For all contingent expenses of the Army not provided for by other estimates, and embracing all branches of the military service, to be expended under the immediate orders of the Secretary of War, fifteen thousand dollars. For finishing surveys and completing maps of battle-fields, two thousand dollars, to be immediately available. PURCHASE OF LAND ADJOINING MILITARY RESERVATION AT WEST POINT. To enable the Secretary of War to purchase the two hundred and twenty-five acres of land on the Hudson River, directly south of the military reservation at West Point, belonging to the estate of Edward V. Kinsley, in accordance with the valuation of the same made by a board appointed under the provisions of the Army appropriation act of September twenty-second, eighteen hundred and eighty-eight, and approved by the Secretary of War, as appears by his letter to Congress dated January twenty-third, eighteen hundred and eighty-nine, being House Executive Document Number One hundred and four, Fiftieth Congress, second session, one hundred and fifty thousand dollars: Provided, however, That such purchase shall not be completed, nor any payment made for said land until the title thereof shall be duly approved by the AttorneyGeneral, and the Attorney-General on such purchase shall cause to be filed in the department of the State of New York proper evidence of the purchase of said lands to complete ceding of jurisdiction thereof to the United States: Provided, That the Secretary of War after a reexamination of the report of said Board and a further consideration of the question of the value of said land may if he deems it for the best interests of the United States proceed and acquire title to said two hundred and twenty-five acres of land by condemnation thereof under judicial proceedings to be commenced in the appropriate Circuit Court of the United States; which court shall for the purpose of ascertaining the true value of said land appoint three commissioners who shall be competent and disinterested appraisers; and all the proceedings for the condemnation aforesaid shall be in accordance except as herein provided with the act of Congress of August first, eighteen hundred and eighty-eight, entitled, “An act to authorize condemnation of land for sites of public buildings and for other purposes." For the construction of a counterpoise battery to mount a sea coast rifled gun, forty thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary. Said battery to be located at such point as the Board of Ordnance and Fortifications may direct: The erection of such bat. tery shall be by the inventor thereof under the general direction of the Board of Ordnance and Fortifications and shall be completed within twelve months from the time this act shall take effect, and the gun to be mounted thereon with its fittings shall be furnished by the Ordnance Department of the Navy. GENERAL ORDERS, No. 27. HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, Washington, March 21, 1889. [Extract from the Revised Statutes of the United States as amended by the act of Congress approved September 26, 1888.] "SEC. 1225. The President may, upon the application of any established military institute, seminary or academy, college or university, within the United States having capacity to educate at the same time not less than one hundred and fifty male students, detail an officer of the Army or Navy to act as superintendent, or professor thereof; but the number of officers so detailed shall not exceed fifty from the Army, and ten from the Navy, being a maximum of sixty, at any time, and they shall be apportioned throughout the United States, first, to those State institutions applying for such detail that are required to provide instruction in military tactics under the provisions of the act of Congress of July second, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, donating lands for the establishment of colleges where the leading object shall be the practical instruction of the industrial classes in agriculture and the mechanic arts, including military tactics; and after that, said details to be distributed, as nearly as may be practable, according to population. The Secretary of War is authorized to issue, at his discretion and under proper regulations to be prescribed by him, out of ritance and ordnance stores belonging to the Government, and which can spared for that purpose, such number of the same as may appear to be required for military instruction and practice by the students of any college or university under the provisions of this section, and the Secretary shall require a bond in each case, in double the value of the property, for the care and safe keeping thereof, and for the return of the same when required". Provided, That nothing in this act shall be so construed as to prevent the detail of officers of the Engineer Corps of the Navy as professors in scientific schools or colleges as now provided by act of Congress approved February twenty-sixth, eighteen hundred and seventy-nine, entitled "An act to promote a knowledge of steamengineering and iron-ship building among the students of scientific schools or Colleges in the United States;" and the Secretary of War is hereby authorized to issue ordnance and ordnance stores belonging to the Government on the terms and conditions herein before provided to any college or university at which a retired officer of the Army may be assigned as provided by section twelve hundred and sixty of the Revised Statutes. I..The following regulations, in regard to the detail of officers of the Army at established colleges, universities, &c., within the United States, are prescribed by the President, under the above law: 1. As a rule, captains of companies, regimental staff officers, or officers who have served less than three years with their regiments or corps, or who have recently completed a tour of detached duty, will not be eligible. No details will be made that will leave a battery, troop, or company without two officers for duty with it. The period of detail will be three years. 2. No officer will be detailed at any institution except upon an application from its proper representatives. 3. Applications for details of officers should be addressed to the Secretary of War, and should be accompanied by a certificate as to the number of male students the college or university has the capacity to educate, and also by the last printed catalogue. 4. Officers of the Army desiring to be detailed at colleges, universities, &c., may make application to the Adjutant General, through the usual military channels, and their names will, if the officers are available, be furnished to such institutions as may apply for the names of available officers. 5. Where a State has more than one school endowed by the national land grant, under the act approved July 2, 1862, the school which is reported by the governor of the State as most nearly meeting the requirements of existing law will be held to have the first claim to the officer alloted to the State for detail at a land-grant college. 6. The following apportionment, having received the approval of the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy, is adopted, and details will be made in accordance therewith: |