may be ordered. And officers of the Army who may be appointed in this corps may, after the rebellion, be restored to their respective regiments or corps and receive the same rank and promotion as if they had continued to serve therein.

SEC. 19. That in selecting officers and men for the organization of the Signal Corps, as herein provided, preference shall be given to such as have served faithfully or as are now serving in the acting Signal Corps of the Army.

SEC. 20. That, in order to allow time for their thorough examination, the President may appoint the officers authorized by this act during the recess of Congress, which appointments shall be submitted to the Senate at their next session for their advice and consent.

Act of July 28, 1866 (14 Stats., 332).

AN ACT to increase and fix the military peace establishment of the United States.

SEC. 22. That there shall be one Chief Signal Officer of the Army, who shall have the rank, pay, and emoluments of a colonel of cavalry, and the Secretary of War have power to detail six officers and not to exceed one hundred noncommissioned officers and privates from the Battalion of Engineers for the performance of signal duty; but no officer or enlisted man shall be so detailed until he shall have been examined and approved by a military board, to be convened by the Secretary of War for that purpose; and enlisted men, while so detailed, shall, when deemed necessary, be mounted upon horses provided by the Government.

*

February 18, 1867 (14-395).-The officers and men of the Signal Corps who performed duty on the fleet under Admiral Farragut in the action in Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864, to receive such sums, as prize money, as will be equal to what has been allowed to officers and sailors of the Navy of corresponding rank.

Resolution of February 9, 1870 (16 Stats., 369).

That the Secretary of War be, and he hereby is, authorized and required to provide for taking meteorological observations at the military stations in the interior of the continent and at other points in the States and Territories of the United States, and for giving notice on the northern lakes and on the seacoast, by magnetic telegraph and marine signals, of the approach and force of storms.

Act of June 10, 1872 (17 Stats., 347).

AN ACT making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-three, and for other purposes.

That the Secretary of War be, and he hereby is, authorized and required to provide, in the system of observations and reports in charge of the Chief Signal Officer of the Army, for such stations, reports, and signals as may be found necessary for the benefit of agricultural and commercial interests.

Act of March 3, 1873 (17 Stats., 510).

AN ACT making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-four, and for other purposes.

*

That the Secretary of War be, and hereby is, authorized to establish signal stations at light-houses at such of the life-saving stations on the lake or sea coasts as may be suitably located for that purpose, and to connect the same with such points as may be necessary for the proper discharge of the signal service by means of a suitable telegraph line in cases where no telegraph lines are in operation, to be constructed, maintained, and worked under the direction of the Chief Signal Officer of the Army or the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Treasury; and the use of the life-saving stations as signal stations shall be subject to such regulations as may be agreed upon by said officials.

That the Chief Signal Officer may cause to be sold any surplus maps or publications of the Signal Office, the money received therefor to be applied towards defraying the expenses of the Signal Service, an account of the same to be rendered in each annual report of the Chief of the Signal Service.

Act of March 3, 1875 (18 Stats., 371).

AN ACT making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-six, and for other purposes.

And a full report of the receipts and expenditures in connection with the said telegraph lines [on the Indian and Mexican frontiers and for the connection of military posts and stations, for the better protection of immigration and the frontier settlements from depredations, especially in the State of Texas, the Territories of New Mexico, Arizona, and the Indian Territory] shall be made quarterly to the Secretary of War through the Chief Signal Officer. And the Chief Signal Officer shall have the charge and control of said lines of telegraph in the construction, repair, and operation of the same.

Act of July 24, 1876 (19 Stats., 97).

AN ACT making appropriations for the support of the Army for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-seven, and for other purposes.

Nothing, however, in this act shall be construed to prevent enlistments for the Signal Service, which shall hereafter be maintained as now organized, and as provided by law with a force of enlisted men not exceeding four hundred after present terms of enlistment have expired.

SEC. 221. The Secretary of War shall provide for taking meteorological observations at the military stations in the interior of the continent and at other points in the States and Territories, and for giving notice on the northern lakes and seacoast, by magnetic telegraph and marine signals, of the approach and force of storms.

SEC. 222. The Secretary of War shall provide, in the system of observations and reports in charge of the Chief Signal Officer of the Army, for such stations, reports, and signals as may be found necessary for the benefit of agriculture and commerce.

SEC. 223. The Secretary of War is authorized to establish signal stations at light-houses and at such of the life-saving stations on the lake or sea coast as may be suitably located for that purpose, and to connect the same with such points as may be necessary for the proper discharge of the signal service by means of a suitable telegraph line in cases where no lines are in operation, to be constructed, maintained, and worked under the direction of the Chief Signal Officer of the Army or the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Treasury; and the use of the life-saving stations as signal stations shall be subject to such regulations as may be agreed upon by said officials.

