The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-04-30

SECOND SESSION.
IN SENATE,
FRIDAY, April 80, le42.

|
The CHAIR laid before the Senate a communi-
Gallon from the State Department. transmitting list
of passengers who arrived in the United States from
foreign countries during the year 1871.
| Mr. STURGEON presented memorial from Phi
ladeiphia, recommending increase Of the tariff as
the best mode of restoring a sound currency and the
| prosperity Of the country.
| Mr.. YOUNG presented documents from Chicago,
Illinois, in relation the confirmation OF the sales Of
the sixteenth sections Of school lands in that district
also, the petition of William Austin praying for the
correction OF an error in the entry of tract Of land in
Franklin county, Illinois
| On the motion of Mr. YOUNG, il was
Resolped That the Committee on The Post Office
and Post Roads be instructed inquire into the ex-
pedency of establishing post route from Ottawa, in
Lasalle county, to Napiersvile, in Dupage county,
| Illinois.
| THE BANKRUPT BILL, THE DISTRIBUTION BILL, THE
TARIFF, RIGHT OF SEARCH, ETC.
| Mr. WALKER presented q memorial from the Lee
gisature of Mississippi requestnghat post Office pay
ments may be regulated according 10 the Federal cur
rency, instead OF foreign coin also various resolu-
tons OF the body Instuctng their Senators and
requesting their Representatives TO use their exertons
to obtain appropriation sufficient oI the erection
of lighthouse al st Josephs, between Pearl river
and the bay of st. Louis and 10 urge upon Congress
the great necessity OF adjustment OF the various
claims ceded under the treaty Of Dancing Rabbit
the conduct of Great Britain in the exercise OF the
right of search, and demonstrating against the conduct
of Great Britain with regard 10 the Creole case also
in favor of the admission of Texas, one or more
States, into the Union asking for more ample in
demnity than has already been granted for the loss of
school sections in the Chickasaw cessons, in that
State; instructing their Senators and requesting
their Representatives to vote for an amendment TO
the Bankrupt BILL the better to the rights of
creditors and to include in its compulsory process all
incorporated companies, and for repeal OF so much
of the law relates to the distribution OF the net
proceeds of the sales Of the public lands among the
several States; to oppose discriminating tariff and
protection TO American manufactures and oppose
any further increase of the national debt, and the
tahlishment of National Bank, having power to
deal in discounts bills of exchange. He said that,
in relation to the Bankrupt law his course had been
in conformity with the instructions. AS TO the Dis
tribution bill the Legislature viewed 1t means OF
subsidy and orthy the acceptance of sovereign
State and therefore they had made provision to re-
ceive the dstributve share Of Mississippi From 1886
to the present period he had voted against the Disrl
button bill, and at this session he had advocated It's
repeal
BURROUGHS IN THE NAVAL SERVICE.
Mr.. BAYARD from the Committee on Naval AT
fairs reported back the bill repeating much of the
act relating TO the pay of the navy Of the United
States, passed in 1885 as prohibits an officer being
put on urough but at his own request, with the an
nexed amendments, viz
Add to the end of the first section the following
proviso and another section;
Propided, That officer shall be put on fur
Tough without his consent for less period of time
than three years.
SECTION 2 And be Il further enacted That the
pay of every officer turlough shall be onehalf OF
the sea pay to hch he is entitled under the act to
which this is supplement.
The Committee on Naval Affairs, to which
ferred the "b respecting furoughs in the Naval
service, report:
That prior to the year 1885 any officer in the Ma
Wy might have been put furough by the Secretary,
his discretion. In that year an act was passed re
guIaing the pay of the Navy, which took away this
discretionary power by providing that no officer should
be put on furlough hut al his own request his pro-
vision which founded in jealousy of the proba
BILE abuse of the power, has had other effect than
that of deprvng the Secretary OF of the most -
portan Of preserving the efficiency of the ser
vice without securing to the officer that actual EN-
ployment of which he is supposed TO be desirous In
order that this matter may be better understood It Is
necessary,to consider the relation which officer
may bear TO the service The first general relation
is that ofbeing on duty or of duty When oil duty
he may be either waiting orders, ON leave OF alb
sence or on furlough. The distinction in practice,
under the existing regulations OF the Department,
between leave of absence and fuhcugh, is, that
the leave of absence Is limited to period not
exceeding three months at one time, and that the
officer is not authorized, without special permission,
furough may extend to any period embracing months
or years, during which the officer may go where he
pleases and dispose Of himself as he thinks proper
Another important difference was introduced by the
act of the Sd March, 1895 in the matter of pay, by
which it is provided that officer on furough shall
not receive more than half of the pay to which
he is entitled when on leave Of absence. Thus the
pay of a captain leave of absence, is 25OO--on
furough 81 $50; commander ditto, 81, oOO-ditto,
$500; a lieutenant ditto, Sl2O0-ditto, 600.
IF
that to which they entitled when leave OF abb
sence. All officers are not OF the same degree OIL
efficiency either on the score OF mental OF physical
capacity and there must tie many officers who from
various causes unfit for active duty. The neces-
sy of the case therefore vests in the Secretary an
absolute discretion IN their employment The con-
sequence of which is that the Department, IN the
exercise of sound and necessary discretion, IS
obliged to keep officers, IRON the fact that they are
unfit for active duty, in the condition of waiting Or
ders for years, in state of perfect d!eness and at
heavy expense to the country, when they should
have been put on furlough, at reduced pay
for such period of time, say three or five years,
as would enable them to turn their attention TO some
other employment. The great object in every mill
tary service is to reserve its efficiency, which must
depend on the age, capacity, physical condition, and
habits of the individual officers
The slightest reflection must convince every one
that, in every service there must be many officers
who, from age, nhrmity, sickness and other causes,
are unfit for active employment and yet whom IT
would be unjust and cruel to discharge without pro-
vision for their support after having devoted their
youth and health, and vigor, to the service of the
country and when the ability to provide for them
selves in any other employment longer exists At
the time it is equally apparent that such officers
should not receive compensation which approaches
nearly to that OF officers who in the daily dis
charge of the most responsible and arduous duties of
their profession In the British service this efficiency
is maintained by means of a retired list, and of the
principle Of selection in promotions from grade
TO another The British Commissioners for inquiring
into naval and military promotion and retirement, at
the head Of whom was the lustrious Duke Of We'll
ngton, in their report, made in March l640, express
themselves as follows " Steady aud certain employ