Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1842-07-07

Congress, and knowiDk 1dli veil II wa, he
ftnbesi from your thoughts 70 treat il unfairly,
Itrist il may eonpDTt with your sense OF justice
10: lei il Be known that am By law land DOT BY
Executive favorsor authority. FOR that, was de-
nIed mel entitled TO receive the ysiue Of NJ
commission Is Bfigadisr General By brssst
Am, Sir. viii great respect Jour obedient
servant, r Jones, /
oftAs army U STATS. and siiissn sT KHginiaa.
The Hon. T. W. GIrMKn.
a RsPrsstaiuiirsia Csssrsss fsom Trginis-
wAsHnsfox May Dist, ist2.
slgs--I have r6ceiveos 5dt letter o. tllis date,
win the document 70 which you refer, calling
ny attention 70 ahs fact that in your case tho
allowances Of breyet pay. DC, was made under
the authority OF special act Of Congress.
was aware Of this Indeed, il appears on the
face Of the document from which cited few
q the many cases reported in which breyei
pay, additional rations. and allowances for more
'hSn one Office at the same time, had been adj
mHted. Ny object 10 the recent debate on the
army appropriation was to show tho prppriety
oi substituting liked, specific compensai ion, in
lieu OF the various contingent and regular all
ioNsnees heretofore constituting so large port
ifon OF the emoiumenis OF officers ldistincily
and repeatedly stated that | wished 10 point out
vhat conceived 70 be general abuse, and not
70 arralgn Individuals. The report Of my re-
marks IN both the city papers is Inaccurate 10
many respects, particularly 10 the details of the
cases which spoke Of where these allowances
lhad been q AIDE. shall see that these are cor
Efectiy published herester; aud twill sffOrd me
great pleasure atsny time, or In any IN amer, 70
fepslr any Injustice which you may have suffer
ed, IN consequence Of any act Of mme You
seem 70 think that the fact of this allowance of
oreFet'pay having been made by Congress in
siead Of the Executive, in your case, will re-
move any impression which may have been
made 70 your reJudice. Il is probable that I
eid not advert TO this in the hurry Of debste, as
wss speaking only OF the numerous insta noes
10 which conceived that the spirit Of the act Of
lsl6rhad been violated, without Giscrimin ating
between Legislative aud Executive violations
Yours IS the only case which reeoliectfwhere
Congress has felt itself bound, BY the force Of
Executive presidents, to allow the brevet pay
70 an officer not having actual command sccord.
ing TO his 5revst tank. stated mere than
once, IN the recent debate, that | should Dot I'M
detlake to discriminate or 10 censute those who
nad Claimed bfevet pay under the principles es-
laoiIshed by the ingoyations on the law Of 1918;
and urged, as one Of the evils resulting from
these Innovations and abuses that all officers
would naturally cigim their share Of the bene-
hls* The report ofithe' Committee on Military
Ah9lrs, on your application 10 Congress, and.
lheopInioLs OF Messrs Cass and Butler 10 which
you refer, show that your claim.was cons idsred
as resting on the precedepls Of previous allow
ances, and not on the law Of Isle. 3
/ II Affords me pleasure Sir, to assure you Of
my personal esteem, and Of the satisfaction
WIZ i WITCH Oh ign Distinction 10 which you have
Justly attained as dn< officer. You have only
done me justice in supposing that my object is
potYto perpetraie private wrong, in seeking to
mpintainF the army and every other branch Of
The service according 10 laws
Very respectfully your obedient servant,
THoS. w GILMER.
Gen. ROeER JosHs.
