The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-01-22

| Co., without amendment
w ASSISTANT SECRETARY STATE
Mr. SEWER ION leave) introduced bill creating the
office of Assistant Secretary of State and for other pur
poses which read twice, and referred 10 the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations
PUBLIC LANDS IN OREGON.
The bill to create the office of Surveyor General of the
public lands the Territory OF Oregon, and grant dona-
ton rights to settlers therein having been engrossed the
question upon its passage was, on motion BY Mr. WEST
corr, postponed until Tomorrow.
INCREASE OF THE ARMY
Mr. SPEIGliT moved to proceed to the special ORDER
which agreed to, and the Senate resumed as in COM
mittee of the whole the consideration of the bill from
the House to raise for limited time additional mill
tary force, and for other purposes
| The question pending was upon the amendments sub
mitted by Mr. HoUsToN which read and are as fol-
lows
Section one line FOUR after the word organized" insert
g an auxiliary volunteer corps"
Section one, line five, after the word Mexico" insert
" TO consist Of.
Section line after the word laws" insert and
the provisions of this act.'
Section one, strike out the proviso and in lieu thereof
insert Provided That the volunteers composing the com
panies of the respective regiments aforesaid shall
company officers as the said companies shall be fill
ed and the said officers shall hereupon bo appointed
the same manner hereinafter provided for e appoint
men of the field officers. And the company officers aud
men OF the said regiments, respectively shall the field
officers thereof all the companies regiment
shall have reached their place OF rendezvous And
the aforesaid elections oil company and field officers shall
have been certified the President conormabIy such
regulations he shall make, he shall commission the said
officers elected When vacancies the said rcgi-
mens they shall be filed according grade and whore
there Is no officer OF inferior grade To the vacIncy in the
company in which occurs the shall be supplied by
election and appointment from the rank and file in The
| ner heretofore prescribed"
Section two, line two strike the word enlistment
and insert service
Section two, line three, strike the words be
| crited,' and insert ''who shall volunteer"
Add the following sections
SEC. And be it further enacted That the colonel of each
regiment shall appoint the rcgmental staff and said
shall consist OF one aduan one quartermaster,
mssary and one payInaser, Ito be taken from the suba
terms OF the regmen) and one surgeon and two assistant
| surgeons
SEC A. And be IL further enacted, That the sew
cal officers elected they shall upon their espec-
tive Duties and they receive their commits
sions they shall take and subscribe oath Support the
constitution of the United States and be governed by the
rules and articles of war" which oath shall be administer
and the same shall be endorsed on the commission and
certified by report of the fact the Aduant General
Washington city.
| Mr. HOUSTON said it was not his intention to have
occupied any considerable portion of the time Of the SEN
ate in remarking upon this bill; but entertaining the
views which he did OF the organization of the army he
felt duty to present them The object OF the bill
to raise suitable corps of military troops for the pur-
pose OF conducting the existing war to an honorable
cluslon If an offer OF peace not made by Mexico
On that subject he had entertained but opnlon-that
peace would be obtained by any other than by
making them feel the caamtes and power of war The
corps which he proposed to raise to be regarded
not corps OF the regular army strictly, but auxiliary
to the regular army-no as volunteer corps, nor
militia but distinct from either To be efficient, it
seemed to him that the military forces should feel that
they attached to the federal government and not
dependent upon the executive of the several States
The regular troops being created by the authority of Con-
gress were subject exclusively to their legislation and
under the control of the Executive OF the nation The
militia volunteers subject to the control of the
federal government while service, having derived the
evidences of their authority from their States respective
ly An inconvenience to the army the present time,
from the fact that there but two States which
appointed their officers in the way. Hence, twas
impossible for promotions to take place in the army when
vacancies occurred such would be necessary pre-
their organization. The President had power
fnH thar
missions originally from the several States The
tves of the several States however, could not complete
the organization when vacancies occurred and the only
way left would be, in Texas now, for each
regiment company to elect their officers, or
to give the command to by common con-
sent Therefore, il this military force was to be
dent obvious difficulties would The force proposed
would IN fact be regular force But the mere name Of
ton. These things were more dependant upon the term
OF service which the troops had IT, them it
their object TO raise efficient force He conended that
the one proposed by his amendment would be not
only efficient one but the most efficient which had
ever been the face OF the globe 1t differed from
regular force in this respects not to be composed
different languages-diferent habits-and stimulated by
neccssty but OF men operated upon by patriotism and
stimulated by chivalrymen who would be prompted to
noble deeds by the thought of home--young men who
would be urged by selfespec and pride TO the attain
ment of every military requirement What objections
were there to such force This amendment would
amendment company officers to be elected by the
men who had associated themselves together; and
when the various companies mustered at the place
of rendezvous, the field officers TO be elected. As
soon as this organization completed, the President
was authorized to commission their respective officers
Vacancies could afterwards be filled according to the
respective grades OF the officers SO that arrangement
would take place in the organization Promotions from
the ranks of the private soldier would lead to
dabe zeal their part for honorable distinction, which
would not be the case the appointments dependant
upon Congress This Inducemen to valor was not held
out to the regular force, shown by the fact that
but two promotions he had been informed had taken
place since the late brilliant victories from the ranks of
some six thousand Cadets were placed in
command to fill the vacancies, and thus tho zeal
ing no equitable rule for making promotions the
department would be embarrassed in discriminating
between the numerous candidates for appointment
officers. There were various other insuperablc obec
tons in his mind to the original bill If the Executive
was required TO make the appointments, Washington
would be filled with appcants-eyery public and pri-
vate house goged with them, and the President and his
Secretary would be overrun with letters. They would
have no time to decide between the merits OF various APP
plicants The only proper way was to simplify the or
ganzaon which had already taken place in the manner
winch he had proposed. This would give nstanta-
neous stimulus to the soldiers who had volunteered
throughout the whole country. 1t the intention, he
believed, OF the trainers of the Tor them to
rely mainly upon the citizen soldiers in time OF
Respectable young men, he thought, would not enlist in
being discarded by their friends and kindred,
some to his own knowledge had been, until
by their subsequent distinction and elevation, they
regancd the confidence which they had lost He
would have the physicians and surgeons appointed by
the several counties from which the soldiers came as be-
ing acquainted with each other the soldiers would have
confidence in the physicians and the physicians would
take better care OF the sick, wounded, and dying He