The Arkansas banner., 1846-04-15
REMARKS Oif HON. \. YELL,
 or ABk.tNslss,


 position in the hall aud Gin parts of his scn- tances) in Il tone of voice which the repor- ter regrets renders it impossible 10 give any. thing more than q general sketch nl hIs re- marks. As far as heard, he said: In the i1- yestgation of this subject, the committee of which he had the honor to hea member, and who had reported this hill, had never taken 1t into consideration as d war measure, but as one necessary in time of peace. They had made no calculations what may be the consequences of our present unsettled state ol relations with Great Britain, with Mexico. or with any other foreign power; they had taken the recommendations ofthe Executive and the@heads of the different departments, in relation to tue organization of our arflx, and in so doing. they had come to tho sdn- cluson that in the present undeiended si!aa- ton of onr western frontier, and in tha de- feuceless state ol other portions of our ecun- try, not less than two regiments of drssoons are indispensable for the protection Of tse country, and of emigrants to the Oregoa territory. He proceeded 10 an investigation 10 ascertain whether there is any necessity for an increase of GUT army, fer, attera enn- did and impartial view of the subject, 10 iid not believe there vas man in this iloasa,a member of either party, who would co Tor the addition of q single man, | he aid not hod il te be neeeesary.) With about 4,oeM troops, of which our army vas at present composed, we had the whole coast, rom Maine to the Rio Grande, to defend upon our seahaard, the whole coastupo the lakes np to Greea bay to the mouth of the Red river, besides sustaining tlse army ot occupa- i ton in fexas, and defending our western settlers and emigtents against 6o, ,6e0 lntlsaasr upon our frontiers. The army of oceupa- tion i'll Texas has taken all the available forces now ill the United States: we had per- haps four thousand troops there, and we could hot muster, from Maihe to Flew or- leans and around on our north@estefn iron tier, n thousand eaeet've men aud we haa but 800 troops for defence agaipshthese oo, o09 warriors el whom he had spoken. He asked any gentleman to tell him where, from l Maine around our seacoast, n solitary iaii company was o be found. Aud where, from Green bay across to the Red ri4ef, was solitary full companyi They were all m Texas. And yet we were told Il is not necessary 10 increase eur army! lr. '. gave his estimate of the number of posts which were required in 'fexas, on the route te 0agen, and al other peintl, and s,toheiy urged tie indispensable necessity oi the two re- imenls proposed D be raised, as peace measure iEe also gave lis reasohs why no 1 preferred ttis bil for thezraising ei two regi- mrns of ntantry.. flo Inc bill from the Sell a.e for one of flrapoous, as being more eiii- eient autl called fer ill a-.greater degree to co. forces. ana also as being more economical, these 'Wo regiments costing bnt little more than the one mounted regiment.
 With reference to this question of ssuper- namefary'' officers, he expressed the Idea ihal the allega.ion that there were go many, unemployed WRs all hHmbHg, and that all of dem, CT nearly all, were i'll the service.
 flr. Jas A. Black, (Mr '. yielding in an explanation upon this point said that the re. ports from the proper department showed that we now have three officers. to every, forty men. and ainetyfive 'ssarernnmefary, officers beside. He, therefore, distinctly said that they were pernumefariee, he had al ways said in this house, and ha repeated, that tlesc men are employed. bat they are em- ployed in place of the officers Who are either OH lafloueh, or vho are ineapaeiated Tor ser- vice on account of aye or disease. He 'ur- ther expressed himselfn favor of the bill, and 1 wished an amendment made 10 1t prQvlelng i for fbe immediate dlsbanding of these regi- menta when they should not be needed tor the defence and interests of the country.
 llr liaralson, 1If. YELL. sill yieldmg) upon this collateral question of supernumera- I " officers, referred, for the information of tfe House, 10 the report of the commanding general of the army, made to the Secretary of War, and communicated to Congress at the commehcement of the present session, Tn which, speaking of the dpefnnmefafles, he says: .s95 brevct second leueHans, graduates of the Military Aea iemy-strangeiy called ssupernumeraries'- by act of Congress I of the year l8--, s'atIached to companies, and doing duty with taem."
 Mr. YELL. resumed, and, in refdtation of the charge against the officers of the army, that so many are unemployed and 'ssnpernu- merafv.', entered into an earnest defence and q lerviA eulogy of tbe gallantry, bravery, and j actual efficiency of our army. Nc army III I Europe, or the world, he said, had dNne more service in proportion 10 Us numbers { than onrs, in 'fezas, for the last l2.months.  ] Talk about these supefhumeraries Where are they From the brigadler-general down 10 the trevet, there was not one. And these 85 '.sppernumerary'' cadets, which the gen I tleman seemed 10 think were lying upon their oars, at their case, perhaps, Ill some sittng-room, were some of them in command of companies, and were in Texas, or else where. And yet they were called supefnu- merary and useless He was content to leave the selection of these officers to the President he cared not whether they were taken from the line or from civil life; but such officers should be selected for our iron tier IS bne something ab9ui frontier service, and were familiar with, and fitted 10 endure, all it's peculiar harlships and dangers. Mr. Y having concluded,
 sIr. Boyd gave notice of an amendmens he intended to offer, when il order, to be in- serted at the end of the 10th line ol the bill, pro.iding sthat such portions of the two reg ,l. h, ,f.,<l