19. That the powers and functions of the court established by this Act shall cease and determine on the thirtieth day of June, nineteen hundred and four, and all papers, files, and records in the possession of the said court belonging to any other public office of the United States shall be returned to such office, and all other papers, files, and records in the possession of or appertaining to said court shall be returned to and filed in the Department of the Interior:" Provided further, That all cases now or hereafter pending in the appellate courts from the Court of Private Land Claims and all surveys connected therewith shall be expedited and given preference so far as practicable.

Act March 3, 1903, c. 1007, § 1, 32 Stat. 1144.

These are provisos aunexed to an appropriation for deputy clerks in the legislative, executive, and judicial appropriation act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1904, cited above.

Act March 3, 1891, c. 539, § 19, amended by this provision, is set forth in Comp. St. 1901, p. 776. That section was previously amended by a provision of Act April 28, 1902, c. 594, § 1, set forth above.

ACT FEB. 2, 1901, c. 192, §§ 1, 6, 23, 24, 26, 37, 41.

Composition of the Army.

A General Staff Corps, composed of officers detailed from the Army at large, is established by Act Feb. 14, 1903, c. 553, set forth below.

Composition of Artillery Corps.

The Chief of Artillery is to serve as an additional member of the General Staff, and, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, is to have the rank, pay, and allowances of a brigadier-general, by Act Feb. 14, 1903, c. 553, § 5, set forth below.

The next vacancy occurring in the office of colonel of artillery is not to be filled, and thereafter the number of colonels of artillery shall not exceed thirteen, by Act Feb. 14, 1903, c. 553, § 5, as amended by Act March 3, 1903, c. 995, set forth below.

Twenty-five master electricians are added to the Artillery Corps, by a provision of Act March 2, 1903, c. 975, set forth below.

Ordnance Department.

Details for service to the grade of first lieutenant in the Ordnance Department may be made, from the Army at large, from the grade of first or second lieutenant, by a provision of Act March 2, 1903, c. 975, set forth below.

Signal Corps.

One lieutenant colonel, two majors, four captains, and four first lieutenants are added to the Signal Corps by a provision of Act March 2, 1903, c. 975, set forth below. And the temporary addition of fifty firstclass sergeants, for service in the Philippine Islands and Alaska, is authorized by a provision of Act June 30, 1902, c. 1328, also set forth below. The appointment by the President of an officer of the Signal Corps, as chief of the telegraph and cipher bureau of the Executive Office, is authorized by a provision of Act March 2, 1903, c. 975, set forth below.

Second-class privates of the Signal Corps are designated as privates, by a provision of Act June 30, 1902, c. 1328, set forth below. Appointments, promotions, and vacancies in staff, and details thereto from line.

No officer detailed or appointed under section 26 of this act, who has less than four years to serve from the date of his detail or appointment to the date of his retirement, shall serve under such detail or appointment beyond the date of his retirement, by a provision of Act June 30, 1902, c. 1328, set forth below.

Details for service to the grade of first lieutenant in the Ordnance De

partment, under this act, may be made, from the Army at large, from the grade of first or second lieutenant, by a provision of Act March 2, 1903, c. 975, set forth below.

A General Staff Corps, composed of officers detailed from the Army at large, is established by Act Feb. 14, 1903, c. 553, set forth below.

Provisional regiment for service in Porto Rico.

The Porto Rico regiment may be ordered for service outside the island; volunteer officers in the regiment are to be mustered out on June 30, 1904; and their places, and vacancies occurring before that date, are to be filled by detail from the line of the Army, by provisions of Act March 2, 1903, c. 975, set forth below.

Badges of military societies.

Provisions similar to those of section 41 of this act, relating to badges adopted by military societies of men who served in the armies and navies of the United States during the Chinese relief expedition of 1900, are contained in Res. Jan. 12, 1903, No. 2, set forth below.

ACT JUNE 30, 1902, c. 1328.

Signal Corps; designation of privates; additional sergeants.

* * That hereafter second-class privates of the Signal Corps shall be designated as privates, with the same pay and allowances as now allowed by law to second-class privates: And provided further, That fifty first-class sergeants may be temporarily added to the Signal Corps for service in the Philippine Islands and Alaska; such additional force, or part thereof, to be continued only as long as in the opinion of the Secretary of War (or the President) it may be necessary for the efficiency of the Army.

Act June 30, 1902, c. 1328, 32 Stat. 509.

These are provisos annexed to appropriations for the Signal Corps in the Army appropriation act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1903, cited above. The composition of the Signal Corps is prescribed by Act Feb. 2, 1901, c. 192, § 24, Comp. St. 1901, p. 798.

Time of service of officers detailed or appointed to staff.

** That no officer hereafter detailed or appointed under the provisions of section twenty-six of the Act of February second, nineteen hundred and one, who has less than four years to serve from the date of his detail or appointment to the date of his retirement shall serve under such detail or appointment or be paid as if on the active list beyond the date of his retirement.

Act June 30, 1902, c. 1328, 32 Stat. 509.

This is a proviso annexed to an appropriation for pay of the staff in the Army appropriation act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1903, cited above. Act Feb. 2, 1901, c. 192, § 26, mentioned in this provision, is set forth in Comp. St. 1901, p. 799.

RES. JAN. 12, 1903, No. 2.

Joint Resolution Relating to Military Badges. (32 Stat. 1229.) Badges of military societies of men who served during Chinese relief expedition.

