The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-23

from the service, and leave them 10 depend upon
their own exertions like the ether citizens Of the
country. But that measure failed in the other
branch Of Congress, and did not become
law Now before he could sanction this
bill, there must be a provision attached to il,
that under II there was not in any way TO be
an addition Of the officers Of the army until we first
used nose officers connected with IT, And 1t might
be mat some OF the patriotism manifested in this
matter might ooze out at the ends of the fingers,
not OF gentlemen in this House, but Of those who
are around this Capitol, and who, in season and
out OF season. had urged this measure for the pur-
pose OF securing for themselves place in the reg-
ments that should be raised He was inclined 10
favor this bill; he would vote for il if il were not
better way TO accomplish the end sought 10 be at
tanned by increasing the rank and file ofthe army,
and using these officers whom we now have. are
Obliged TO pay and shall, he was afraid, be forced
TO keep. The suggestion he made was that this bil
should contain provision that all the sunsrnu ma
rary officers who are competent at least shall FIRST
be taken TO supply the vacancies ia these regiments
IL woad seem TO him that neither his friend from
Ohio, nor the chairman Of the committee who re-
ported this bill, could object TO provision Of Ibis
character; and il they should object it seemed 10
him that such provision should nevertheless be at
taehed TO this bill. We have these officers now un-
der pay, and IL is our bounden duty TO take so
many OF them as are competent and place them in
command IN these regiments before they gave their
sanction to this bill.
Mr. BRINKERHoFF (Mr. HAMLM yielding at
his request) wished TO correct misap apprehension OF
| fact on the part OF the gentleman, fMr H. Il and
he confessed il was a misapprehension under
which he (Mr. b. labored at the last Congress at
the time Of the action Of this House to which the
gentleman referred, in relation TO these $50 ealed)
"supernumerary" officers That name msled him
lMr. b. as he believed il misled the gentleman from
Maine, and many others in this House and the eoun-
try.
The manner in which this Misrepresentation had
arisen was this the staff Of our army which is ne
eessarily numerous one from the faet that our ar
my 10 30 extensively distributed over such vast ex.
tent OF territoryj this staff is composed Of officers
holding commission in the line Of the army An
officer by being placed upon the staff does not lose
his rank, or commission, or command in the line.
Mr.. JAMES A. BLACK made an explanation
on this point.
Mr.. BRINKERHoFF proceeded further to say
that these officers were withdrawn from service in
the line and placed upon various staff duties; and
Withdrawn In such numbers that these "supernume-
ranes" $50 ealled) were actually absorbed and en-
ployed. They were called "supernumerariesn but
they were in actual service, doing the duty Of other
officers Of the line, regularly commissioned there,
but who are employed on staff duty. SO that in
point Of fact these ESQ called) "supernumeraries"
are not such the strict aeceptation Of the term
would indicate; they doing duty, and they are
where duties required at their hands There is,
therefore, surplus Of officers in the srmy as al
present organized; there are no supernumeraTies in
fact, although they are 80 called there being bus-
ness for them in the line.
After some conversation between Messrs JAS
A. BLACK, BRlNKERHoFF, ard JEFFERSON
DAVIS,
Mr.. HAMLIN resumed. Taking the position Of
the gentleman iron, Ohio, Mr.. BRIEKERHoFF, that
there are no suPernumerary officers in the army
then, what earthly objection could there be to the
provision which he proposdi He simply asked that
we should not unnecessarily increase our officers if
we have no supernumerary officers who are in fact
so-who are doing nothing, as the gentlemen states
why then the amendment is harmless But he took
another view Of this question. He undertook TO
say that there were about one hundred supemume-
raries; and he repeated 1t upon his own investiga
tons, and upon the authority Of the gentleman
from South Carolina, Mr.. BLACK The gentleman
from Ohio stated that officers in the line were taken
out and placed in the staff The duties Of the staff.
he admitted, were, at times, arduous and RESPONSE
bic; but twas too often the case that when they
were taken from the line, they were taken not for
the purpose of aiding the staff officers in duties
which they required additional aid to perform, but
because they were taken away to loaf upon the
community, while these others OF inferior grade
discharged the duties they should discharge That
there is class Of supernumerary officers it would
seem, from examining the reports made to this
House for the last two years. could not be disputed:
and the gentleman from Ohio would ascertain that
all the changes by taking officers from the line and
placing them in the staff, do not come up even TO
one-quarter Of the supemumerary officers now in
existence, and that have been in existence. He did
not believe that these young men flor they were
young men) were the proper persons to hold the
higher offices in these regiments; but they were
suitable for some place. IL they were not then put
upon this bin an amendment that should strike them
from the army roll Why keep one hundred bre-
vet lieutenahts, who cannot be used in any way,
who are so many drains upon the treasury of the
nationi
Mr.. HARRISON [Mr. HAmLN yieldingl said the
third section ofhe bill provided that "the President
of the United States by and with the advice and
consent OF the Senate is hereby authorized to ap-
point oil the officers proper to be appointed under
the provisions of this act" it. therefore, the Pres
ident Of the United States should think proper to
select these officers of whom the gentleman speaks-
these "supernumeraries," ninety-fve of whom are
in existence, according to the report of the COM
nder-in-chief-the President has the authority
under the third section Of the law to do so; and
if he thought the interests of the public service
would be best promoted by passing over them, and
selecting in their stead from civil life the President
had the authority to do it, and there was no neces-
sty for the amendment which the gentleman pro-
posed. If they Semaned unnecessarily attached to
the public service, he would 90 with the gentleman
to have them stricken from the ROLL but by the third
section of the bill, the discretion was given to the
President to select these officers and he would I'M
doubleday call them from this number of "super-
numerary officers" if they were found the proper
ones who were not otherwise employed.
Mr. G. s. HOUSTON wished to put question
to the chairman Of the Committee on Military At
fairs, Mr.. HARALsoN
Mr. HAMLIN declined further to yield the floor,
stating that he had nearly concluded his remarks,
and then there would be an opportunity for any other
gentleman who wished to take the floor.
If the scope and extent of this third section (Mr
H. contnued) was sufficiently broad to effect his
object, he would not offer this amendment; but &C.
cordngt his reading Of it gave the President the
power TO select these officers wherever he might
choose, whether in civil life or in the number of those
who are now connected with the army. But he in
quired-he put the question to gentlemen, why Isl
we should increase the officers of the army if we
have already those suitable for the lower grade
of oficers' And if we have not those who are suit
able, why should they remain in the pay of the
government while incapable of holding the lowest
grades of commission in the servce' 1fthey were
suitable, he would use them; if not, he would cut
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