Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-05

GCCECbdAy EnQiCOAA ANCHOAA'
The annual report of the Secretary of
War, extracts from which we publish
this morning in our dispatches, is clear
and comprehensive statement of the
affairs OF the War Department. The
suggestions and recommendations are,
/ apparently, reasonable and just, and will
meet, doubtless, with the approval OF
Congress-.
The Secretary draws particular atten-
! ton to the militia, and shows the neces-
sity for legislation looking to its better
organization and armament. There We're
several bills introduced into the last Con-
gress for the organization and equipment
OF the militia, and while the question OF
its improvement was one which was very
generally and very favorably discussed,
nothing was done with the militia bills
beyond the discussion OF them which
took place in the committee rooms. A
strong effort will be made, doubtless, to
secure legislation OF some kind for the
militia during the session this winter.
The Secretary says that he is unable to
concur in the recommendations Of the
chief signal officer for legislation to pro-
vide for the permanent detail OF fifty en-
listed men for duty on the military tele-
graph lines, and for the reorganization OF
the signal service corps OF officers. The
reason he gives for not concurring is that
the duties in which the corps is now en-
gagged are civil and not military. From
this it would seem as If the Secretary
favored the proposition to transfer the
signal service bureau from the War to the
Treasury Department. One OF the reasons
perhaps that causes Congress to hesitate
about making the transfer is that it would
be necessary TO employ civilians to per-
form the duties that are now performed
by army officers. The expense of these
additional officers would be considerable.
A point to which the Secretary devotes
some attention is that of the travelling ex-
penses of army officers. IL seems that
complications are constantly arising with
regard to this matter, and the Paymaster
General thinks that the only way to avoid
them and the Secretary agrees with him
is to adopt system that will not leave it
with the officers to fix the amount of their
expenses. AS the law now is it rests
largely, says the Secretary, with the
conscience Of the individual what he will
charge as actual expenses within the
limits which have been fixed by the de-
partment."
The suggestion that a severer punish
ment be provided for those who attempt
to occupy the reservations of the Indians
will probably meet with approval. The
only punishment there is at present is
fine, and this does not seem to be much of
a bar TO the schemes of those who are con-
stantly attempting to occupy the lands of
the Indians. AS the settlements. about
the reservations increase. it will require
about all the army to prevent them from
being occupied by squatters. The Secre-
tary suggests that the punishment for oc-
cupying the lands of the Indians be made
Imprisonment.
The Secretary states a fact which shows
the Importance of leaving to the army en-
gineers the decision of the question rela-
tive to what rivers and harbors shall be
improved. OF the 139 localities author
lied to be examined with a view to i'm
prOvement in the last river and harbor
bill the engineers reported in favor of
surveys in only IS. They are much
better fitted than are the politicians for
determining what places shall be i'm
proved.
The Secretary says that he wants an as
sistant. 1t is matter of some surprise
that both the War and Navy Departments
have been so long without Assistant Sec
retaries. The law authorizes them, but
Congress appears to have neglected to
make provision for their salaries.