The admirable report of Comrade Henry S. Dietrich, Chief of Staff, indicates that this heretofore largely ornamental branch of our service may be made decidedly useful. We therefore submit to your favorable consideration his suggestion, namely:

"That a system of National Staff Associations in every Department be inaugurated. That, from the National Staff, a Senior Aide-de-Camp be selected for each Department, who shall form the Association, under the direction of the Chief of Staff, and be accountable to him for efficient and effective work in their respective Departments.

Respectfully, by the Committee,

E. B. GRAY, Chairman.

The following named Comrades were elected members of the National Council of Administration for the ensuing year:

Alabama,

Arizona,

Arkansas,

California and Nevada,

Colorado and Wyoming,

Connecticut,

Delaware,

Florida,

Georgia,

Idaho,

Illinois,

Indiana,

Indian Territory,

Iowa,

Kansas,

Kentucky,

Louisiana and Mississippi,

Maine,

Maryland,

Massachusetts,

Michigan,

Minnesota,

Missouri,

Montana,

Nebraska,

New Hampshire,

John N. Wilsey,
J. W. Worrall,
T. S. Wilmarth,
Alex. Mattison,
W. H. Barton,
Thos. W. Scott,

Wm. H. Armstrong,
Robert W. Hill,
Luman L. Caldwell,
W. H. Smith,
Charles W. Erdman,
F. C. Antoine,
Herbert R. Sargent,
Marion A. Brian,
Wm. S. Loomis,
Roscoe D. Dix,
Albert Scheffer,
F. M. Sterrett,

Longmount.

Hartford.

Comrade Mark B. Taylor of Massachusetts and Comrade Bruner of Illinois were nominated for Chaplain-in-Chief. Comrade Bruner's name was withdrawn, and Comrade Taylor was elected by acclamation.

The Committee on Resolutions presented the following additional report, which was adopted:

We recommend the adoption of the following resolution:

Resolved, That the thanks of the Thirtieth National Encampment are due, and are hereby tendered the Department of Minnesota, the municipal authorities, the citizens of St. Paul, and all who have contributed to the comfort and pleasure of our comrades. The decorations of the Twin Cities have been profuse and elegant, and do honor and credit to the patriotism and loyalty of their people.

On the proposition to ask Congress to provide for a Memorial Bridge across the Potomac River the Committee report that it is inexpedient for the G. A. R. to petition Congress to make public improvements.

We recommend the adoption of the following;

Resolved, That the sincere thanks of this Encampment are hereby tendered to Comrade R. B. Beath for his many years of arduous and gratuitous service for the Order, as chairman of the Committee on Rules and Regulations, and for the preservation of our records and history and all his labor of love for the Grand Army of the Republic.

Comrade Bryant of Wisconsin presented the following, which, on motion, was adopted by a standing vote:

IN MEMORIAM.

In the long roll of our beloved comrades whose places are vacant now there was no one who had won the regard and love of his fellow comrades in a larger measure than Past Commander-inChief Lucius Fairchild of Wisconsin. He was like a knight of chivalry-no hero of olden or recent times was braver, and his heart was pure and tender as a woman's. A soldier of 1861, springing into the ranks of our army when the first call came, he fought with distinction until stricken down at Gettysburg. He was a soldier in the Second Wisconsin Infantry, in the Iron Brigade of the West, in the First Corps of the Army of the Potomac, and fell that morning that Reynolds died. He was Captain, Colonel and Brigadier General. The love of his comrades in the army went hand in hand with their respect and admiration. He was brave to

the verge of rashness, he was firm as a rock, and in camp, on the campaign and in battle the proper protection of his command never escaped his tireless and sympathetic vigilance. Hardly had his arm been amputated at Gettysburg than he started out to hunt up the wounded men of his regiment and alleviate their sufferings.

In civil life, the State of Wisconsin made him Secretary of State and then Governor for six years. The National Government sent him abroad as Consul to Liverpool, Consul-General at Paris and Minister to Spain.

His fellow comrades made him Department Commander of Wi-corsin and Commander-in-Chief.

He had the gift of the gods, which won the love of men and women everywhere. His courteousness came from his heart. The well bred gentleman and the plain man of the people were blended He never sought to shine resplendent through undue ambition, and the honors which were showered upon him, bestowed with loving hands, were given to recognized valor and fitness and faithful service.

He was our ideal comrade; he loved us and our friends were his friends. Now that he is gone, there is many a comrade who finds the world more lonesome than it was. It will be our sad

pleasure to cherish and guard his memory until we catch the first notes of the reveille from the camp on the other shore.

Resolved, That this memorial and resolution, together with an engraving of Comrade Fairchild, be published in the journal of this Encampment, and that a copy of the same be sent to the widow of Comrade Fairchild.

BENJ. F. BRYANT,
JOHN G. B. ADAMS,
JNO. PALMER.

Committee.

The Committee on Rules, Regulations and Ritual, through Comrade Beath, presented the following report. Past Commanderin-Chief Palmer presiding, the several recommendations of the Committee were adopted as read.

To the National Encampment:

Your Committee on Amendments to the Rules, Regulations and Ritual respectfully report that they have confined their work to the propositions presented under Article XV, Chapter V, which requires, first, the approval of a Department Encampment, and, second, at least thirty days' notice of proposed amendments, which notice was given under General Orders No. 12 from National Headquarters at Indianapolis, July 30, 1896.

These are in the order in which they are printed, as follows: 1. A proposition from the Department of Alabama for an amendment to Chapter IV, Article II, Section 2, has been withdrawn.

2. From the Department of California and Nevada:

Resolved, That this Encampment recommend to the National Encampment that Section 5, Article IV, Chapter V, of Rules and Regulations concerning dues of the members of the Order who are in the Regular Army and Navy, be stricken out.

The purpose of this section originally was to prevent the dropping of members who were on duty at distant stations in the army or navy when the Rules made suspensions and dropping from the rolls obligatory. Now that this matter is entirely optional with Posts there is no necessity for the continuance of this section, and we recommend that it be stricken out.