ton, on January 7, 1794, recommended to Congress that the office of Purveyor of Public Supplies be created and charged "with the duties of receiving, safe-keeping, and distributing the public supplies." The office thus recommended was established by the act of February 23, 1795 (1 Stat.419), and continued to exist until May 31, 1812, when, its duties having been transferred to the several departments of the staff, it was abolished. (Sec. 9, act of Mar. 28, 1812, 2 id., 696.) The Ordnance Department, eo nomine, was established by the act of May 14, 1812 (id., 732), and was to consist of one Commissary General of Ordnance, an assistant commissary general, four deputy commissaries, and as many assistant deputy commissaries, not exceeding eight, as the President might deem necessary. The Commissary General of Ordnance was to have the rank and pay of colonel, the assistant commissary general that of lieutenant colonel, the deputy commissaries that of major, and the assistant deputy commissaries that of captain. By the act of February 8, 1815 (3 id., 203), the department was reorganized, its duties were defined, and its strength, fixed at one colonel, one lieutenant colonel, two majors, ten captains, ten first lieutenants, and as many enlisted men, to serve as armorers, blacksmiths, wheelwrights, artificers, etc., as the Secretary of War might deem necessary; by the same enactment the supervision of the several armories, magazines, and arsenals was vested in the Ordnance Department. By section 4 of the act of March 2, 1821 (3 id., 283), the Ordnance Department was merged in the artillery, one captain being added to each regiment of artillery for ordnance duty. Although the department ceased to exist, for the time, as a separate establishment, the duties pertaining to the ordnance service seem to have continued to be performed by officers of artillery detailed for the purpose. By the act of April 5, 1830 (4 id., 504), the Ordnance Department was reconstituted, with the following commissioned strength: One colonel, one lieutenant colonel, two majors, ten captains, with the pay and allowances of artillery officers of corresponding grades, and as many enlisted men as might be required, not to exceed 250. By section 2 of the act of April 5, 1830, the grade of ordnance sergeant was established, the number authorized to be appointed being restricted to one for each military post. By section 13 of the act of July 5, 1838 (5 id., 256), the President was authorized to add two majors to the department "when he may deem it expedient to increase the same;" he was also authorized to transfer ten first lieutenants and ten second lieutenants to the department from the artillery; by the act of July 7, 1838 (id., 308), the number of lieutenants thus authorized to be transferred was reduced to twelve. The act of July 5, 1838, placed officers of ordnance on the same footing in respect to pay and allowances as officers of dragoons. By section 16 of the act of March 3, 1847 (9 id., 184), the President was authorized to add to the department, under the conditions set forth in the statute last cited, two captains and six first lieutenants. By section 3 of the act of August 3, 1861 (12 id., 287), a chief of ordnance, with the rank and pay of Quartermaster General (brigadier general), one colonel, one lieutenant colonel, and six second lieutenants were added to the establishment. By section 4 of the act of March 3, 1863 (id., 743), one lieutenant colonel, two majors, eight captains, and eight first lieutenants were added; the appointments to be made by promotion "as far as the present Ordnance Corps will permit, and the residue to be appointed by transfer from other regiments and corps of the Army;" by this statute examinations were required in all grades below that of field officer as a condition precedent to promotion.

By section 21 of the act of July 28, 1866 (14 id., 335), the peace strength of the department was fixed at one brigadier-general, three colonels, four lieutenant-colonels, ten majors, twenty captains, sixteen first lieutenants, and ten second lieutenants; sixteen ordnance storekeepers were also added to the establishment. Section 6 of the act of March 3, 1869 (15 id., 318), contained the requirement that there should be no promotions or appointments in the several staff corps until otherwise directed by law; but this restriction was removed as to the Ordnance Department by the act of June 23, 1874 (18 id., 244), which reorganized the department with an authorized strength of one brigadiergeneral, three colonels, four lieutenant-colonels, ten majors, twenty captains, and sixteen first lieutenants, and provided that all vacancies in the grade of first lieutenant should be filled by transfer from the line of the Army, subject to the examination therein prescribed. The examination for promotion, first required by the act of March 3, 1863, was extended in its scope by the act of June 23, 1874, so as to require that "no appointment or promotion in said department shall hereafter be made until the officer so appointed or promoted shall have passed a satisfactory examination before a board of ordnance officers senior to himself." By the act of July 7, 1898 (30 Stat. 720), the composition

of the Ordnance Department was fixed at one brigadier-general, four colonels, five lieutenant-colonels, twelve majors, twenty-four captains, and twenty first lieutenants.

