On motion of Colonel Pearson, the report was accepted and

ordered published.

NOTE.-Below are letters and report of committee on Military Affairs of the House of Representatives:

WASHINGTON, D. C., August 18, 1886.

The Honorable, the Secretary of War:

SIR: We have had the honor to receive the communication of General R. C. Drum, Acting Secretary of War, informing us that the reservation, known as No. 33, between Eighth and Ninth streets, west, at the intersection of Pennsylvania and Louisiana avenues, had been selected as the new site for the location of the statue of Major-General John A. Rawlins.

In behalf of the "Society of the Army of the Tennessee,” we take occasion to thank you for your action, and to say that the location is perfectly acceptable to us, and that it will no doubt meet with the grateful approval of the Society, when the result is reported by us, at its next meeting at Rock Island, Illinois, on September 15th.

Very respectfully,

A. H. MARKLAND,
WM. W. BELKNAP,
D. B. HENDERSON,

Committee of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee.

GENTLEMEN:-I have the honor to inform you that, in accordance with the act approved May 17th, 1886, authorizing the removal of the statue of MajorGeneral John A. Rawlins from its present location to a site to be selected by the Secretary of War, the Secretary of War has selected for said site the reservation in this city, known as "No. 33," between Eighth and Ninth streets west, at the intersection of Pennsylvania and Louisiana avenues, and that the necessary orders have accordingly been given for the removal. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. C. DRUM,

COLONEL A. H. MARKLAND,

GENERAL WM. W. BELKNAP,

HONORABLE D. B. HENDERSON,

Acting Secretary of War.

Committee Society of the Army of the Tennessee, Washington, D. C

49TH CONGREss,)

1st Session.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

(REPORT

No. 107.

REMOVAL OF STATUE OF MAJOR-GENERAL JOHN A. RAWLINS. Fanuary 26, 1886.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, and ordered to be printed.

Mr. Ermentrout, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the following report: [To accompany bill H. R. 606.]

The bill (H. R. 606) is for the purpose of authorizing the removal of the statue of Major-General John A. Rawlins from its present location to a site to be selected by the Secretary of War, within the limits of the city of Washington, D. C.

The committee finds that said statue was erected in Rawlins Square, Wash. ington, D. C., pursuant to the provisions of the act of Congress, approved June 22d, 1874, (18 Stat. at Large, 143), which, after making an appropriation, provides that " the Secretary of War is authorized to place the statue in Rawlins Square, or such other reservation in the city of Washington as he may select."

The then Secretary of War, General W. W. Belknap, selected Rawlins Square, where the statue was placed in November, 1875.

Rawlins Square is in a part of the city seldom visited by our people, being in an unfrequented part of the city. Many people come and go from the National Capital who never see Rawlins Square or the statue of this distinguished citizen and soldier of the Republic.

We here incorporate the address of the committee of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, which shows at once the unsuitable character of the location, and the desire of his old comrades in arms for the change contemplated by this bill:

WASHINGTON, D. C., November 19, 1885.

SIR:-At a meeting of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, held at Chicago, September 9th and 10th, 1885, the undersigned were appointed, by a resolution of the Society, a committee to confer with the Secretary of War in reference to the removal of the statue of Major General John A. Rawlins, late Secretary of War, from its present site in the city of Washington, to another, to be selected by the Secretary of War.

It is not deemed necessary to enter into an argument to show the propriety of a change of location for the statue. That will be apparent to any one who will visit the present site, the selection for which was made when the great improvements of the city of Washington were in an embryo state, and when there was good reason to believe that the selection was a most eligible one. Time and the progress of improvement has shown that it is not only out of place but out of the way of all who would appreciate the object of its erection. Not one-tenth of the citizens of the city of Washington now know its location, and not one visitor in ten thousand could find it. General Rawlins was too intimately identified with the War Department, and his history as a soldier is too well-known to require one word in favor of a more prominent site for the statue to commemorate his memory.

The cost of transferring the statue and erecting it on a site to be selected by the Secretary of War, would be but a trifle, only a few hundred dollars at

most.

