Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1880-12-14

/ IS professors OF tactics and ministry
science at certain colleges and universe
ties. be SO amended as to provide that
| all such details be made IRON the re-
| tired list OF the army.
! Attention is asked to the necessity OF
providing by legislation for organizing
/ arming, am diseiplinins the active
mili,ia of the country, and liberal APP
| negotiations are recommended in this
| behalf. The reports of the adlutant-
general of the army and the chief OF
ordnance touching this subject fully set
forth its Importance.
The report Of the OffiC in charge OF
| education in the army shows that there
ara seyenty-eight schools now IN opera
ton in the army. with an aggregate At
tenda &c OF !. 3O5 enlisted men and chill
Creu. The secretary recommends the
enlistment OF one hundred and tity
scIoa'masttrs. with the rank and pay
of cOmmissarv- sergeants. AnapprOpria
ton is needed 10 supply the judge sdvo-
Gates of the army with suitable
libraries. and the secretary recon-
mends that the corps of Judge advocates
be placed on the same footing, rs 10
promotion, with the other staff corps OF
/ the army. Under existing laws, the
/ bureau Of military justice consists OF
one officer, the judge-advocate general,
and the corps of judge advocates, OF
eight officers Of equal rank (mators),
with a provision that the limit OF the
CORPS shall remain AZ four, when re-
dueed by casualty or resign alton to
that number. The consolidation OF the
bureau of military justice, and the corps
of Judge advocates. upon the same basis
with the other staff corps of the army,
would remove an unjust discrimination
against deserving officers, and subserye
the best interests OF the service.
E-pecial attention Is asked g the report
Of the chirf OF engineers upon tie con-
dition Of our national deienses. From 3
personal inspection OF many OF the iort-
fitttions referred 10, the secretary Is
abll 20 emphasize the recommendations
made, and TO state that their IN
complete and deiense.eSs condition i
1iscrcditable 10 the country. Wine
other nations have been increasing tAtr
means for carrying on of usiye warfare
and attacking maritime cities, We have
been dormant in preparation Tor ot-
Tense. nothing of importance has been
done toward strengthening and finish
ipa our casrLl itet works since our late
civil war. during which the erea. guns
n. modern warfare and tie heavy armOr
Of modern i0rtihcSti0nS ard ships came
into Use among the nations, and our
Csgthworks leit, by sudden failure OF
appropriations some years since, IN "a.
sta-e, of iucomr l,tiou, are now being
rapidly destroyed by the elements.
The two great rivers ct the North
American continent, the Mississippi and
the Columbia. have their navigab.e
waters wholly within the limits of the
United States. and are / vast import
ance TO our internal and foreign COM
merce. The permsnency OF the import
ant work on the South Pass OF the
Mississippi river seems now 10 be
assured. There has been no fail what
ever IL the maintenance 81 the maximum
channel during the six months ended
August =. last. This experiment has
opened broad deep highway to the
ocean. and is an Improvement, upon the
permanent success OF which. congratu-
latiOns may be exchanged among people
abroad and 81 home, and especially
among the communities OF the Missis-
sippi valleywhoSe commercial exchanges
float in an unobstructed channel TO and
from the sea.
A comprehensive improvement Of the
Mississippi sno itstributarieS is matter
OF tranScendent Importance. These
great water Ways comprise q system OF
in and transportation spread ike net
work over large portion OF the United
State, and navigable 70 the eXten, OF
many thousands of miles. Producers
and consumers alike, have q common
interest in such unCqusled facilities for
cheap transportation. Geographically,
commercially and politically. they are
she strongest tie between the various
sections Of the country. These channels
OF communication and interchange are
tue property of the nation. It's jurisGic-
ton is paramount over their waters and
tie p,ainest principles of public interest
require their intelligent and careful.
supervision, with view 10 their pro.
lection. Improvement and the enhaEce-
ment of their usefulness.
The ChannC, Of the Columbia river,
for distance Of about on hundred
miles from is mouth, is INSTRUCTED by =
succession OF bars, which occasion seri-
Gus decays in navigation, and heavy
expense Tor igLterSge and towage. A
Gep.l 81 = east tw ny feet AZ low tide
ia nd be secured and maintained, 10
meet the requirements OF the extensive
and growing Iniand and OCEAN commerce
IL subserves. The most urgent need,
however, for tits grea. water way is .
ornament improvement Of The channel
AT the mouth of the river.
E-,v, Hnfnrf, ne VIC 10 Gan Fran
cisco. "A distance OF over six hundred
miles, there is no harbor on our Pacific
coast which can be approached during
stormy weather. An appropriation of
$4,000 was made by the Forty-tiith
Congress for The commencement Of a
breaA water and harbOr OF refuge, 20 De
located ST some point between the
S,raiZh,s Of Fuca and San Francisco, ~
which the necessities OF commerce, lOIa.
and general. will Be best accommodated.
Tue amount appropriated Is thought 10
be quite inadequate for the purpose In
tended. The cost Of the work. when
finished, will be very great, owing 10 The
want OF natural advantages Tor a site al
ans pOin. on the coast between the
designated limits, and it has not been
though, 10 be advisable 10 Und erlake the
work without larger appropriation.
IcOmmend the matter 10 the attention
OF Congress.
The completion OF the new building
for the war department is urgently
needed, ana the estimates fer continu-
ing It's construction are especially re-
commended.
The co lections OF books, specimens,
and records constituting the army med
lea. museum and library are of national
importance. The library now contains
about titty-one thousand five hundred
(5l.5tO) volumes and fifty-seven thou
sand $4,000 pamphlets relating u
medicine surgery, and allied topics.
Tue contents of the army medical
,.,,,.,,,n, .cnnrist Of fWPniY-t Mn