By section 23 of the act of February 2, 1901 (31 Stat. 754), the strength of the Ordnance Department was fixed at one chief of ordnance with the rank of brigadier-general, four colonels, six lieutenant-colonels, twelve majors, twentyfour captains, and twenty-four first lieutenants, together with the enlisted men, including ordnance-sergeants, already authorized by law. A system of details was also provided by the operation of which the permanent commissioned personnel of the department will be gradually replaced, as vacancies occur, by officers detailed from the line of the Army for duty in the Ordnance Department. By act of June 25, 1906 (34 Stat. 455), the strength of the Ordnance Department was fixed at one Chief of Ordnance with the rank of brigadier-general, six colonels, nine lieutenant-colonels, nineteen majors, twenty-five captains; twenty-five first lieutenants; and the enlisted men authorized by the existing law, and it was provided that details thereto may be made from the Army at large "from the grade in which the vacancy exists or from the grade below," subject to the limitations prescribed therein. And by the act of March 3, 1909 (35 Stat. 751) the rank of officers serving by detail in the Ordnance Department in their respective grades was referred to the "dates of their rank under the original detail in said grades."

879. Organization.-The Signal Corps shall consist of one Chief Signal Officer with the rank of brigadier-general, one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, four majors, fourteen captains, fourteen first lieutenants, eighty first-class sergeants, one hundred and twenty sergeants, one hundred and fifty corporals, two hundred and fifty firstclass privates, one hundred and fifty second-class privates, and ten cooks. Sec. 24, Act of Feb. 2, 1901 (31 Stat. 754).

880. Same-Increase.-There shall be added to the Signal Corps of the Army, as now authorized by law, one lieutenant-colonel, two majors, four captains, and four first lieutenants. Act of Mar. 2, 1903 (32 Stat. 932).

881. Chief of telegraph and cypher bureau.-That the President be, and is hereby, authorized to appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, an officer of the Signal Corps as chief of the telegraph and cipher bureau of the Executive Office, who shall have, while so serving, the rank, pay, and allowances of a major.2 Id.

1 Section 24 of the act of February 2, 1901 (31 Stat. 754), contains a proviso to the effect that "vacancies created or caused by this section shall be filled by promotion of officers of the Signal Corps according to seniority, as now provided by law. Vacancies remaining after such promotions may be filled by appointment of persons who have served in the Volunteer Signal Corps since April twenty-first, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight."

'But one officer was ever appointed to this office, and on his retirement the office was allowed to lapse.

882. Appropriations for support.-On and after July first, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, 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 9, Act of Oct. 1, 1890 (26 Stat. 653).

883. Moneys from sales to replace supplies and equipment.-Hereafter all moneys arising from the disposition of serviceable Signal Corps supplies and equipment, authorized by law and regulations, shall constitute one fund on the books of the Treasury Department and be available during the fiscal year in which their disposition was effected and the year following, for the replacement of Signal Corps supplies and equipment. Act of Apr. 27, 1914 (38 Stat. 361). APPOINTMENTS; PROMOTIONS; DETAILS.

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884. Examinations.-All appointments and promotions in the Sig nal Corps * 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.1 Sec. 7, Act of Oct. 1, 1890 (26 Stat. 653).

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885. Promotions-Seniority. So long as there remain any officers holding permanent appointments in the Signal Corps, including those appointed to original vacancies in the grades of captain and first lieutenant as provided in sections sixteen, seventeen, twenty-one, and twenty-four of this act, they shall be promoted according to seniority in the several grades, as now provided by law, and nothing herein contained shall be deemed to apply to vacancies which can be filled by such promotions or to the periods for which the officers so promoted shall hold their appointments. Sec. 26, Act of Feb. 2, 1901 (31 Stat. 755).

886. Same. The vacancies thus created or caused shall be filled first by the promotion of officers of the Signal Corps, according to seniority, and thereafter by details from the line of the Army." Act of Mar. 2, 1903 (32 Stat. 932).

887. Details. When any vacancy, except that of the chief of the department or corps, shall occur which can not be filled by promotion as provided in this section, it shall be filled by detail from the line of the Army. Sec. 26, Act of Feb. 2, 1901 (31 Stat. 755).

1

This clause regulates the promotion, after examination, of officers holding permanent appointments in the Signal Corps.

'The clause relating to the transfer of officers of the line to the Signal Corps was repealed by the act of February 2, 1901. Appointments to original vacancies created or caused by that enactment are governed by the requirements of section 24 of said act of February 2, 1901.

8 See paragraph 884.