SEC. 227. The Chief Signal Officer may cause to be sold any surplus maps or publications of the Signal Office, the money received therefor to be applied toward defraying the expenses of the Signal Service, and an account of the same shall be rendered in each annual report of the Chief of the Signal Service.

SEC. 1094. The Army of the United States shall consist of—

SEC. 1195. There shall be one Chief Signal Officer, with the rank of colonel of cavalry, who shall have charge, under the direction of the Secretary of War, of all signal duty, and of all books, papers, and apparatus connected therewith.

SEC. 1196. The Secretary of War may detail six officers from the Corps of Engineers, and any number of noncommissioned officers and privates, not exceeding one hundred, from the battalion of engineers, for the performance of signal duty; but no officer or enlisted man shall be so detailed until he shall have been examined and approved by a military board convened by the Secretary of War.

SEC. 1197. Enlisted men detailed for signal duty shall, when it is deemed necessary, be mounted on horses provided by the Government.

SEC. 1241. The President may cause to be sold any military stores which, upon proper inspection or survey, appear to be damaged or unsuitable for the public service. Such inspection or survey shall be made by officers designated by the Secretary of War, and the sales shall be made under regulations prescribed by him.

SEC. 1304. In case of deficiency of any article of military supplies, or of damage to such supplies, the value of the deficient articles or that of the damage, to be charged against the responsible officer unless he can show that the deficiency or damage was not occasioned by any fault on his part.

SEC. 3714. All purchases and contracts for supplies or services for the military service shall be made by or under the direction of the chief officers of the Department of War, and all agents or contractors for supplies or service as aforesaid shall render their accounts for settlement to the accountant of the proper department for which such supplies or services are required, subject, nevertheless, to the inspection and revision of the officers of the Treasury.

SEC. 3732. No contract or purchase on behalf of the United States shall be made unless the same is authorized by law or is under an appropriation adequate to its fulfillment.

SEC. 3747. Secretary of War to furnish officers appointed by him to make contracts, with a printed letter of instructions and blank forms of contracts, affidavits of returns, etc., to secure uniformity in such instruments.

AN ACT making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-nine, and for other

And the enlisted force of the Signal Corps shall consist of one hundred and fifty sergeants, thirty corporals, and two hundred and seventy privates, who shall receive the pay of engineer soldiers of similar grades; and two sergeants may, in each year, be appointed to be second lieutenants: Provided, Signal Service men shall not receive extra-duty pay unless specially directed by the Secretary of War.

Provided, however, That private dispatches of lawful nature may be transmitted over said lines from Bismarck to Fort Ellis, via the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers, connecting Fort Buford, Fort Keogh, and Fort Custer, and from Fort Sully to Fort Keogh, via Deadwood] whenever the same is not needed for public use, at reasonable rates, not to exceed the usual rates charged by private telegraph companies, the proceeds thereof to be accounted for and paid into the Treasury of the United States; and the said telegraph line shall be maintained and operated under such proper rules and orders as the Secretary of War may direct for the benefit of the public service.

Act of June 16, 1880 (21 Stats., 259).

AN ACT making appropriations for the sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and eighty-one, and for other purposes.

*

*

*

There shall be added to the Signal Corps fifty privates; and from and after the passage of this act the Chief Signal Officer shall have the rank and pay of a brigadier-general.

Act of August 7, 1882 (22 Stats., 302).

AN ACT making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and eighty-three, and for other purposes.

Provided, That the work of no other department, bureau, or commission authorized by law shall be duplicated by this Bureau: Provided further, That nothing herein contained shall restrict the performance of all duties of the Signal Service Bureau prescribed by existing laws.

Act of March 3, 1883 (22 Stats., 603).

AN ACT making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and eighty-four, and for other purposes.

Provided, That on and after the first day of July, eighteen hundred and eighty-three, all moneys received for the transmission of private dispatches over any and all telegraph lines owned or operated by the United States shall be paid into the Treasury of the United States,

And the Secretary of War is authorized, in his discretion, to detail for the service in the Signal Corps not to exceed ten commissioned officers, exclusive of the second lieutenants of the Signal Corps authorized by law, and exclusive of officers detailed for Arctic Sea service.

Resolution of June 11, 1884 (23 Stats., 274).

JOINT RESOLUTION authorizing the President of the United States to appoint from the sergeants of the Signal Corps two second lieutenants.

Whereas the promotion of two sergeants of the Signal Corps to be second lieutenants not having been made for the year ending June