as tht
commerce of the country advances il
growth and prosperity, SO should the
appropriations to cover expenses be an
propriated.
The Mississippi river commission oper.
a. -.sk 81
June 28. 1879, submitted a report which
was duly transmitted to congress lasl
March, and was published by order OF the
house of representatives. That report
exhibited for the first time estimates oi
the appropriation required for works oi
i'm provement therein prescribed, amount
ing to $5.1l3 600. and il awaited further
consideration when the session ceased,
The commission have communicated tc
me it's desire to renew those estimates and
this communication will be transmitted tc
congress as matter of special i'm por tance
not included however in the annual esti
mates and expenditures for the service OF
this department. In regard to the south
pass Of the Mississippi river the secretary
says the permanency of this important
work seems to be assured, from the fact
that there has been no failure whatever in
the maintenance of a maxium channel
during the six months ending August
9th last. This Improvement has opened
through the sands and shoals a broad
deep highway to the ocean and is one
upon the permanent success OF which
congratulations may be exchanged among
people abroad and at home, aud especially
among the communities Of the Mississippi
valley, whose commercial exchanges float
in an obstructed channel safely to and
from the sea.
Secretary Ramsey concurs in the recon-
mendation of Gen. Sherman that Congress
be asked to give $4,000 enlisted men
specifically to the troops of the line of the
army, and favors the Abandonment oi
many small posts and concentrating the
larger forces at strategic points. The
absence Of large number of officers from
their regiments is alluded to, and action
recommended locking to the relief of the
service in this respect.
Secretary Ramsey also endorses the rec
omm eudation of the Adjutant-G General 10
relation to placing the uniformed State
militia upon the same footing in respect to
rules and forms as the regular forces. and
calls attention to the necessity of provid-
ing by legislation for the organization,
OF Leavepworth military prison the
Secretary says it has been capably admin
istereG during the year. He suggests.
however, that in order to be entirely sue
cessful and to carry out as far as possible
the original design of making the iDstitu.
ton self-sustaining, one important meas
ure Of legislation is necessary, which Is
the authority Of Congress to apply the
earnings of the prison to its maintenance
The Secretary OF war says from persona
inspection OF the many fortifcations re-
ferred to by the chief Of engineers, | an
able TO emphasize his recommendations
and beg to state that their incompetent
and defepceless condition is discreditable
TO the country. Jadging from the history
Of all other nations and the experience o.
our own, the United States will, notwifh
standing orr traditional pacific pol
Iioy, ind itself sooner or later at wal
with q IN maritime .power. When that wal
comes it will-come suddenly. there will b.
! no time after its declaration to construct
defenses either Gxed or floating. Other
nations have been for some years and src
now constructing fast war steamers o
ENORMOUS size. eucased 10 iron armor NJ
to two feet in thickness. and armed viii
rifed guns weighing up to one hundred
tons, carrying shot OF tons weight, nreC
with a little short CT quarter of ton g
powder.
Works of river and harbor improvement
and exaniuatious aud surveys provided
| for by the &C. of March 3. 1879. and isca
year.. with satisfactory progress. The
amount therefor July at. 1879
was4 4lDrz72, lie. the amount expended tt
june 80. 1880, S6,l74.22l, leaving sI
available balance of S4.579 e55 to be ex
pended during the present fiscal year. tC
which is 20 be added appropriations bS
river and harbor act Of June IA, 1880
making provision for 343 works of i'm
provemebt 10 sums varying from
| $500 to $4,000. and for surveys and
examinations with view to the improve
ment of 14l localities
In relation TO the Whitaker case the
Secretary says; | have re!rainei from
commenting upon the unfortunate agta
ton which flowed from an alleged assault
upon eoiored cadet at West Pyint Acad
envy % April last. for the reasne. that in
some of i,s legal aspects the sabj-c' IL
still in consideration.
In conclusion, Secretary Ramsey
recon u ands that provision be made BY
law for the appointment of aa Assistant
Secretary of War.