Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-02-03

Where detachment amounts 10 a regiment.
composed OF companies from different regiments
me highest ofheer OF the line present would be
captain: where composed Of battalion. tho hipkst
oihcer oil the same description would be MAJOR
Where the detachment amounts TO brigade, con-
ssang o. two regiments, the highest ineal Off
GER would be a colonel. In all these instances.
suPposing the grades Of the officers to be no mo,e
than adequate TO their commands, there would be
no othcer on duty whose Gneal rank would give
him the command ofthe regiment in the one ease
or OF the brigade in the other. Under these cir.
cumstances, therefore, the object of the 6iss ar
ticIe Is to give the command Of the detachment 70
me Oldest oticer present, whether OF the line or
otherwise. But in every situation in which the
trpops OF the United. States, as they are now Or
ganized, would be placed, the command of maior
genera Of the line of the Army, would extend over
the whole.
Where detachment is composed of br7eades.
the 6lst article does not apply: the 62d article then
prescrIbes the rule, and its language is that ..f
upon marches, guards, &c. different corps of the
'army (Which compreheuds brigades, divisions
corps d'armes, &C., shalt happen to Join, &c.
"fhe officer highest in rank ofthe line offhe Armr
marine corps, or militia, by commission there an
duty, &c shall command the whole, unless 9th
erwlse specially directed by the President, &C.
brevet ofhcer not being of the line of the A.
my, the command, by this article, could no, de-
volve upon him, and could not be assumed by
him. unless by the special appointment Of the Pee.
s.ueh.; ne inference drawn by the committee
aHected oy the acts OF 1912 and 1918, which mere
| ly provide that brevet officers shall receive ~,
!Pdy ana en'oiumenfs OF their brevet rank when en-
uuty, ana having command according 10 thex-
| brevet rank, and eat other fime'
Should the Committee have erred in ito rom
strnction OF the CID Article OF War and sho,,ld i.
De considered, that, under it, brevet officers, ia
common with officers OF the lile, ma, exercisa
the commands which are therein mentione, -
would not, therefore, follow, that the Oldest Naiar
General, whether by brevet or otherwise mi,,t.
command the Army. That article vests the power
nC IA liz, l.
dent Ifaright to the command necessarily de-.
VOWED upon the officer highest in rank. tho nv
er OF selection which the law has expressly yivao
| rative. ''0 A'fe'
Taxing genera! view OF breve. ranb the 0om.
Inittee neither regards it as merely honorary or
as equal to and Identical with lineal rank I, IL
no. merely honorary: for where the contingencies
occur "hlch are adverted to in the 6lst article a
orevet officer has, Of right, the commands whfrh
are there given to him: he is, also, of right. en-
u.iea 10 me pay and emoiuments which are a.
lowed 10 him by the acts of 1912 and 1918. .ui
under the ed article he is as eIioibIe m ,hs 81
est command in the Army az lineaI ofTicer.-
brevet rank IS not equal to identical with lipe.,
ranks because the existence Of il is not necessary
10 the formation Of any corps: for when a breve,
oihcer dies or resigns, or is promoted onlv ths
vacancy left by his lineal rank is supplied: and
because an officer, of higher rank, by his brevei,
Ihan iinea officer, in the regular and permaue1t
organization of the Army, would be commandsa
oy the latter, superior to him in Iueal rank =
SO long as the corps Of the Army are not broken
INTO attachments; so long they preserve thsip
ehare formation, bsezes officer, by the Rules
and Articles Of War, has no military unc IONS IN
perform; and, under the acts of 1912 and 1918. ex.
eep'ing IN the situations therein described ite j.
equally without command, by virtue of his breyc,
commission. $3.50
II seems 10 the Committee TO be- corol,,rv a.
ducibie from what they have premised j, that, with
out any interference Of the Executive the regular
army OF the Union would, at this time, be sub.
q IS
he being the officer highest in rank of the line &c
.he army; and even were this proposition ones.
tionabie, the Committee enterfains no doub. oS
MS peing entitled to that command, having been
specially appointed TO il by the President OF the
United States, under the authority conferred
upon him in the cd Of the Rules and Articles Of
War. VI
The Committee being OF opinion that our leefs-
ia''oh Is clear and explicit upon the subject under
ITS consideration, has, therefore, ajtoeether re
framed from any inquiries noIthe military re g,i1a
tons or usages OF other nations.
For the reasons submitted by it, the COMMITTEES
recommends the adoption Of the following reeoIr--r
ton:
RssoUled, Tha.it is mex pedient for Congress 10
pass any law relating TO the rights and d,,t;es -,
Officers with Brevet Rank.
On motion OF Mr.. Ward, it was
Res0ired, That the report on the memorial rs
certain citizens of the County OF West Chesrer
in the State Of New York, heretofore presente Ito
TINS House praying for pension for the widow Of
John PauiiDg, deceased, Of the captors OF
Andre, be committed to the Committee on Militia
ry Pensions. -.
Mr.. Ward advocated his resolution in a eher.
speech IN which he required TO the time of the
Revouion, and related the history of the capture
OF Andre, by Paulding and his associates and con
tfasted the situations Of the families Of Arnold and
PauIdDg Arnold having received from the n Co
vernment E10,000, as the reward of his treacherv
together with the pay and emounien ts of a Br;qa
dier General in the Army and his family be-.
ing row provided Cor 10y the British Covarn
inent. Pauidlng having, or the contrary reccivI
ed but pntance from this Government, and
even that being now Withdrawn from hia ,c;
dow and orphan children. The case was not COM
mon one. Who IS II, said MIR. w. who asks yso
that this pension shall be allowed 10 the widow Of
Tins Revolutionary veteran Is IL his widow, No
sly; but il is the inhabitants of the couy1y
in which she resides. They know her Situation,
and all they asked. Is, that the same pension NAV
be allowed 10 her for her life that was allowelto
her husband. He hoped the Houe would sgpoe e
the resolution.
Mr.. Williams asked for the peaJing Of the re-
solution which having been read,
Mr.. Brent inquired Of The Chair, if Il was in Or.
der TO refer petitions by resolution.
The Speaker replied that IL was not
Mr. Ward then modified his resolution 80 az 70
make it read "rcpori Of the Committee on Rr
evolutionary Pensions" aud, being thus amen rcd,
i adopted.
ResoIred. That, after the 10Th instant. She ,o,r,
hour 70 which This House shall stand adjourned.
be eleven clock IN The forenoon.
On moron OF Mr.. slevenson Of pcnnsyl.a6ia.