thirtieth, eighteen hundred and eighty-one, as authorized by law, because of a pending question as to the construction thereof: Therefore,

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be, and hereby is, authorized to appoint from the sergeants of the Signal Corps the two second lieutenants for that year, to rank from the date of appointment, the same as if the power to appoint had not lapsed.

Act of July 7, 1884 (23 Stats., 194).

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

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

That a joint commission, consisting of three Senators to be appointed by the President of the Senate, and three members of the House, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, shall consider the present organizations of the Signal Service,

with

the view to secure greater efficiency and economy of administration of the public service in said bureaus; and said joint commission shall report to their respective Houses on or before the third Monday in December, eighteen hundred and eighty-four, their conclusions, by bill or report.

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

Provided, That thereafter the work of no other department, bureau, or commission authorized by law shall be duplicated by this Bureau.

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

This act also continued the joint commission created by act of July 7, 1884, and required it to report to Congress on or before the third Monday in December, 1885.

Act of August 4, 1886 (24 Stats., 223).

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

And the Secretary of War is authorized, in his discretion, to detail for the service in the Signal Corps not to exceed five commissioned officers, exclusive of the second lieutenants of the Signal Corps authorized by law; and no money herein appropriated shall be used for pay and allowances of second lieutenants appointed or to be appointed from the sergeants of the Signal Corps under the provisions of the act approved June twentieth, eighteen hundred and seventyeight, in excess of the number of sixteen, or for the pay and allowances of exceeding four hundred and seventy enlisted men of the Signal Corps; and in reducing the force the enlisted men at Fort Myer, Virginia, denoted the "permanent party," shall first be mustered out: Provided, That this restriction shall not apply to the pay or commutation or expense of return from their stations to their homes of any enlisted men in excess of the four hundred and seventy men, accruing prior to the passage of this act.

That no part of the appropriations made for the Signal Service by this act shall be used for the maintenance or support of a school of instruction nor of the military post at Fort Myer, Virginia.1

February 17, 1887 (24–405).—A military telegraph from Point Jupiter to Sanford, on the eastern coast of Florida, to be constructed, maintained, and operated under the direction and control of the Secretary of War, in connection with the establishment of signal and display stations.

Act of March 3, 1887 (24 Stats., 509).

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

And the Secretary of War is authorized, in his discretion, to detail for the service in the Signal Corps not to exceed five commissioned officers of the Regular Army, to be exclusive of the second lieutenants of the Signal Corps authorized by law. .

And no money herein appropriated shall be used for pay and allowances of second lieutenants appointed or to be appointed from the sergeants of the Signal Corps under the provisions of the act approved

1 Extra pay is granted to thirteen enlisted men of the Signal Corps at Fort Myer, Va.

June twentieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-eight, in excess of the number of sixteen, or for the pay and allowances of exceeding four hundred and seventy enlisted men of the Signal Corps.

March 5, 1888 (25-44).-Authorizes purchase of site in Washington for a building for the use of the Signal Bureau.

Act of October 2, 1888 (25 Stats., 505).

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

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SIGNAL SERVICE.

Not exceeding seven hundred dollars may be used for the rental of such cable and land wires as may, in the opinion of the Chief Signal Officer, be necessary to secure connection between the Point Reyes military telegraph line and the signal office in San Francisco, California.

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And the Secretary of War is authorized, in his discretion, to detail for the service in the Signal Corps not to exceed five commissioned officers of the Regular Army, to be exclusive of the second lieutenants of the Signal Corps authorized by law; and the Regular Army officers herein authorized to be detailed for the Signal Corps shall receive their pay and allowances from the appropriation for the support of the Army; and no money herein appropriated shall be used for pay and allowances of second lieutenants appointed or to be appointed from the sergeants of the Signal Corps under the provisions of the act approved June twentieth, eighteen hundred and seventy.eight, in excess of the number of fourteen, or for the pay and allowances of exceeding three hundred and twenty enlisted men of the Signal Corps.

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Act of October 12, 1888 (25 Stats., 552).

AN ACT to make enlisted men of the Signal Corps responsible for public property.

That from and after the passage of this act every officer of the Signal Corps, every noncommissioned officer or private of the Signal Corps, and all other officers, agents, or persons who now have in possession, or may hereafter receive, or may be intrusted with any stores or supplies shall, quarterly, or more often if so directed, and in such manner and on such forms as may be prescribed by the Chief Signal Officer, make true and correct returns to the Chief Signal Officer of all Signal Service property and all other supplies and stores of every kind received by or intrusted to them and each of them, or which may, in any manner, come into their, and each of their, possession or charge. The Chief Signal Officer, subject to the approval of the Secretary of War, is hereby authorized and directed to draw up and enforce in his Bureau a system of rules and regulations for the government of the Signal Bureau, and of all persons in said Bureau, and for the safe-keep

ing and preservation of all Signal Service property of every kind, and to direct and prescribe the kind, number, and form of all returns and reports, and to enforce compliance therewith.

March 2, 1889 (25–939).—Authorizes detail of five officers of the Army for service in the Signal Corps.

