To His Excellency GEORGE N. BRIGGS, Governor and Com

mander in Chief:

SIR,--I have the honor to transmit to you herewith the Annual Report from this Department, for the year 1848, and remain,

To His Excellency GEORGE N. BRIGGS, Governor and Commander in Chief:

SIR,-I beg leave to submit to your Excellency the usual annual report from this department, containing the abstracts and accounts required by law; together with such other information and suggestions as seem to come within the line of my duty.

The following table exhibits the numerical force of the Enrolled or Inactive Militia, according to the returns of the year; and also a comparison with those of 1847 :

This table exhibits an increase of 8,413 men over the returns of last year, which is to be referred, probably, in some small measure, to the increased population of the State, but chiefly to greater accuracy in the returns from the towns and cities. The records of this office show an inequality in these last, which can only be accounted for by the supposition of negligence on the part of the assessors or clerks charged with making them, and not by actual corresponding variations in fact. As the Commonwealth receives yearly, from the United States, a large quantity of military stores, the amount of which depends upon the ratio of our returns to those of other states, there is a practical and pecuniary importance attached to them, independently of their value for any statistical or military purpose. The attempt has been made to procure, for the past year, a return as nearly complete and accurate, throughout the State, as is attainable through the channels designated by law for that purpose. The undertaking involved a great deal of extra trouble in the careful comparison of the numbers for past years, and in correspondence with the local authorities. It is rewarded by a result which there is reason to believe to be a tolerable approximation to the truth.

The requisition of the law, in respect to this matter, is; "that assessors of towns and cities shall, annually, make out a list of all the names of persons liable to be enrolled, and place it in the hands of the clerk of every city and town in the Commonwealth; and it shall be the duty of every such clerk to record such roll or list of names in the book of record of every such city or town."

"Annual returns of the Militia, thus enrolled, shall be transmitted to the Adjutant General, in the month of May or June, by the Clerks aforesaid."

The phrase "Annual Returns," has been construed to require the transmission to this office of a full copy of the roll itself, containing the name of each individual enrolled; and such has been the practice in making the return. According to this construction, three copies of these rolls must be made for every year: One by the Assessors, one upon the record book, and one for the Adjutant General, by the Clerk.

A vast amount of labor is involved in this course of proceeding, especially in the large places. The return of the City of Boston, for this year, is a quarto volume, comprising three hundred and fourteen pages. Throughout the State, it requires, of course, the writing of three hundred thousand names to complete the process. There is no especial compensation provided for the performance of this irksome task, which must constitute a very serious item among the municipal duties.

I would respectfully suggest, that, as far as the return to this office is concerned, most of the labor might be spared, without any inconvenient result. The simple statement of the number of men upon the roll, without a specification of names, would answer every purpose. The number is important only as a matter of statistics, in ordinary cases. In emergencies that might require the active organization of this enrolled force, there could be no direct communication between this Department and individuals. The course to be followed would be a draft or a levy, " en masse,” effected by the agency of the local authorities, or of military officers appointed to the duty. The registering of individual names is requisite for the local proceedings that would be necessary in such case; but it is of no value whatever at Head Quarters. Except for the purpose of regulating and ascertaining the pay, there would be no need or propriety of any such returns, even of the Active Militia. The gross numbers and regular reports of the officers of the various corps, afford all the information that could ever be required or turned to any account, in the general administration of the militia.

It may be well doubted, indeed, whether the language of the law prescribes, or intends to prescribe, by the word "returns" the "roll or list" in full, as recorded upon the city or town books. The only possible utility of such voluminous and minute proceeding, is the effect it might have to ensure a punctilious discharge of the duty. Even in this point of view, it may be doubted whether the labor thus imposed may not prove rather a standing inducement to curtail the list. Precautions of a different description would be, at once, more efficient and more reasonable. The vigilant superintendence and examination of

the Adjutant General's Department must be, after all, the chief means of thorough accuracy.

The condition of the Active Militia is displayed in the two tables following, which are abstracted from the regular returns according to law as far as the returns themselves are authentic and perfect. There are palpable and considerable deficiences in many of them.

Table No 2, is an abstract of the Division returns, which are based upon the returns of Companies at the May Inspection. Table No. 3, is an abstract of the Brigade Returns, which are derived from the results of the Fall Inspection.

Table No. 4, gives a full return of the militia and its equipments, in a condensed and systematic form.

By simple comparison of these returns with the corresponding ones of last year, there would appear to be a great decrease in the numbers of the volunteer force, viz. :

By Division, or Spring Returns,

725 men.

403 men.

By Brigade, or Fall Returns, This matter requires explanation: neither of these returns gives a fair view of the actual number.

Many companies neglected the duty of May Inspection, which have done duty since, and are in good condition; and moreover, only three out of the whole number of Regimental Bands are included in the returns. These facts cut down the sum total of Table No. 2.

The net loss, shewn in Table No. 3, would be much diminished by the correction of sundry errors in the returns, which the terms of the law compel us to follow, in making out the abstracts of this office, although aware of their incorrectness. Several companies are not reported in the Brigade returns, that, nevertheless, did duty at the Fall Inspection and Review. This fact implies, of course, a censurable negligence on the part of the officers concerned.

Again, several companies that had been lingering along, in an unprosperous condition, have been disbanded, and, of course, disappear from the returns; while a newly raised company, with full ranks, does not appear to have been upon the Field, or included in the return of its Brigade for the Fall Muster..