Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-03-11
SOLDIERS BOUNTY LANDS.
HOUSE OF Observation-Disclosures Z, is4s


Mr. EVANS, of Maryland from the Committee on Public
Lands. reported bin amend act entitled An act 10
raise for limited time an additional military force and for
other purposes, approved February III, ls47 Read FIRST
and second time.
Mr. EVANS desired the bill to be put upon its passage
Immediately. He would only remark for the information
Of the House, that some Of the meoous men, non
commissioned officers and prvates, who served their country
in Mexico, by the Of 847 deprived of their bounty
lands. There without number where priyates
compelled accept promotion all their officers having
been killed the battlefield they therefore, absolute
y compelled toaccp promotion, and would be the grosses
a Of injustice to refuse pass this bill He hoped OBJ
lection would be offered to obsuc its that those
meritorous who sgnaily distinguished themselves in
the Mexican might receive their l60 acres Of land He
moved that the bill be put ON its passage,
Mr.. RICHARDSON had no objection TO the passage Of
this bill nay he in favor OF its passage but he thought
required some amendment 10 obvate difficulties which he
could foresee if passed in the shape which now
was The bill provides he understood it correctly that
all the noncommissioned officers musicians, and priyaes,
who bad been promoted should be entitled to their bounty
land In many casesit was so with those who went from
the State of Illinois and some other States asohe officers
chosen after the companies formed at the place of
rendezvous the officers then appointed mustered
pryates and by the provisions of this bill much
titled to their bounty land any others. Now, amend
men should be made the bill this for the
prvaes entitled bounty lands according exist
ing laws they disbanded before reaching the OF
military operations. There however, many
be passed He remembered that in the corps which be be-
onged and other corps the regiment which he served in
Mexico officers cut down. and il had been known that
the construction given by the Department be put
upon the law of ls47 would have been impossible to have
differed those companies, for their commissions
sufficient compensation to them for the loss Of their land
He proposed amend the bill by adding the first section
the words Crowded they shall have been elected pro-
NOTED after reaching the place Of military operations
Mr.. HASKELL said that this bill had been before the Com
mtee Military Affairs who had been almost unanimously
e. Il l.. Al
Maryland (M EvAss) had introduced it; and the
bill obviously just and fair, he earnestly hoped that
gentlemen would aid those who felt specially interested in its
passage in getting through The House without delay He
trusted the bill would be suffered pass now and would
be delayed by further referring it.
It was not often, Nh. H. observed that he troubled the
House with any remarks OF his, should he have ri
for the peculiar interest he took the sue
of the bill in behalf of those with whom he had been
ociated in the service The regiment which he had late
been attached in Mexico had been organized upon the field
the who composed having left Tennessee in companies
The regiment such, had not been organized until two
months after its members had been mustered the service
There not officer in who had not first served
private for more than two months. The War Department
had construed the law granting bounty land to volunteers
who should have served I'LL they honoraby discharged
that when soldier should have been promoted from the ranks
and received commsson officer, he should be lon
ger entitled to his bounty land, he having served
common soldier until he discharged from the service.
Should this very singular construction of the law receive
the sanction of Congress would operate in this way
private who should muster into the service to-day and should
march tomorrow, and the mach-hat was, to-mor
rowshould fall sick receive bodily injury and be
reported by the surgeon disabled, and thereupon be dis
charged would receive his full Of bounty land from
the Government though he had actually served but day.
because he had been mustered into the and duly dis
charged. But, under The decision, should he
to-day and should continue for eleven months and
twenty days. and then for his services should be
promoted and commissioned he would be deprived Of the
ward provided for him by the Government and originally
az n 10 n of as n
nducement to enter into the military service of his country
Under such construction this the law did not operate
fairly and surely il must strike every reasonable man as TO
more than Just that private though commissioned ateward
officer should tina, account be stripped of his
right 10 his bounty land The fact of his having been thus
honored ought surely TO constitute disability The fact OF
his promotion the contrary warranted the inference that
he had served faithfully private, although he had not
been honoraby discharged in the words Of the law Was
il fair that if man. after serving private should be dis
charged he receive his land, but if instead Of being
discharged he promoted he should not II any differ
made, consequences of his promotion for merit
surely ought be aherin bis favor than his disadvantage
Mr. EVANS spoke in defence of the bill conending that
il stood did prevent the officer who had frs. served
private from receiving his land All il did to show
that there class Of pvates who mertorous
Others Men who had not served long others hay
ing been prevented 10y circumstances without any fault OF
hes) might be not less entitled the bounty OF the Govern
ment. Mr.. +. could why the amendment
necessary Those who promoted 10 be officers usually
received that promotion in consequence Of superior education
some other external advantage apart from merit rs soldiers
He hoped the amendment Of the gentleman from Illinois would
be adopted Mr. e. utterly dsclaimed oil intention
desire deprive the soldier Of his right would the bill
have any such effect The amendment unnecessary and
he hoped il would not be adopted.
Mr. GIDDINGS inquired Of the Chair whether would be
in order that the bill be referred to the Military Com
miteep He thought that the House getting into very
bad habit &c passing bills he had almost said with indecent
haste. Matters Of much importance often thus disposed
of without being examined, and Of which large part Of the
members knew little nothing
Mr. G. insisted that subjects requiring the action Of the
House ought always TO be first subjected 10 the deliberate in
vcsgation Of committee They asked TO pass
bill once, with the nature and operation Of which they
unacquanted without allowing time for examination or
Fiction lie told that these bad served their
try with great gallany. He had doubt Of IT, Our sol
dies the habit Of doing They had served with
the gaany in the last war; there tweyemonhs
volunteers who had served in that through the whole term
Of their enlistment and yet had received the first dol
lar nor a single Of land. In the frontier had
served yet longer that that who had this hour
ceived any reward whatever Mr. G.. did wish TO be
dersood opposing this bill but those who entrusted
with the power OF legislation sacredly bound mste
justice with equal hand He prepared to pass
this bill because be not acquainted with its merits.
He hoped it would be 10 the Committee Military
Affairs.
Mr. EVANS presumed the gentleman had not listened TO
the debate, he would have learned that the bill had already
been before the Military Committee, who nearly unani
in its favor it reported from the Committee
on the Public Lands.
Mr. GIDDNGS then suggested the proprcty Of referring
il to the COMMITTEE Of the Whole the state Of the Union