Report of the Secretary of war, with return of officers appointed under the Act for augmenting the Army. The Secretary of war, in obedience to the directions of the President, agreeably to a resolution of the Senate, "That the President of the United States be requested to direct the proper officer to lay before the Senate, a return of all the officers who have been appointed under the act, intitled 'An act to augment the army of the United States, and for other purposes,' designating such officers who have accepted their appointments, and those who may have declined accepting or resigned their commissions" has the honor to report the information required.— The Secretary respectfully takes the present occasion to mention that there are a number of vacancies of the office of second lieutenants in the four old regiments of Infantry, and to suggest that it might be desireable, upon the disbanding of the twelve additional regiments, to fill these vacancies with the most deserving of the disbanded lieutenants. This measure would be particularly gratifying to such of the gentlemen contemplated, as look towards the military as a permanent profession, while it would carry into the old regiments whatever military knowledge they may have already acquired. But it is proper also to observe, such necessary organs to companies and regiments, as second lieutenants, can never long be dispensed with, without injury to the service. The Secretary takes the liberty to represent also that there are a number of vacancies in the twelve additional regiments of Infantry, occasioned by resignations and other incidents, to which the officers next in succession expect to be promoted, and that the uncertain duration of this force, and a principle of oeconomy has heretofore prevented the Secretary from proposing to the President, in the usual manner, to fill such vacancies by appointments. As a general rule the officer next in grade is entitled to a vacant post, and delay in promoting him to it, when not liable to special objection, is considered to be a violation of his right. It also prevents the rise or advance to promotion of all officers who stand below him. Delay in permitting promotions to vacancies has injurious effects. The officers who are now kept out of their rights believe that they suffer from a parsimonious spirit in the government; and this has a strong tendency to disgust them with the service of their country. For notwithstanding the officers of the twelve regiments are at least generally informed of the uniform practice of the department of war, when an officer is advanced to a grade to which he is next in order, and entitled to date his commission on the day the vacancy occurred, and that he is always paid from the date of his commission, which is grounded upon the principle that the officer next in succession is always called upon, the moment a vacancy happens, to do the same duties as the officer who before filled it — yet they consider their military career as of uncertain duration, and feel a well grounded apprehension that if they shall never receive a new commission, the pay and emoluments of a higher grade will never attach to them, altho' now actually doing the duty of a higher grade. All of which is respectfully submitted. James M^c Henry. War Department. April 13^th 1800.