RIGHT OF WAY-HARPER'S FERRY.

[To accompany joint resolution H. R. No. 12.]

DECEMBER 12, 1834.

Mr. THOMSON, of Ohio, from the Committee on Military Affairs, made the

following REPORT:

The Committee on Military Affairs, to which was referred the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 9th instant, embracing so much of the report of the Secretary of War as relates to the joint resolution of Congress, passed at the last session, providing for the construction of a railroad through the public grounds at Harper's Ferry, beg leave to report:

That the committee have examined the subject referred to them, and find that the Winchester and Potomac Railroad Company could not make the contemplated railroad without passing through the ground belonging to the United States, which had some small improvements erected thereon, and which, on an examination made by officers appointed by the proper authority for that purpose, may amount to about $480; there are some other buildings on the line of the railroad, as now located, such as smoke-houses, sheds, &c., of little value, which can be removed with but little expense. The committee being of opinion that the completing the Winchester and Potomac railroad, and forming a junction with the Baltimore and Ohio railroad at Harper's Ferry, is an affair in which the public feel a great interest, and that it is an undertaking which deserves every fair encouragement, recommend the passage of the accompanying joint resolution, as amendatory to the one passed at the last session. [Gales & Seaton, print.]

2d Session.

TOPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERS.

[To accompany bill H. R. No. 567.]

DECEMBER 16, 1834.

Mr. JOHNSON, of Kentucky, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to which the subject had been referred, made the following

REPORT:

The Committee on Millitary Affairs having duly considered that part of the President's message referred to that committee, which relates to the corps of topographical engineers, beg leave tɔ report :

That the subject of reorganizing and enlarging this corps has been recommended to the consideration of Congress by four different Executives, and that on several occasions bills to effect these objects have been reported by various Committees on Military Affairs.

There is no part of the army as defective in its organization as this, and subject, in consequence, to as great inconveniences in the execution of its duties. It consists of six field officers and four captains, to which are generally attached as many as thirty lieutenants of artillery and infantry.

These lieutenants are so attached by temporary details, and the effect of this system is to take from their proper duties those who were intended for the line, and to force upon another and highly interesting branch of service inexperienced, and consequently incompetent assistants. These assistants, after a short tour of duty, are again called back to the line, and others entirely new to the duty are assigned to their places. Such a course has, as it could not fail to do, led to great delays in the execution of the duties of the corps, has exposed it to the errors inevitable from the employ of inex perienced assistants, has procured but partial returns in comparison with either the numbers or the expense of the system, and has kept this corps, comparatively speaking, stationary in its scientific operations, and continually in the execution of the most simple details.

The officers temporarily attached have the requisite theoretic information, from their education at the Military Academy, but the short period of their service with the corps of topographical engineers does not admit of a development of that theory into practice, nor of their attempting the higher walks of their profession. After returning to their duties in the line, they soon forget the little practical knowledge they acquired during the short period they were with the corps, and, while there, must also, from the want of its use, have forgotten much of the knowledge of their proper line duties. It is a system therefore productive only of injury to the [Gales & Seaton, print.]

officer, to every branch of service, and consequently to the Government which is interested in all.

It is also a system at variance with true principles of economy, as its effect is to produce the fewest and least valuable results, at the greatest expense.

The duties of such a corps are essentially military and scientific it is therefore necessary that its members should have both military and scien tific knowledge, as both have to be called into action in the exercise of their proper functions.

In Europe, where the military avocation is so much more extensive than in our country, the duties of a corps of topographical engineers are rarely extended to occupations purely civil. These last are committed to a distinct body of officers, called the Corps of Ponts and Chausce. But the more limited military operations of our country do not yet render such a division of labor necessary, and the duties of two such corps can be well executed by one. But as the military functions of the corps are by us the most required, so is it therefore absolutely necessary that its members should be military as well as scientific. The two qualifications are essential to their proper duties, the latter only in operations purely civil. But in the execution of the latter, if the officer also possesses military knowledge, it gives a double value to the purely civil duty upon which he may be engaged, by the military views and reports which should always be required of him.

Happily for our country, we possess at present in abundance the finest materials for such a corps in the graduates from the Military Academy, who now pervade our army so extensively, whose education, both military and scientific, furnishes all the requisite qualifications, and who, added to the officers now forming that corps, would place at once at the command of the Executive all that the wants of both the Government and the country have so long and so repeatedly called for.

The committee are also of opinion that these desirable views may be fulfilled, and a suitable organization effected, without any serious increase of expense. But even this additional expense, trifling as it really is, will not be encountered, until, in the judgment of the President, the promotions to the full organization proposed may be found expedient. The plan is to furnish the additional numbers required by the corps, by permanent transfers and appointments from the army, and for the army to be proportionally reduced. Such a plan would relieve the corps from the present pernicious system of temporary details, and would not be to the prejudice of the army, as the army now spares officers for these duties permanently. The present details are temporary in reference to individuals only, but permanent in reference to numbers.

Now, as the corps has generally had from twenty-five to thirty lieutenants of artillery and infantry attached to it by detail, the pay of these officers is really chargeable upon that corps, although it does not appear so in the estimates, being there merged in the pay of the artillery and infantry. If permanently transferred, they would still draw their pay, but it would appear under the head of an estimate for the corps of topographical engineers, and the estimates of the artillery and infantry would be proportionally reduced.

In effecting the transfer, however, certain modifications ought to be made in the rank of the corps, essential to its wellbeing. These modifications. would be to give to it a full colonel and six additional captains. It has

now six field officers and four captains. One of these six draws the pay of a lieutenant colonel, five that of major. The modifications would therefore add only to the annual expense the difference between the pay of one major and one colonel, and the difference between the pay of six lieutenants. and six captains.

On examining into the law in relation to the topographical engineers as now existing, the committee find a singular inconsistency in the pay of its officers. All of the field officers receive cavalry pay, the captains only the pay of the infantry. It is presumed to have originated in mistake. All have to be mounted in the execution of their duties: all should therefore receive the pay of mounted troops. An arrangement of this kind becomes also necessary in another point of view. Unless there is some such provision in the law, those officers of the corps who now.receive dragoon pay, would, on a reorganization, suffer a reduction, which we presume to be the desire of no one,

To carry these views into effect, the committee beg leave to submit the accompanying bill.