to render any further addition of land either necessary or particularly desirable, I hope this estimate will meet your approval and be voted by Congress. An estimate of the same sum that has been appropriated for several years for enclosing the grounds of the hospital with a brick and stone wall is omitted this year, partly on account of the estimate just submitted for the purchase of land, and partly with the hope that the sums already appropriated will prove sufficient to nearly or quite complete the wall which is now being built rapidly and well, and at a very reasonable cost. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. O. H. BROWNING, Secretary of the Interior. C. H. NICHOLS, Superintendent. SAMUEL E. ARNOLD, WILLIAM G. BROCK, and THOMAS E. W. FEINOUR. DEPARTMENT of MetropolITAN POLICE, OFFICE OF BOARD, No. 2, LOUISIANA Av., To the honorable the Secretary of the Interior: The Board of Police Commissioners of the Metropolitan Police district of the District of Columbia, in accordance with the twenty-fourth section of the act of Congress entitled "An act to create a Metropolitan Police district of the District of Columbia, and to establish a police therefor," approved August 6, 1861, respectfully submit their annual report of the "condition of the police of said District," prepared by the major and superintendent of the force, for the year ending September 30, 1867. THE FORCE. The regular force as at present constituted consists of two hundred and thirtyeight men, as follows, viz: There are also in the employment of the board, under authority of law, the following officers, viz: The board has also commissioned, as provided by law, eighty-nine persons as additional privates, to do duty in various localities, at the expense of the parties making application for their appointment. This class of policemen have been generally commissioned and recommissioned for three months. Only nineteen of this number now hold valid commissions. Two persons have bonded as private detectives, as provided in the seventh and eighth sections of the act of Congress approved July 23, 1866. The bond of one of these persons has, however, been cancelled by the board. DISPOSITION of the force. At the central office, with particular duties extending throughout the entire District, the following officers are assigned, viz: The major and superintendent. The captain and inspector. One lieutenant in charge, and six detectives... One lieutenant in charge, and eleven sanitary officers... For more thorough and perfect police surveillance, the District is divided into eight precincts, to each of which is assigned a lieutenant, sergeants, First precinct.-1 lieutenant, 3 sergeants, and 21 privates... STATION-HOUSES. The corporation of Washington has provided new station-houses in the first and seventh precincts since the last annual report of this board. The buildings which have been thus provided, although not designed and built for the purpose for which they are now used, are quite convenient, except that the cells for the confinement of prisoners are not sufficiently secure. There remains but the sixth precinct in Washington without accommodations, and in this an eligible site has been purchased, upon which it is designed, at an early period, to erect a station superior to any now in use. The third precinct, which includes Georgetown, is still without proper accommodations for the police force doing duty there. The building being used as a station-house is small, badly ventilated, and from its arrangements necessarily filthy and unwholesome. The board is very sorry to be obliged to report that there is but little prospect that the corporation of Georgetown will soon provide better police accommodations. The levy court, which has jurisdiction in the county of Washington outside of the two cities, has provided no police accommodations whatever, and declines to do so, from the fact that the law of Congress which requires the corporations of Washington and Georgetown to provide the necessary accommodations for the police, does not include that portion of the county of Washington under the jurisdiction of said court. It is absolutely necessary not only for the comfort of the policemen on duty outside of the two cities, but also in order to secure proper police surveillance, that arrangements be at one made towards providing station-houses in the county. It is therefore respectfully suggested that Congress be requested to enact such a law as will speedily remedy this evil. DISCIPLINE OF THE FORCE. During the year the system of day and night patrolmen, by which the members of the force were required to perform twelve hours' continuous duty, has been changed for what is known as the "six-hour relief system," thereby diminishing by one-half the length of the single tours of duty of the men. This change has worked a marked improvement in the discipline, efficiency, and health of the force. The members of the force have been frequently drilled in the school of the soldier, and on the sixteenth of May last they paraded in full uniform, and were inspected and reviewed by the President of the United States, the honorable the Secretaries of the Interior, War, and Navy, and by the Board of Commissioners. All expressed themselves as highly pleased with the general appearance of the force. In the enforcement of discipline and efficiency on the part of the force, charges have been preferred, and trials accorded by the board in one hundred and fortysix cases for violations of the rules and regulations and other offences, resulting as follows, viz : Dismissed the force, (2 sergeants and 14 privates). Reduced to the ranks, (1 sergeant).. Reprimanded and fined, (12 privates). Reprimanded, (1 sergeant and 36 privates) Fined, (9 privates).. Complaints dismissed.. Total..... 16 1 12 37 9 71 146 One private has been dropped from the rolls for physical disability, which existed at the time of appointment. It gives the board much pleasure to report that the efficiency and discipline of the force has greatly improved during the past year. This improvement has manifested itself not only in the usual routine of duties required of the force, but on extraordinary occasions of the most exacting and exciting character their efficiency and discipline have been thoroughly tested, and have received the commendations of our citizens and of the public authorities almost without exception. It will be remembered that, by a law enacted by Congress last winter, the elective franchise was extended to all citizens of the District without regard to race or color; and it was anticipated by many, and perhaps it should be said by most, of our inhabitants, that the bringing of the colored man to the ballotbox to vote by the side of and on equal terms with the white man would give occasion for violent demonstrations, riot, and bloodshed. Nor was this apprehension confined to the citizens of our own District, but, if we may judge from the tenor of the public prints, the eyes of our entire country and of many of the civilized nations of the world were turned to this District to witness the results of the first elections held under this newly enacted franchise law of Congress. It should be remembered that our District was the scene of the first election where the white and colored elements of society were by law placed upon the same footing with relation to their political rights and privileges. The quiet and orderly conduct of the elections held in Georgetown and Washington during the past few months is well known. Notwithstanding the strong prejudice existing in the minds of a very large majority of our white population against the black man's elevation to the same political privileges with themselves, yet, be it said to the credit of our District, that no more quiet and orderly elections were ever held anywhere than were those during the past year. And while much is due to the law-abiding and orderly character of our inhabitants, still to the efficient discipline and promptitude of the police force is mainly due the good order which prevailed on those occasions. It is also worthy of remark that, notwithstanding the asperities and violent party feelings which prevailed previous to and during the election day, not an instance is known where the police officer has taken any part in the election for or against any candidate, except so far as to deposit his own ballot. No complaint even of partisau interference by the police has reached the ears of the commissioners from either party to the contest. And when the good order which was sustained at these eleetions is compared with the violence and riot which prevailed under the former police system, the wisdom of Congress in establishing the present police depart ment for this District cannot be too highly commended. As was designed by Congress, it has been the inflexible purpose of the board, in the execution of its trust, to preserve the force free from all political bias, believing, as they do, that a partisan police force is a grievous evil to any community. INCREASE OF FORCE. An act of Congress, approved July 23, 1866, authorized this board to increase the police force of this District by the appointment of, one captain, one clerk, twenty sergeants, and fifty patrolmen or privates. But, owing to an oversight in legislation, no appropriation was made at that time to pay this increase of force. Consequently the board did not deem it prudent to employ these additional officers until such time as the necessary legislation with reference to their payment should be consummated. Upon the reassembling of Congress in December last an appropriation to pay this increase was promptly made; whereupon the board took immediate steps to fill up the force to the maximum number authorized by law. As soon as it became generally known that the board was realy to receive |