Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-08-19
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
FRIpAY, AUGUST ll. ISIS.

I'LL.
He stated that the chairman of the Committee Of Finance
in The Senate had been with him urging the necessity Of
ing TO agreement in the Committee of Conference the
numerous dsageements between the House the general
appropriation bill.
The motion prevailed and the House accordingly went into
Committee of the Whole MR. CHAPMAN in the chair) and
took up the army bill.
Mr. VINTON suggested that the Senate had changed
the second section of the bill and with it the proposed
Der of the army and the residue of the bill depended on
this, the committee should first take up the Senaes amend
ment TO the second section if that should be agreed to- the
other amendments would follow of course but not they
would fall with il.
The Senates amendment the second section was read
which provides that the number of of the companies be
fixed at sixty -four.
Mr.. BOLTS advocated concurrence with the Senate's
amendment Mr. b. reverted to the ground he had taken
when the bill had been under discussion in committee remind
Ing the House that he had advocated the plan OF fixing the
general number OF the companies sxtyfour with liberty
the President to increase those distant service the
Territories hundred by reducing the requisite number
OF companies home 10 orytwo The question then
had been between army with sxtyour company,
preferred by the military committee and army with forty
two men TO company, recommended by the Committee of
Ways and Means. The military committee induced TO
their conclusion part by the fact that the Secretary of War
stated that FIVE thousand would be needed for
possessions the Pacific The House had preferred the plan
of the Committee Of Ways and Means and had sent the bill
TO the Senate with forty two company. had there
undergone examination by the military committee of the
Senate, and they concnred with the opinion of the military
committee of the House that the companies should consist Of
sixty four but those distant 10 contain one hun
dred they Differed however, not recommending that to
meet this increase OF companies one hundred others
should be reduced to ortywo. This difference not Of
great moment The first question would then be
with this amendment of the Senate Should this be agreed
to- the and numbers in the other sections OF the bill must
be made TO conform ,.....
Mr.. TOOMBS said that the gentleman had stated any
reasons why the military committee of the Senate disagreed to
the bill of the House.
Mr. BOLTS referred Mr. TooNBs to the fact he had meu-
toned that the Secretary of War stated that five thousand
men would be needed for the Territories alone. He also
minded Mr. t. OF the arguments he had before advanced when
the bill had been in committee in the House. 49,
Mr. TOOMBS then into review of the history OF the
reduction and increase which the army had undergone since
1885, and insisted that the plan Of skeleton amy with the
number OF rank and file greatly reduced but the officers
tanned, had always received the appreciation of the country
The increase of the companies sixyfour men, and OF
part Of them one hundred feature Of the peace
establishment but arrangement caused by the declaration
OF against Mexico That over, and Mr.. T.
for returning TO the old peace establishment with but for
ty-two men 10 q company.
He argued that less number Of needed since the
power of concentrating them any desired point had been
greatly increased Orders communicated by light
nng and the brought together by steam He dwelt on
the cost Of this Government in time Of peace which he es
mated al thirty millions, than any Government on earth
WORTH Exavagan public expenditure the road TO
ruin which many Governments Of the old world had travel
led to their destruction If the amendment Of the Senate should
be adopted the army would cost the country not less than ten
millions and some gentlemen favored still larger increase,
which would run up to thirteen Millions The Presidents
recommendation would double il, at cost Of twenty-five mil
lions, while all the while he uerng homies against
standing armies Mr. T. dwe the evils Of Executive pa
tonage and conended that ought be cut down. and
Of doing this he for reducing the Of the
army He insisted that frontier had been much in
creased and the grounds be had formerly taken
in committee land which were reported at The tme as to the
impossbily Of needing five thousand guard what
Gen. Taylor had with less than three thousand He de-
MED that any force needed garrison the posts
home, take Of the public property there and then
he advanced his ultra ground former OCCASION that
we needed army, not man. The people were all sui-
Gent for the defence Of the country He willing to keep
up strong navy, but he believed army wholly
Mr.. McLANE replied, and expressed his utter disagree
from Mr. rs views. Unsupported the Senstes amend
men approved by those who the ttes judges in the
As to the evils Of patronage, reducing the pvates in
company from sixtyour 10 fortytwo would not reduce il at
oil the captain and the three eutensns would all remain,
whether their command sxtyfou forytwo rank
and file.
Mr. HUNT asked Mr.. Mel. where the money was to
come from to maintain 50 large standing army as that gen.
teman seemed to approve Was he willing TO borrow money
to increase the army in time Of peace
Mr.. IyERS0N asked Mr.. HusT where Mr.. II. expected
get his half million Of dollars FOR works Of internal improve
ment
Mr. HUNT REPLIED from the ordinary and regular receipts
Of the Treasury.
Mr. Bolts complained that he was placed in an embar-
RAISING position He stood here almost alone in sustaining
the views Of the Administration 10 the proper force Of the
army, against the opinion Of his political friends and without
support from bis political opponents The argument Of the
gentlemen from Georgia (Mr. ToomBs too late, after
had by expensive war, obtained the territory IL
would have been better II the gentleman had brough, for
ward when setting out TO get these conquess
For HIMSELF well known Mr. b. deested the scquis
ton, and would be willing to give Mexico the fifteen millions
stipulated in the treaty take the whole Of it back again The
complained had been caused wholly by this very thing and
really Mr. b. thought somewhat hard that he had to stand
here battling Tor the Democratic Administration when It's
friends would not.
Mr.. McLANE moved that the committee rise which
motion prevailing, the committee accordingly and in the
House resolution adopted, motion Of Mr.. VISroS
TO stop further debate the bill five minutes after the House
should have returned into committee.
That five minutes was occupied by Mr. McCLELLAND
in defending himself against an anonymous attack which APP
peared in the Tribune at New York. charging him with hav
ing repeatedly refused TO vote questions Of internal improve
ment with view TO defeat those by the want OF
quorum voting Mr. Nee. utterly denied the truth Of the
accuaton and appealed to gentlemen the Wing side Of
the House to say whether he had not voted every such
question.
Mr.. GRINNELL, chairman Of the Committee on Com
erce Mr. HUNT. (who had inod red the river and bar
Dor BILL and Mr.. T0oMBS all bore witness to the entire
falsehood Of the charge.
The time limited by resolution having EXPIRED the commit
tee proceeded 10 vote.
The question being put the Senates amendment to strike
out the second section Of the House bill and substitute another
fixing the army at sixty -four 70 company, &C., was