To the House of Representatives: 

At the request of the Attorney-General, I have the honor to transmit herewith a report in answer to the resolution of the House adopted on the 1st of August, 1876, relative to certain matters occurring in the administration of the provisional government of the District of Columbia, and chiefly affecting the Commissioners and the late board of audit.

U.S.  GRANT.

WASHINGTON, January 20, 1877.

To the Senate of the United States: 

Herewith I transmit a report from the Secretary of State, with accompanying papers, relating to the Court of Commissioners of Alabama Claims.

U.S.  GRANT.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, January 22, 1877.

To the House of Representatives: 

In answer to the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 8th of December last, inquiring whether any increase in the cavalry force of the army on the Mexican frontier of Texas has been made, as authorized by the act of July 24, 1876, and whether any troops have been removed from the frontier of Texas and from the post of Fort Sill, on the Kiowa and Comanche Reservation, and whether, if so, their places have been supplied by other forces, I have the honor to transmit a report received from the Secretary of War.

U.S.  GRANT.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, January 22, 1877.

To the House of Representatives: 

On the 9th day of December, 1876, the following resolution of the House of Representatives was received, namely: 

Resolved, That the President be requested, if not incompatible with the public interest, to transmit to this House copies of any and all orders or directions emanating from him or from either of the Executive Departments of the Government to any military commander or civil officer with reference to the service of the Army, or any portion thereof, in the States of Virginia, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Florida since the 1st of August last, together with reports by telegraph or otherwise from either or any of said military commanders or civil officers.

It was immediately or soon thereafter referred to the Secretary of War and the Attorney-General, the custodians of all retained copies of “orders or directions” given by the Executive Departments of the Government covered by the above inquiry, together with all information upon which such “orders or directions” were given.

The information, it will be observed, is voluminous, and, with the limited clerical force in the Department of Justice, has consumed the time up to the present.  Many of the communications accompanying this have been already made public in connection with messages heretofore sent to Congress.  This class of information includes the important documents received from the governor of South Carolina and sent to Congress with my message on the subject of the Hamburg massacre; also the documents accompanying my response to the resolution of the House of Representatives in regard to the soldiers stationed at Petersburg.