P. ST. am wholly at loss to perceive on
what grounds The Executive discrihinatsd be-
tween your application aud the great number
Of others which we're allowed without The in
teryention OF Congress. III HHf L
- ~ III AR
.Whenlhe Republic found herself In arms with
ihc.fnost powerful bsllgvrent in the world. Law
was passed July II, 1919, which authorized "the
President to confer breyet rank on such officers Of
the army as shall distinguish themselves BY gal
lynt actions meritorious conduct, Or who shall
Nave served ten years in any one grade" The
I promised rewatd was not eon6ned 10 officers OF
"
the general STAFF and engineers, as well Is q those
OF The artillery and infantry. While il cpneed-
ed that the love Of country and the desire Of dis
lnction animated the bosom OF every soldierIwhose
home the tented field, yet new impulse, the
re ward Of rapid promotion by breyet, was rrovid-
/ ed and Intended by Congress for all ofileers who
might ID any extraordinary manner hazard theiI
| lives ia battle. See p. ~, Army ReSister.l
4 II was equally important 10 the honor anu tht
\ Interests OF the public service that az officers O
the army should behave CALAMITY IN the face OF lhs
arnay Atany period Of the war, il would bSf'
been reekoned marvellously strange toEsuppose tina
the legislsive Inducements and allgremsnts I
deeds Of ehiyalry were provided for one class
commissioned officers and wthbcfd from the othe
that thoseof the line aud fihe general staff VIII
fought. were distinguished, and yun breyst in tn
same field, should nqts in time Of peace, be equd
rs eligible 10, and equally participate ~, pii IN
II tentfIis Of the promise d reeompsnse.
\ The pct Of April l6, 1918, in some degree
Il changed the var act, aud confined The allowance
bYtst psy, Sc TO officers s'when on duty, a1d hav
4 ing a commahd according totheirIrsnk Nov, q
neither the officers Of the general stall nor o. ~
cbrps Of eng Theers ever command the rank and hi
\ of lie army-i G. organized bodies OF Toops-t
require them to eomtn4Dd brigade, regimepti bat
II thion or company, as the necessary condition o
eeiying pay according 70 III, il brsyet rank. woul'
be 70 exclude them satogethsr-sn act Of injustice
il shenId be presumha, that Congress could no
IL
Suppose, for example. an assistant Atjutan
Il General Was so distinguished in battle a. To- win
brsyet and that id the absence Of His superior Ui6
eeria the staff tthe AUTOMATICALLY the Edutie
of the chief devolved the assist2pt would he
/ then be on duty, and exercise command acebrdnI
10 his brevet rank slthough that command vas com
posed altogether OF officers Of his department =
+ Ihsif is presumed, would not be questioned an,
iit show that brryet commands n1u duties pertain
! ing to general staff officers wbie tutille tbsm
the allowances are not necessarily of the like com
Il position nor required 10 consist Ut such bodies o
troops over whish officers Of the line usually
Il else command but lhat the command shd dulie
performed shall be equal 10 imporlahee 10 The high
er rank nv bTeyet for which the corresponding "
n may be claimed. Such was the epnstruetioa Of 10
ACT OF lSIs-by President Monroe md his success
sors and such has bsrn the practice CT The Govern
merit to this dsv. And this practice has been full
bastsined and settled Git any Thing can be settled
by the District Courts an the OF officers of III
corps Of engineers. A contrary decision woul
sirtuzliy eoneede monopoly Of the contnger
bertf Of the statutes (of 1914, and Isislto on
class Of brryet oeers, and exclude the Other elias
IN xhieli brevets may have been Won, s.for kailai
sciions or mefilOrlons conduct even in the sam
seld, e<e- Vide the memorial and The dosumsi
No. ass referred lo.-lt. J.
Manufactures IN Petersburg. E.-Ther
are six incorporated Cotton manufacturer
Companies in Petersburg, with 81 aggrs
gate cspitsl Of 81. 2O0 900 They cor
tain p, 100 spindlss; 72i looms are Ct
PabIe Of making 20.950 yards q fctto
cloth per day; and employ ] .44O viii
operatives,
DO make yourself 1t home, ladies'
said lady 10 Der visiisrs one DAY.
an al home myself, and wish you :