to our military success. About one-half of the officers of these corps capable of taking the field have thus gone into the volunteers, and those that remain, though in the most responsible positions and performing very arduous duties, have daily to undergo the extreme mortification of being below nearly every one around them of their own age. At the present moment the Chiefs of Engineers and Topographical Engineers of our armies, of from fifty to one hundred and fifty thousand men, are only lieutenants and captains, while their juniors of their own and almost every arm of service are brigadiers and major-generals of volunteers, who have by no means more important duties to perform.

The organization proposed by this bill gives some increased rank to our engineers, thus offering a somewhat adequate reward for their talents and services and stimulating them to remain in the performance of their necessary professional labors.

This organization is also more in conformity to the practice of most governments, which appreciating the elevated function of engineers, confer upon them the advantages of high rank so essential to their positions in armies, and so liberally compensated in civil life.

Organization of engineers in European armies.

Country. Organizatio Generals. Colonels. Lieutenan

n. t-

colonels.

France... Staff of 15 32 30

engineers..

Sappers, ......... 4 4

miners,

pontoniers,

&c.

Total 15 36 34

French

engineer

officers.

Great Corps of 8 16 40

Britain... royal

engineers.

East India 7 15 34

engineers.

Total 15 31 74

British

engineers

officers.

Austria... Staff of 9 6 8

engineers.

Sappers, ........ ........ 4

miners,

pioneers,

and

pontoniers.

Total 9 6 12

Austrian

engineer

officers.

Prussia... Corps of 4 7 3

engineers

and

pioneers.

Spain... Engineers 11 21 21

in

Peninsula.

Engineers 1 4 3

in

colonies.

Total 12 25 24

Spanish

engineer

officers.

Russia... Staff of 13 ......... (448

engineers

and

topographic

al

engineers.

Sappers, ......... ......... ..........

miners,

pioners,

etc.

Total ......... .......... .........

Russia

engineer

officers.

Country. Organizati Chief Captai Lieut Total. Remark

on. of ns. enant s.

battal s.

ion

majors

.

France.. Staff of 115 282 18 492 7

engineers. genera

ls of

divisi

on

(majo

r-

genera

ls):8

genera

ls of

brigad

e

(briga

dier-

genera

ls.)

Sappers, 16 132 168 324

miners,

pontoniers

, &c.

Total 131 414 186 816

French

engineer

officers.

Great Corps of ..... 128 195 387 3

Britain. royal genera

.. engineers. ls, 5

lieute

nant-

genera

ls.

East India ...... 113 143 312 1

engineers. genera

ls, 2

lieute

nant-

genera

ls, 4

major-

genera

ls.

Total ...... 241 338 699

British

engineers

officers.

Austria. Staff of 17 72 70 182

.. engineers.

Sappers, 2 31 72 109 (Austr

miners, ia has

pioneers, beside

and s a

pontoniers staff

. corps

of

Total 19 103 142 291 57

Austrian office

engineer rs,

officers. having

also

engine

er

duties

to

perfor

m.

Prussia. Corps of 19 81 159 273 3

.. engineers lieute

and nant-

pioneers. genera

ls; 1

major-

genera

l.

Spain... Engineers 21 64 80 218

in

Peninsula.

Engineers 15 8 ..... 31

in

colonies.

Total 36 72 80 249

Spanish

engineer

officers.

Russia.. Staff of of all grade 461

. engineers s.)

and

topographi

cal

engineers.

Sappers, ...... ...... ..... 400 Number

miners, estima

pioners, ted.

etc.

Total ...... ...... ..... 861

Russia

engineer

officers.