are directed to use the utmost diligence in detecting and bringing to punishment all insurgent enemies who have been or may be guilty of fraudulently and treacherously taking the oath prescribed by the President's proclamation for any other purpose than that of "restoring peace and establishing the national authority;" and they will treat such oath, when fraudulently and treacherously taken, as not entitling the guilty parties to any clemency, but a seeing in itself a substantive offense against the Government, and as affording no protection to the individuals by whom it has been or may be taken,, either in their persons or property, and as depriving them of all claim to immunity, protection, and clemency.

II. Commanders of departments and districts are also authorized to prescribe such rules and regulations in respect to the administration of said oath, in future, as may be needed to prevent the improper administration of said oath to persons taking it for any other than the "purpose of restoring peace and establishing the national authority." To all persons who have or shall voluntarily come forwarded and take the oath, "with the purpose of restoring peace and establishing the national authority," full protection and all the benefits of the amnesty proclamation will be extended.

III. Commanders and all military officers will exercise strict vigilance within their respective commands, in order to detect and bring to punishment any officers, civil, military, or naval, who knowingly and willfully have admil administer the said oath to any person or persons except the insurgent enemies who are, by the proclamation of the 26th of March, entitled to the benefits of said amnesty proclamation, by reason of their taking the oath for "the purpose of restoring peace and establishing the national authority."

By order of the Secretary of War:

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

ORDNANCE OFFICE, August 8, 1864.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 30th ultimo directing me to report immediately the action of this Bureau in relation to certain matters propounded therein, and which I shall take up seriatim.

First. The Secretary of War directs that you report immediately what are the general plans of the Ordnance Bureau for improving the manufacturing capacity of the arsenals upon which the appropriation for $2,000,000, granted by Congress at its last session, and now available, was predicated.

I find upon examination that since the breaking out of the war circumstances have rendered it inexpedient, if not impracticable, to continue the custom formerly in vogue of requiring plans and estimates of proposed permanent improvements at each post to be furnished by the commanding officer in time to embody the, if approved, in the general estimate submitted annually to Congress through the Secretary of War. (See paragraph 29, Ordnance Regulations, 1852, and paragraph 1442, Army Regulations of 1863.) The records of my predecessor show that for the estimated for or made; but a general appropriation of $500,000, founded on the probable wants of the department in this respect, and not on any specific plans or date,