The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-06-03

volunteers shall be three dollars ana
states,
Sac .and be u Further enacted Tha. tbs pon.commis,
stoned officers musicians and pTyates Of volunteers and
militia when called into the service Of the United states
shall be entitled receive hy cents IN lieu oisubslstence
and i've ceus lieu OF forage Tor such as are
mounted for every twenty miles BY the most direct route
from the period ofeayng their homes to the place Of gene
raj rendezvous and from the place Of discharge back TO
SEC TO- 4adb. nJsrfhr enacted, That the colonel or
senior OoeT OF the ordnance department. Is authorized 10
enlist for service OF that department many master
srmoTers master carriage makers master blaeksmhs az.
tihcer, armsrors, carriage makers, blacksmths, and
abore the public service in his Judgment under the
direction OF the Secretary the Department Of War may
quire.
The pending question was on the following
amendment, heretofore reported from the Committee
on Military Affairs:
Sac O. find further enacted That in addition TO the
establishment there shall be two adutants general
Of division with the breyet rank pay and emouments OF
colonel OF cavalry and two assistant ad utants general wh
the bTeyet rank pay and emouments of major of cavalry
who shall be taken from the line OF the army, and In ad
diton TO their own shall perform the duties OF inspectors
general Prordsd That the officers transferred from the
rank I'M the san but their transfer shall be without preu
dice to their rank and promotion the ne according to
seniority which promotion shall take place sgrreably TO
usage in the same manner as they had not been thus
| Transferred
Change the numbers OF sections from six to the end
| Mr.. BURT, under the direction of the COMMITTEES
on Military Affairs, offered the following substitute
| for the pending amendment of the committee:
IN
ted states be- and he hereby authorized TO appoint as
many additional assistant aduans general not exceeding
the same manner have the breVet ank pay, and
and be charged with the same duties as those
now authorized by law PToridsd That these additional
shalt only long as the eNgencie'
Of the service may render necessary
| He also gave notice Of an amendment to the flh
section, and comprising also an additional section
20 the bill.
Mr., G. DAVIS said it seemed to him that there
| kast in IN the uiaDOslIlOn a
measures, which was very unnecessary. He thought
| il was in the highest degree censurable that bill
| like that now under consideration should be dis
posed Of by the House OF Representatives Of the
United States in two hours or an hour.and a-quar-
ter.
| He referred TO provisions Of this bill which he
| considered objectionable. The second section (he
, said) conferred upon the President Of the United
States the power TO officer the volunteers from the
several States for all grades higher than colonies
What kind Of provision was thus at the commence
ment Of a war, which was to be fought mainly by
volunteers to authorize the different State troops "a
be placed under the command Of strangers appoint
ed exclusively by federal authority
| But he objected also to the fifth section, IN d.
rect conflict with the constitution Of the United
States. The constitution provided expressly that
the militia should be Differed by the State author.
ties when they are mustered into the service of the
United States. He read the clause Of the consttu.
ton giving to Congress the power 10 provide for
Organizing &c. the militia, "reserylng to the States
respectively the appointment Of the officers" &c
Ii was not one class Of officers but all, whose APP
pointment was expressly reserved TO the States
vet by this fifth section three or four classes wers
| specified to be appointed by the President Ne-
Their Of these sections would be submitted TO by the
States without great deal Of characterization, ant
rendering the militia organization far less efficlen
than otherwise.
| He objected also to the LIST section, which au
| thnrizea the President IN W. add
tonal major generals and four brigadier gen
erals. He considered this provision totally un.
necessary, considering the present military organlZa
ton Of the country and the prospects Of the be
| fore us. He took it for granted that the Mexican
| war had already come nearly quite 10 a close; al
any rate there no necessity in the service for
such an increase Of the high officers Of the army
He could see but two motives for it-one to super.
| sede the present major general, and exclude him
| from the conduct Of the war, and the command oil
the army-and the other, to supersede General Tay
| or, VINO had already proved most conclusIvely tha
| he was competent to the conduct OF the war, and
that under his direction It ought to remain, mat
| ter under what name he might be called.
Mr.. BRINKERHOFF Mr. d. yiedng) said, &c
far he concerned, Of the objects he had IL
veiw in giving his assent TO this bill, member o.
the Committee Military Affairs, to enable thu
President to make General Taylor major general
| Mr.. DAVIS (resuming) knew of no necessity t.
make him a ma Or general, because as brIgsdier
general, he was Just as competent 10 conduct the
| war as though he had the title of major general
But there given TO the President the power &c
| appoint two major generals when there was emer
gency requiring it, would not that power be used tt
| supplant General Taylor He wanted him to re-
| main in that command.
Mr.. B. MARTIN lin his seat) So dol.
| Mr.. ID. referred to the praises now awarded-the
audatons shouted from every mouth upon Genera
Taylor; but he reverted to the period short time
| Of vOra hle news the arnnv n
| its being beeaguered by the enemy the loss of 1t
Porter, &c, and read from the Union Of the 9th ul
limo an editorial article which, he said, contained
| charges against General Taylor of mistake in the
conduct of affairs, and formally arragned him for no
having called the troops into service which he wal
authorized to do. This article in the ''organ," h,
said, was followed up by similar communication
from the President 10 the House of Representative
on the 18th ult., from which he ready From th
we saw (he said) on how slight a,hread this world
glory and honor were suspended On the frs
movement being unpropitious, we the Execu
tive charging General Taylor with having failed tc
exercise his authority TO call out troops. The OBJ
ject was to take position which would have ena
bed the administration, had the course Of events
and circumstances rendered it necessary, for their
own safety-for their own protectlon-to sacrifc,
that gallant general that they might escape the in
dignation and punishment of the people.
| Mr.. ID. proceeded to review the situation and re
sources of Gen Taylor, and the calls which he hat
made upon the Department. At the time Of the BAT,
ties of the 9Th and 9th he had but 5000 men all told
and but 2,300 effective for service. He reat
| from various dispatches of Gen. Taylor to the Wa
Department, from August, lS45, to the present time
setting forth the necessity of placing at least 900
men at his disposal, and from communications from
the department in reply. But still, he said, but 81
recruits were sent to him previous to the battle
| Instead, then, of the President and his organ
taking the course which he had alluded on the re
cept of the first unfavorable news, why if the Pres
ident was disposed to do Gen. Taylor the justice tc
state that for near twelve months he had been calling
for recruits; that the War Department and that tn
Executive had promised him 1000 effective regula
troops; and that the force which he relied t.
extrcate himself and his army from peril was ONLY
about 2,300. The magnanimty and justice wbicl
beftted his high station would have required him L
put the country in possession Of all the facts. Blu
| the object Of the Executive and the "organ" wa
transparent-was pspable Gen. Taylor owed no
his safety and his laurels to Mr. Polk-neither q
the vigorous reinforcements and assistance sent hin
by the executive department~-but to his own un
| haupted indnnaitahln