Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-06-08
REMARKS or Nh ouLnER or va,
ID. IA Arms .fgprcprSafiea Ban

povsx or REPRESENTATION. May 30.
Mr. 0iI.MER sid. that his main purpose ve
40 eaI attention 70 the abuses IN the military esta
bli.hment OF the country. and 10 suggest some re
rnedy. He vas not one OF those who thought !
onlv necessary 20 prove that abuses existed wIthou
proposing any mode by which they might be re
medied; and IL vas farthest from his intention tf
point them out Zoe the purpose OF woonding the
feelings Of particular men In the service. In, 81,
tIeman from North Carolins, mr. Mckey,I who
seemed to be well acquainted with the subject, nae
altcady pointed out many abuses to the eommtee.
In addition TO What had been stated, ne ~ou'o nan,
A few items which be considered rs exuavasan. enu
xx,.,,ful For Communication OF ofteerS suosist-
sn.ss sssz s64,, Communication OF forage foe ON
csrs, horses. sic, 97i;" "eommutation OF clothing
Cor oscers' servants, $50. 2i0;" Transportation OF
officers baggage when travelling on duty without
troops, Sos, 000." All these items ne regarded rs
100 hish and the latter as admitting, not inviting,
. The n,xt item Of which he complained was TOR
al. .mount of Notifications, including compensa-
ton of a special agent TO attend at inc Iounaat,es
employed in making cannon, Sioo,vo' ne u'u
No, no,nI.in particuiary OF this item; but II cover
cd vast ground for the perpctration OF ABUSES.
This .peoial agent was not euthorzsd oy Jaw, gu.
WINS one of the officers appointed by regu.at'on.
He was appointed by authority OF ENeeuuSo ,e-
gisla,on, which appropriated nearly as sm No
rational foundry. There was, he was eware,
ronosi,;on before the Committee TO estaelish one
bu, il had not been adopted, and the cannon OF the
United States were made by contract me guns
had to be cast according TO certain stanoa,u ens
10 he tried and proved before they were received
There were men in the Ordnance Department COM
pe,ent 10 tcst those guns; why, then, seno spe-
cial agent around TO the manufactures WIN saa'y
os O. 400 and cents per mile Tor ms Is'eiIngi
There was no necessity Tor his agent; anu NC e'eu
the case as m nsts nee OF the abuse OF autonomy
So far as nj. experience went there was no depart
man, in which reform was much wanted as the
War Department.
He vas no enemy Of the army, but its Trend,
properly managed They were ITS enemies VINO
voted to perpetuate abuses that would oresh Gown
i,s shirt and discipline and ultimately destroy It's
efF~'~ncv.
The system OF commutstion extended to the West
Pun academy. THIS bill contained an rem Tor
irommut,,i ion Of subsistence OF officers ana c'uets
san nOOn accommodation offorege for officers horses
ssls4n 'commu rieation OF clothing f'r othcers
servants, sI424" In commenting upon these items:
he could not help remarking how tne umes mao
chan ed and how military srience hau oeen enereu,
since the early days Of our Republic. tto~ oiuer
ent were the officers then and nov! what con
trast did these items present. compared with the &C
cnmmodations afforded TO the brave Marion, III the
Revolution, who entertained his friends upon
LOG FOR seat and sweet potato Tor rePase
That man and his cnmpatr OTIS fought for their eoun
,rv and not for their pay. He (Mr G) was
willing to admit that men who had fought end
faced danger, gave evidence OF Their auschment
10 their country; but he thought that The patri
o,c gratitude OF their fellow etzens should be re
gurded as better reward than a mere quid pro quo
Al present the emoluments Of officers were rem
dered large in various ways, by double rations,
triple ratlons, double pay, and brevet pay. his
object was TO bring the facts before the committee,
that the abuses might be remedied. The time was,
when war was not p.eassot thing as at present.
He was reminded OF man among the clansmen oil
Scotland. who his son march 10 war without
tent, blanket, or any other comfort and sleeping
with a snow ball for his pillow. he father, in.
dignant 10 see him thus comfortable, approached
and kicked away the snow bail pillow, luxury
which il was uEbecomns the character OF a soldier
to enjoy. He MIR 81 was not in favor OF reducing
our army to this hard condition, but merely to the
Standard of law.
He then ndverted to few items which he read
from a table sent from the War Department.
These items showed the excess received by many
officers beyond their regular salary: