Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-04-29
THE GENERALS OF THE ARMY.

HOUSE OF REPREsENTATIvEs-Arh &c, ls4s
Mr.. BURT, from the Committee Military Affairs, re-
ported the following bill amend the act entitled An act
supplemental to an act entitled "An act providing for the pre-
secuon Of the existing war between the United States and the
Republic Of Mexico, and for other purposes I"
Be enacted &c. That the proviso Of the first section Of
approved the 18th day OF june 1885, ~ the following
words THAT when the with Mexico shall be terminated
by denve treaty Of peace, duly concluded and ratified the
number Of major generals the shall be reduced TO
and the number of bgader generals shall be reduced to two
and the President of the United States authorized d-
rected from the whole number which may then be
Office without regard date of their commissions, the num-
Der be retained aud the remainder to be discharged
from the service OF the United States be and the same $
hereby repealed
The bill having been read through
Mr. BURT said it known the House that the act Of
the sth June, 1885, directs that treaty Of peace
shall have been concluded with Mexico the number of major
generals which by that raised two, shall be reduced
one and the number Of bgader generals which BY that
act raised to four shall be reduced to two We are in
constant expectation Of the tree.y q peace With
Mexicc and when mat shalt have been accomplished
under the of ls46 win become the imperative duty
Of the President select om the two major generals one to
be retained and from the four bgader generals two to be
retained without reference the date of their commissions
II would seen that the of the required that
ducon Of the major and bgadier generals should be made
thereby anticipating consideration by this House, when
treaty peace shall be ratified the subject OF reduction
the army peace establishment There will be alter
native unless this bill shall be passed. and or the other
of the major generals either Gen. Scott Gen. Taylor
must under the povso Of the Of June s 1885, be dis
charged from the service Of the United States 1t was known
the House that Major Gen. Taylor received his appointment
under the authority of the of 18th June, lS46 He is
now major general and either he Gen. Scott
cessa unless this bill be passed. and the proviso of the
law of ls46 repealed be discharged from the service Of the
United States He sure not the disposition OF the
House advance determine that either the other of
of
missed from the service
Mr. BOYD moved to refer the bill to the Committee of the
Whole the state Of the Union The effect Of this bill
would be to double The number OF major generals and the
bgader generals the number which found in the
service when entered into this To this he OPP
posed and he therefore hoped would be the pleasure OF the
House send this bill to the Committee of the Whole.
Mr. BURT begged TO state to the House and to the gene
from Kentucky that the reference of this bill proposed
would be equivalent 10 its rejection. 1t would produce that
result thus If the BILL il reported from the Committee
Military Affairs should be committed to the Committee of
the Whole the state OF the Union, would take Its place
the calendar and according the order of the business of
this House, he feared il would be reached during the
present session. He therefore warned the House, if meant
TO reject this bill and to supenduce the necessity of OF
those major generals going out of commission the raca
ton of treaty of peace with Mexico that TO refer it TO the
Committee of the Whole the state Of the Union would e
fectually accomplish ii.
| Mr. BOTTS said he should be surprised if the House
should adopt the motion of the gentleman from Kentucky
mr. BorD II would be recoected that in the year lS46
act passed supplemental to act entitled An act
providing for the of the existing between the
United States and the Republic Of Mexico and for other pur
poses in which there provision by which it made
the imperative duty OF the President OF the United State
the termination Of the with Mexico to reduce the number
OF major generals that might then be in commission to
and the bgader generals to two, and the President oil the
United States authorized and directed select from the
whole number which may then be in Office, without regard to
the date of their commissions the number be retained and
remainder discharged from the Of the
Limit ha hal
the intention Of the Congress by which this law
ed apply this provision other than the regular service Of
the United States He believed il intended that the
major generals and brgde generals Of the volunteer forces
should be made supesede those of the regular service and
yet il would be seen, loose the phraseoogy Of the
act it might be made to apply to the whole number Of generals
in service at the termination of the If this should
morrow, and information that treaty of peace bad
been ratified between this Government and Mexico should
the President Of the United States would have
alternative but TO discharge only the volunteer officers but
one OF the major generals commission in the regular
service. Ehe Major General Scott Majcr General Taylor
would be necessarily deprived Of his commission Now, he
could bring himself to the belief that il the purpose Of
this House require the President Of the United States TO
discharge either Of those major generals and to exercise his
discretion the selection between them And yet this bill
passed would be unavoidable for BY the law Of
1876 the President had discretion but do it. The pro-
motion Of General Taylor from brgaders commission to that
Of major general was well known the result Of b
liant services and he understood the President deous
avoid being placed in position in which be would be
quired to choose between Gen. Scott and Gen. Taylor
Mr. CABELL. There will be no difficulty respecting that
NATTER for shall make the President Of these United
States and then the other major general will remain Of course
Mr. B0TTS repeated that he understood the President did
wish such duties to be lodged in his hands, but there il
would remain IL this bill referred the Committee Of the
Whole the state OF the Union for in the language Of the
gentleman from South Cerona Mr BuRr such reference
would be equivalent to its rejection He hoped thb would
be put upon its passage.
Mr. JONES, Of Tennessee, hoped the bill would not be
put upon passage, but that would be referred TO the Com
mee Of the Whole the Of the Union II the treaty
peace should be ratified would be the duty Of the President
under the law Of ls46 and if were ratified Of
he would not be called upon But suppose the
treaty should be ratified. and became necessary reduce
the smy-and in such he suppoed oil would agree
that such necessity would present tse-was for this
House, for the Congress Of the United States to say
in reducing the army, which Of those officers shall be dismiss
ed from the service He hoped not the purpose ofany
gentleman there to retain all the officers and who had
been brought into the service since the began. And
when became necessary make the reduction, would be
the province OF Congress to designate who should 60 out
Would not that be substantially exercise the appointing
power, which vested in the President Of the United
Staesa power which, according the constitution Of the
United States could be exercised by Congress under
circumstances whatever He agreed with the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr Borrs that the law passed in 1916 rather
anomalous in It's provides that the two major gem
erals shall be reduced one, and the four bgsde generals
to two and that NUMBER he conceived would be amply su
dent shall determine the number. This was not, he
the proper time discuss the merits Of this bill the
subject Of The reduction Of the army We do know yet
fhatx H.. f,o