No part of the appropriation for signal service shall be used in payment of enlisted men of the Signal Corps on clerical or messenger duty in the Signal Office, nor to pay the expense of travel performed on strictly military duty.

August 30, 1890 (26–371).—Officers and men of the Signal Corps may purchase subsistence stores in same manner as other officers and men of the Army. (Sec. 1144, R.S.)

September 26, 1890 (26-479).-Appropriation for restoring and maintaining telegraphic communication between Tatoosh Island and Port Angeles, Cal., to be expended by the Chief Signal Officer of the Army.

Act of October 1, 1890 (26 Stats., 653).

AN ACT to increase the efficiency and reduce the expenses of the Signal Corps of the Army, and to transfer the weather service to the Department of Agriculture.

That the civilian duties now performed by the Signal Corps of the Army shall hereafter devolve upon a bureau to be known as the Weather Bureau, which, on and after July first, eighteen hundred and ninetyone, shall be established in and attached to the Department of Agriculture, and the Signal Corps of the Army shall remain a part of the military establishment under the direction of the Secretary of War, and all estimates for its support shall be included with other estimates for the support of the military establishment.

SEC. 2. That the Chief Signal Officer shall have charge, under the direction of the Secretary of War, of all military signal duties, and of books, papers, and devices connected therewith, including telegraph and telephone apparatus and the necessary meteorological instruments for use on target ranges and other military uses; the construction, repair, and operation of military telegraph lines, and the duty of collecting and transmitting information for the Army by telegraph or otherwise, and all other duties usually pertaining to military signaling; and the operations of said corps shall be confined to strictly military

matters.

SEC. 4. Provided, That the chief signal officer of the Army may, in the discretion of the President, be detailed to take charge of said bureau, and in like manner other officers of the Army, not exceeding four, expert in the duties of the weather service, may be assigned to duty with the Weather Bureau, and while so serving shall receive the pay and allowances to which they are entitled by law.

SEC. 5. That the enlisted force of the Signal Corps, excepting those hereinafter provided for, shall be honorably discharged from the Army on June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, and such portion of this entire force, including the civilian employees of the Signal Service, as may be necessary for the proper performance of the duties of the Weather Bureau shall, if they so elect, be transferred to the Department of Agriculture, and the compensation of the force so transferred shall continue as it shall be in the Signal Service on June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, until otherwise provided by law: Provided, That skilled observers serving in the Signal Service at said date shall be entitled to preference over other

persons not in the Signal Service for appointment in the Weather Bureau to places for which they may be properly qualified until the expiration of the time for which they were last enlisted.

SEC. 6. That in addition to the Chief Signal Officer the commissioned force of the Signal Corps shall hereafter consist of one major, four captains (mounted), and four first lieutenants (mounted), who shall receive the pay and allowances of like grades in the Army. The officers herein provided for shall be appointed from the Army, including lieutenants of the Signal Corps, preference being given to officers who have performed long and efficient service in the Signal Service: Provided, That no appointment shall be made until a board, to be appointed by the Secretary of War, shall have submitted a report recommending officers for appointment in the Signal Corps in the order of merit, based upon the importance and usefulness of work performed in the Signal Service, as said board may determine from the official records. And such second lieutenants of the Signal Corps as may not be promoted under the provisions of this act shall be appointed second lieutenants in the line of the Army, with present date of commission, and shall be assigned to the first vacancies which may occur in the grade of second lieutenant after the appointments herein provided for have been made.

SEC. 7. That all appointments and promotions in the Signal Corps after this reorganization shall be made after examination and approval under sections twelve hundred and six and twelve hundred and seven of the Revised Statutes, which are hereby amended so as to be applicable to and to provide for the promotion of the lieutenants of the Signal Corps in the same manner as they now apply to the Corps of Engineers and the Ordnance Corps; and all vacancies which may hereafter exist in the grade of first lieutenant in the Signal Corps shall be filled by transfer from the line of the Army, after competitive examination and recommendation by a board of officers of the Signal Corps to be appointed by the Secretary of War.

SEC. 8. That the enlisted force of the Signal Corps of the Army shall hereafter consist of fifty sergeants, of which ten shall be of the first class, with pay of hospital stewards. No further enlistments shall be made in the Signal Corps for duties enumerated in section three: Provided, That any vacancy existing or hereafter occurring in that portion of the force of the Signal Corps engaged in said duties may be filled by a civilian at a salary not exceeding that now paid for the same class of work in the State or Territory where the service may be performed, and this compensation for said services shall continue until July first, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, which compensation may be paid out of the appropriation for the pay of the present enlisted force.

SEC. 9. That on and after July first, eighteen hundred and ninetyone, the appropriations for the support of the Signal Corps of the Army shall be made with those of other staff corps of the Army,

SEC. 10. That the President is authorized to appoint, on or before March first, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, a board of three officials, which board shall be charged with the duty of examining the classes and kinds of property and the amount of moneys pertaining to and in the possession of the Signal Corps, and said board shall, as soon as practicable, make to the Secretary of War a report setting forth the amount of moneys and the quantities and kinds of property more suit