We most respectfully ask, in the name of the Society of the Army of the

Tennessee, that the Secretary of War will take such steps as he may think necessary, or in his judgment may be proper, looking to a change of the statue from its present to a more prominent site, to the end that it may be seen by all who appreciate manliness, soldierly qualities and executive capacity.

The letter of General Andrew Hickenlooper, Corresponding Secretary of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, notifying us of our appointment for the purpose named, is herewith appended.

Very respectfully, your obedient servants.

A. H. MARKLAND,

WM. W. BELKNAP,

D. B. HENDERSON,

Committee of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee.

HON. W. C. ENDICOTT,

Secretary of War.

General Newton, Chief of Engineers, finds that the cost of the proposed change will be about $250.00.

It is proper to state that the development of the city, since the selection of Rawlins Square, has made undesirable a location, which, at the time of selection, gave promise of being a pleasant part of the city.

It will be noticed that General Belknap, who, as Secretary of War, made the selection, is now a member of the committee of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, urging the passage of the bill under consideration. In view of the foregoing, we recommend that the bill do pass.

The President:-The next business in order is current business. Under that head it is in order to present any business. I shall be pleased to hear any suggestions on any pertinent topic.

Captain Riebsame:-Mr. President: If there is no provision now to that effect, I wish to move that hereafter the names of members attending the meetings be published in cur annual reports.

The Secretary:-That has not been done heretofore, because it is not a part of the proceedings of the meeting, but I have told a half a dozen gentlemen this morning, that I wanted them to see that everybody was registered. The reason I have not published the names heretofore is, that nearly one-half the members present never would register. If you will register this year, all that register will be published.

The President:-It is hardly necessary to put that as a motion; I suppose the Secretary's statement covers the point.

Captain Riebsame:-That is satisfactory.

Colonel Fletcher:-Mr. Chairman: The Secretary read, a

while ago, a despatch or communication from a Post at Atlanta, inviting the Society to meet there. I move that that matter be referred to the committee on time and place of our next meeting. The President:-That is contained in the report of our Corresponding Secretary. The committee are advised of it.

The Secretary:-It has been handed to the chairman of the committee.

Colonel Fletcher:-Then we may consider the subject as referred to them?

The President:-Yes sir.

Surgeon Plummer, Chairman Local Committee, explained the arrangements for excursions for the afternoons of to-day and tomorrow, and exercises for this evening, at Opera House, including welcome addresses, response and oration.

On motion of General Pearson:

Resolved. That the Society now adjourn until the hour of exercises of annual oration and addresses as arranged by the Local Committee.

September 15, 1886.

The meeting of the Society for the purpose of hearing the annual address was held in the Opera House, and arranged by the Local Committee. Many members were on the stage as also other distinguished gentlemen.

At 8:10 o'clock the meeting was called to order by the President, who said:

The Society will now come to order; and in order that all within the hearing of my voice, may understand, I will explain that this is a meeting of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, the nineteenth since the close of the war. We are always most happy to see the families of our soldier friends and indeed all good citizens. We welcome you all to our hall, and bespeak on your part a close attention to the observances of our Society, which I know will entertain, instruct and interest you. We always commence our proceedings by a prayer. We did hope to have our fellow member, Bishop Fallows of Chicago, here, but he is not present; therefore I call upon the Rev. Mr. Marquis of your own city of Rock Island, to open this meeting with a prayer. Rev. Marquis rising, and the audience standing, he said:

Let us unite in prayer. Oh, God we recognize Thee as the Sovereign Ruler of the armies of Heaven, and of the children of men; and we rejoice that it is our privilege upon all occasions that are righteous in Thy sight, to invoke Thy presence and Thy blessing. Be Thou with us to-night, and sanctify all that is said. and done to Thy honor and Thy glory. Gathered together as citizens of a common country, we praise Thee, Heavenly Father, for the manifold blessings which Thou hast showered upon us. We thank Thee for the prosperity of our land; for the plenty with which Thou hast blest it. We thank Thee, Heavenly Father, for its many homes, for its peace, and we praise Thee that Thou art in our midst, that Thou art guiding and controlling, and that as we look back over the history of the years, we can see that Thou hast been with us, and that even when the stormcloud hung the lowest, and when the deep currents of the nations'