Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-04-29
SOLDIERS BOUNTY LANDS.
HOUSE OF REPREsENTATIvEs-ArnrI IS, ls4s

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES--APRI 26, lS4S.
On motion Of Mr.. VINTON, the House resolved itself
into Committee of the Whole (Mr. AsHaUN IN the chair !
and proceeded consider the sepra bills amendatoy Of the
raise for limited time additional military force
and for other purposes" approved February II, s47, VIZ
bills numbered SIS, 1856, 2s7, and 372.
Mr. JOHNSON, of Arkansas observed that there had
been several bills reported the House this subject
from the Committee Of Ways and Means one from the
Military Committee, from the gentleman from Mary hnd,
lMr EyANs and from the COMMITTEE on the Judiciary
Mr. j. had gone carefully through examination Of all these
bills and he found that they went extensively into detail
bacing variety Of provisions not directly connected with
what he understood and believed to be the object and the
only object of the House in this matter which to extend
volunteers who served IN the present that benefit
of which they had been deprived owing TO the construction
put upon the original act by the officer OF the Pension Oce
viz that non-commssoned officers musicians and prvates
who might have received promotion for good behavior and
mcorous services should continue be entitled TO their
land bounty just they had been while serving the ranks
Believing this be the object generally desired all sides
OF The House, and with view TO simplicity OF legislation, Mr.
j. had prepared substitute which confined TO this
object alone proposed give these volunteers just what
supposed had been secured to them in the original bill
and nothing more Mr. had submitted the bill he had
prepared to number OF gentlemen OF the House. and they
ell fully approved of it. There division OF opinion,
he believed the House to the propney OF providing
some relief for these mertoous men The only question was
extent that relief He had placed them, in the
proposed substitutes precisely the ground Of other private
soldiers who had remained in the ranks gave them neither
nor less. He had, however, embraced the restriction
originally contained in the amendment offered by the gentle
man from Mississippi (Mr RicuARDsos, and confined the
effect the relief those only who had been promoted after
reaching the of war and he had done because he
considered that provision just and right He excluded
those who might have been promoted before they had served
non-commsoned officers pryates had served but
few days. He in favor of giving bounty land to such
only out in good faith and elevated after getting
on the ground, for their meritorious behavior.
He did include officers this substitute because they
received different of reward for their servceshe high
NJ aff
army in all desired and priced above every thing else
in the world II reward far above money; and let
them get their pay in what they most esteemed But to
prvaes wherever they had gone forth, 6oaa d with the
purpose Of serving their time according to contract, and
before that had expired had been promoted aRd comms-
soned let them not that account lose the land they would
otherwise have received.
Such the character Of the substitute he had drawn up,
and which he offered the adoption of the committee.
He did think it could be liable single objection. At
all events, il had the merit Of extreme simplicity.
Mr. EVANS Of Maryland, objeced to the substitutes be-
ing received the original bill had not been read This
must be done before any thing substitute for could be
in order.
Here there question to which Of the four bills
first in order. The bill No. 55 from the Military Com
mttee, read as entitled TO precedence.
Mr.. EVANS insisted that the bill No. 297, which he had
INTRODUCED should be read first in order.
After desultory conversation to the order of the
bills, the bill No. 297 taken up and read as follows
Be enacted sc. That every non-commissioned officer,
private, musician, OF the army Of the United States, who
has been who hereafter during the continuance OF
the present with Mexico promoted the rank Of
mssioned officer and who if such promotion had taken
place. would have been may hereafter be- entitled to re-
ceise from the War Department certificate warrant Tor
public land Treasury scrip in lieu thereof under the ninth
section Of the of which this amendment SHALL not
wihstandng such promotion be entitled to receive said
rant certificate Treasury scrip lieu thereof IN the
if such promotion had taken place Pro-
r That al the requisites Of the ninth section OF the act
approved February ilth is47 shall have been faithfully COM
piled with Ind rouided further, hat the provisions OF
the said ninth section shall be applicable land warrants
certificates issued under this those that might be
issued in virtue Of said ninth section
To which amendment moved by Mr.. RIcHARpsos
pending, viz
Provided further, That they shall have been elected
promoted after reaching the seat Of war;
Mr.. JoHssoS's substitute also read, follows:
"Tat the benefits conferred by the ninth section of the act
entitled An raise tor limited time additional milf
force and for other purposes approved February lh
1S4 be and the hereby extended and secured all
non-commissoned officers, musicians and pryates who du-
ring the with Mexico, may have been may hereafter
be promoted 70 any company or sa Office alter their arrival
al the seat OF war"
And the question first coming up on Mr.. RrcHARDsoss
amendment, il agreed to when
Mr.. THOMPSON, of Mississippi, said he had prepared an
amendment consisting OF an additional section the BILL
II the substitute adopted he would, he supposed, be
preciuded from offering il.
The CHAIR asserting to this
Mr.. THOMPSON said he would, them move the section
amendment to the original BILL to perfect that be-
fore the question should be put the substitute OF the
tlemen from Arkansas
The amendment thereupon read follows
.7ndbe further enacted That the benefits and rights
red by the ninth section Of the above ecited the
soldiers engaged in the with Mexico, be and the
hereby extended that each Off
ce mucap and private Of the regular OF any com
pany Of volunteers rangers militia who served in the In
in Northwest Territory prior the treaty Of
Grenvle in 1874, who served during the late with
Great Britain for twelve months moe and honorab
discharged and who has received bounty OF land by yr-
any law heretofore passed. shall be entitled 10 and
cee warrant for hundred and sixty OF land and
such non-commsoned officer musician and private OF any
company Of volunteers militia, who actually served Tor six
months the said Indian in the said with Great
Britain and honorably discharged shall be entitled TO
and receive for eighty OF land the bountes
and be and with the
srietions provided in the said above ected ac
Mr.. THOMPSON said he wished to say a few words in
explanation Of his amendment
He believed that any bill passed by Congress into law
bad fully met the public appreciation in quarter OF the
country, the bill introduced the last session giving
bounty land the soldiers who had served serving
the Mexican those who bad served twelve months
hundred and sixty acres and TO those who had served
months eighty The country, far his knowledge
extended, had fully acquesced n the propeiy Of this
rsngement
Now, It needed explanation apology his part FOR
holding that Congress ought with equal justice all
who had been engaged in the public He be-
cved that there had long been and at this hour existed
feeling the minds OF thst Of all who served the coun-
try in military capacity, the pyates the least reward
ed SO general had this feeling been and TO such length
had gone parts Of the county, that the Legislatures