The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-01-20

sion was that the officers of the volunteer corps were
eminently entitled to share Of the bounty The distinc
uon between the regulars and volunteers too OBJ
vious not to attract the attention OF the Senate He could
see no reason why officer OF volunteer corps, who
had been at the pains and expense of raising corps,
was The case with very many OF theUl--wh no went 10
station where the compensation allowed him by law
necessarily expended--he could reason why he
should be excluded from the bounty contemplated He
therefore moved to amend the amendment, reported
blythe committee, by inserting "otfcers OF volunteer
| corps w
MIR BENTON moved an amendment to the amendment,
BY adding, officers OF the regular army" and added
| few remarks.
Mr. BERRlEN said he understood the gentleman from
Missouri to say that there nothing contained IN the
instructions under which the hill had been committed in
relation TO volunteer corps He desired to say that was
on his own motion that the instructions amended
as TO include instructions to that effect
| Mr. BENTON replied that the committee acted on them
as they heard them the Senate yesterday, and never
opened them. He would now ask the Secretary TO read
| them.
| The instructions having been read, Mr. BENTON said
that there no land given during the last war to
officers either volunteers regulars II was only grant
| ed to privaes. Here, then, was a new PROPOSE
ton to include officers, and only class OF them
moreover Now the service was exactly the same,
whether the officers belonged to the volunteer
regular army called for the sacrifice the
part of each and If the bounty 10 be conferred upon
officers, he saw reason for making distinction be-
tween the two classes But he was opposed to the ex
tension of the bounty TO officers at all First, because IT
had never been done. Second because there was no
earthly occasion for il. If the gentleman from Georgia
on Military Affairs, and could see the list OF the multi
tudes who Were applying for situations as officers, both
volunteer and regular, he was sure he would be con:
WINGED that there occasion for incucement of
this kind to the requisite number of officers
There was, however, nducement necessary in the
OF the prvates If they granted the land to the OFF,
GERS OF the volunteer regiments he should ask that the
officers of the regular army might also be included
| Mr.. BERRlEN. II had the honor OF being chairman
of the the Military Military Committee
| honor, sir.
Mr. BERRIEN Whatever be the homer of the sta
ton, thing he thought he should understand, that
when a bill was recommed with precise instructions,
it would be his duty to report in accordance with those
instructions whatever his individual opinions might be-
This bill recommtted, with instructions TO report
bill providing, among other things. for the VOLUNTEER Off
GERS He apprehended therefore, that that was subject
upon which the of the Senate, expressed in
! these instructions, was binding upon the committee
Perhaps the most proper course would be to move re-
commltta OF the bull TO the committee but believing
that the most simple way OF disposng of the sub
lect, he now moved an amendment to carry out the ex-
press provisions of the instructions. Though not strictly
in order now, he desired to say that there this wide
distinction between the two classes OF otcers-the Off
Ger OF the regular army was pursuing an occupation
chosen by himself for life; while the officer OF the vol
unteer corps was called away from his accustomed
occupation-called away from civil life,rom all
the endeaments OF the domestic crcle-his home.
Besides, he would be subject In many instances TO ex
pense raising strengthening the volunteer corps but,
on the ground that it was calculated to carry out the
press sentiments OF the Senate and when the chairman
of the committee should move amendment to include
the officers of the regular army then would be the proper
time for discussing the subject
MIR. BENTON said the committee had all the amend
mens in mind, and talked them with the single ex
cepton of the proposition OF the senator from Georgia
which was the offspring of his brain, he believed.
That amendment did not happen to make an impression
upon the minds Of the eommtee-at least no one ever
mentioned IT. The gentleman had named the proper rem
edy-a reconmitment But he could never consent 10
have the bounty bestowed upon the officers of the voun
corps and upon the officers OF the regular army
q Oupr n pff no
Georgia was that twelve months service was OF more
portance than seventy years hat was the effect OF the
reasoning of the gentleman from Georgia. in his dire dis
Mr.. BERRIEN said he understood the chairman to
put himself upon this ground that the members OF the
committee retained in their minds their instructions, and
did not, therefore, open them The motion to instruct
the committee the matter referred 10 attributed TO
himself, but the substance OF it was contained in the
amendment proposed by the honorable gentleman from
Pennsy two three days before he accepted
the amendment strike the word "olfcers." Ii had
been submitted by the gentleman from n Carolina, before
that 1t was only because conceded with his own views
that he moved that be included IN the instructions OF the
committee Unless the committee were to be permitted
| to disregard their Instructions, the Senate would be
prompted to enforce them. The gentleman from Mis-
Inexperienced him when he supposed that he
distressed by the pressure OF his [Slr BENroNsl argu
apprehensiOn-he had no such feeling. He still thought
the officers OF the volunteer corps should be provided for
He had supposed that there was an essential distinction
between calling upon already the service of the
public 10 perform service upon the field of action 10
which they accustomed, and taking men suddenly
from the walks OF civil life and breaking up all the rela
tons growing out OF their previous position society Ii
had been said that the result OF the proposed
TO give the man who served but twelve months reward,
and reward the regular officer who spent his whole
life IN the service That argument could hardly prevail
in the Senate. The reward which they gave TO the
regular officer provided for By the laws of the
land, and was limited his simple pay and ratons
To manifest how little disposed he To withhold from
that gallant band Of officers the full remuneration which
they entitled BY law, he would say that any
thntrY
his cordial support In the meantime, however he would
not lose sight OF the proposalthough the offspring
OF his own braln-to provide for the officers serving
the volunteer regiments during the existing with
Mexico 1t act of justice to those officers and
they were entitled to equally by their gallanty in the
service u1
Mr. BENTON said the gentleman from Georgia thought
the committee little negligent--a little refracory-not
obeden the Senate and tina, their disobedence required
slight chastsement-a little switching by the Senate
Therefore he would renstruct them The senator from
Georgia presented a most extraordinary instance He
acknowledged himself the stspsfether OF the proposal;
but he the father OF this brat paying more atten-
ton to it than If il bastard The kind, tender
hearted step-ather stops the progress OF the with
port TO this brat, which the father would not give.
/ tIaughterl
Mr. CRfTTENDEN said the amendment, as reported
BY the committee, did not In every respect accord with
his own views But there great diversity OF opn-
ion with the committee TO the in which the grant
ought TO be made and exception had been wise
y that the committee had been instructed TO bring
bill including officers of the volunteers corps He
say foF himself, that other questions were of much
interest and importance that he really did not know
that they bad received such Instructions bad been
4 ferred to- lie would frankly acknowledge it he con-