Resolved, &c., That the distinctive badges adopted by military societies of men who served in the armies and navies of the United States during the Chinese relief expedition of nineteen hundred may

be worn upon all occasions of ceremony by officers and men of the Army and Navy of the United States who are members of said organization in their own right.

Res. Jan. 12, 1903, No. 2, 32 Stat. 1229.

A previous similar provision relating to badges of societies of men who served during the Spanish-American War and the incident insurrection in the Philippines is contained in Act Feb. 2, 1902, c. 192, § 41, Comp. St. 1901, p. 805.

ACT FEB. 14, 1903, c. 553. [As amended 1903.]

An Act to Increase the Efficiency of the Army. (32 Stat. 830.)

General Staff Corps established.

Be it enacted, &c., That there is hereby established a General Staff Corps, to be composed of officers detailed from the Army at large, under such rules as may be prescribed by the President.

Act Feb. 14, 1903, c. 553, § 1, 32 Stat. 830.

Duties of General Staff Corps.

Sec. 2. That the duties of the General Staff Corps shall be to prepare plans for the national defense and for the mobilization of the military forces in time of war; to investigate and report upon all questions affecting the efficiency of the Army and its state of preparation for military operations; to render professional aid and assistance to the Secretary of War and to general officers and other superior commanders, and to act as their agents in informing and coordinating the action of all the different officers who are subject under the terins of this Act to the supervision of the Chief of Staff; and to perform such other military duties not otherwise assigned by law as may be from time to time prescribed by the President.

Act Feb. 14, 1903, c. 553, § 2, 32 Stat. 831.

The duties of the Chief of Staff are prescribed by section 4 of this act. set forth below.

Composition of General Staff Corps.

Sec. 3. That the General Staff Corps shall consist of one Chief of Staff and two general officers, all to be detailed by the President from officers of the Army at large not below the grade of brigadier-general; four colonels, six lieutenant-colonels, and twelve majors, to be detailed from the corresponding grades in the Army at large, under such rules for selection as the President may prescribe; twenty captains, to be detailed from officers of the Army at large of the grades of captain or first lieutenant, who while so serving shall have the rank, pay, and allowances of captain mounted. All officers detailed in the General Staff Corps shall be detailed therein for periods of four years, unless sooner relieved. While serving in the General Staff Corps, officers may be temporarily assigned to duty with any branch of the Army. Upon being relieved from duty in the General Staff Corps, officers shall return to the branch of the Army in which they hold permanent commission, and no officer shall be eligible to a further detail in the General Staff Corps until he shall have served two years

with the branch of the Army in which commissioned, except in case of emergency or in time of war.

Act Feb. 14, 1903, c. 553, § 3, 32 Stat. 831.

The Chief of Artillery is to serve as an additional member of the Gen

eral Staff, by section 5 of this act, set forth below.

Similar provisions for detail of officers from the line of the Army for service in the various staff corps and departments are contained in Act Feb. 2, 1901, c. 192, § 26, Comp. St. 1901, p. 799.

Duties of Chief of Staff; acts authorizing aids-de-camp and military secretaries not to apply.

Sec. 4. That the Chief of Staff, under the direction of the President or of the Secretary of War, under the direction of the President, shall have supervision of all troops of the line and of the Adjutant-General's, Inspector-General's, Judge-Advocate's, Quartermaster's, Subsistence, Medical, Pay, and Ordnance departments, the Corps of Engineers, and the Signal Corps, and shall perform such other military duties not otherwise assigned by law as may be assigned to him by the President. Duties now prescribed by statute for the Commanding General of the Army as a member of the Board of Ordnance and Fortification and of the Board of Commissioners of the Soldiers' Home shall be performed by the Chief of Staff or other officer designated by the President. Acts and parts of Acts authorizing aids-de-camp and military secretaries shall not apply to general officers of the General Staff Corps.

Act Feb. 14, 1903, c. 553, § 4, 32 Stat. 831.

The recent annual Army appropriation acts make appropriations for pay to clerks and messengers at department headquarters and at headquarters of the Army. In the Army appropriation act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1904, this appropriation is under the heading, "Pay to clerks and messengers at department headquarters, at headquarters of the Army, or that of the Chief of Staff," and the usual appropriation for a chief clerk "at headquarters of the Army" is changed to "one chief clerk at headquarters of the Army, or that of the Chief of Staff." Act March 2, 1903, c. 975, 32 Stat. 930.

Chief of Artillery an additional member of General Staff; number of colonels of Artillery; time of taking effect of act.

Sec. 5. That the Chief of Artillery shall hereafter serve as an additional member of the General Staff, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate shall have the rank, pay, and allowances of a brigadier-general, and when the next vacancy occurs in the office of colonel of artillery it shall not be filled, and thereafter the number of colonels of artillery shall not exceed thirteen; and the provisions of the foregoing sections of this Act shall take effect on August fifteenth, nineteen hundred and three.

Act Feb. 14, 1903, c. 553, § 5, 32 Stat. 831. Act March 3, 1903, c. 995, 32 Stat. 1021.

This section, as originally enacted, contained provisions that "when the next vacancy occurs in the office of brigadier-general of the line, it shall not be filled, and thereafter the number of brigadier-generals of the line, exclusive of the Chief of Artillery, shall not exceed fourteen." It is amended by a provision of Act March 3, 1903, c. 995, cited above, by substituting for the provisions quoted similar provisions relating to colonels of artillery, so as to read as set forth here.