Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-08-12

Peatt,
recommed TO the Committee of Ways and Means to await
the new estimates predicaed upon the condition of the
country
On the 18th Of June this House, by very large vote had
passed resolution proposing to adjourn the 18th Of July
last not until the 29h Of June that The Secretary of
War had sent estimates the Committee of Ways Means
predicaed upon what that Department the
preparations which should be made for the current fiscal year.
These estimates had not into bis hands until the first Of
july seventeen days only before the time which the House
mad proposed TO adjourn Ip the time they had heard
nothing from the Committee on Military Affairs The Com
mee OF Ways and Means had directed him ask the Secre
tay of War for additional esmaes-for estimates based on
the snpposon that the army composed of men
to the company instead of hundred the company and
also upon the supposon that the army returned back to
the condition in which at the Of the
Mexican war; These estimates forwarded to the Com
mittee Of Ways and Means but they sent to that
committee SO that the bill could be reported the House until
ne thought the l7h Of last July the very day which the
House had proposed adjourn As yet they had heard
thing from the Committee on Military Affairs.
When the bill had been reported the 18th Of July, he
had endeayored to get special order for it. that it would
up before the Oregon bill but had been the pleasure
Of the House postpone till after the Oregon BILL and,
wthstandng his repeated efforts to take up the BILL it
until the "a Of August that he had been enabled get up
at all And yet the Committee Military Affairs had pre-
snted nothing to the House, had reported nothing and they
had now little more than week from this time to the ad-
jounment He now appealed to the chairman Of the Com
mttee Military Affairs what would he have said what
would the country have said if the Committee Of Ways and
Means had lain all this time without reporting the army
BILL the graves, the most important the difficult Of all
the appropriation bills except the civil and diplomatic appro
priaon bill,
Mr.. HARALsON said the Presidents message comnuni-
eating the Of peace also communicated certain important
information on the subject they discussing There
had been call made the Secretary Of War the 26h Of
June he believed Information what number con-
suted the army, and what would be the Of its Off
GERS when at the maximum authorized by law. That commu-
nicaoD like the message had laid upon the Speakers table
until within few days. when it had been referred to the Com
mite Of Ways and Means 1t had not therefore, been possi
BILE for the Committee Of Ways and Means with this commu-
nicaon lying the Speakers table, to have taken any au
hortave action, for they had the information on which
TO proceed.
conversation here occurred between Messrs. HARALsON
and TOOMBS to the basis of the number of pvaes in
each company which this bill proposed to establish the former
gentleman reading the law of 9th May, 1916, which a-
horzes the President increase the number hundred
men IN each company to be reduced to whenever
the exgencies Of the service permit and expressing his
derstandng that the BILL passed. would leave the number at
sixty four and the latter gentleman stating that the bill
pessy proposed repeal the law of s46 thereby revivng
the law Of ls42 which fixed the number Of men in each
pany at orty-two, under the peace establishment.
Mr.. VlNTON continued. The law which the gentleman
from Georgia had read the law which provided the
peace establishment was BILL The number proposed
under this bill precisely that fixed by the law Of lS42
which fixed the peace establishment and which gave orytwo
men to each company. That intended to be skeleton
army which might be filed up enlarged whenever state of
war Well state Of had arisen, and the Of
9Th May e46 had undertaken enlarge this army by fill
ing up this skeleton hundred in each company, the
discretion of the President of the United States and below
sixyfour Now, at the Of peace, the proposition
return peace establishment reduce the army back
where prior to the Mexican and the law which
the gentleman from Georgia called the peace establishment
what he (M W called the BILL and which changed the
peace establishment Il was true he ought not to throw bis
loose opinions in the Of the weghy of the chairman
Of the Committee Military Affairs and those who had the
appropriate charge Of matters Of this kind.
But to come back from this DEPRESSION to what he stat
ing Now, when they had but little thana week the
n
fom the Committee Military Affairs, the Committee of
Ways and Means arragned before this House because
they have reported bill which, while furnished the appo
raons that necessary for the support OF the ay
vded for the decrease Of the army to peace establishment
The gentleman from Virginia had said, what undoubtedly
true that the Committee on Military Affairs had called two
weeks ago upon the Secretary of War for report Well the
Committee Of Ways and Means had called month ago and,
II the gentleman had been digent the Committee of
Ways and Means had been he would have got the report be-
fore The Committee Of Ways and Means had got three
different estimates the st of July they had got this bill
reported He suspected the Committee Military Affairs
had not asked any questions Of the War Department
I'll this last bill had been reported That was all he had to
say IL the Committee of Ways and Means had waited for
The Committee Military Affairs to make their inqunes at
The War Department in the first place then to agree upon
and report bill for the regulation Of the peace establishment
and then get through this House, that they might predicate
heir appropriation bill upon it. he thought at this late hour Of
The session there would have been great danger that the time
hey had fixed Cor adjournment would have before they
had done any thing towards making the appropa
oho
how would the Committee and Means have been able
indicate themselves before the House and the country for
-unning such hazard
Mr.. GENTRY said il seemed to him unfortunate, without
intending blame upon any body, that the Committee
On Military Affairs had not reported bill to determine what
should be the peace establishment Of the United Sates that
he terminated The chairman Of the Committee of
Ways and Means had reported the appropriation bill for the
support of The army for the ensuing year. seemed to him
that preliminary question should be disposed of be-
they proceeded the details Of that BILL He desired to
inquire Of the gentleman how that proposed to
the Of this House what should be the peace
Of the country seemed to him that they ought
resolution specific form, to test the Of the
House what should be the peace establishment before
hey into the details Of the appropriation bill then those
would follow, a matter Of course
Now he doubted very much for himself and grave,
very grave and serious question: whether the old peace
abishment competent for the present me We had
lued large territory had bound ourselves by treaty
,puaons the Mexcans from the incusons Of the
indian tribes who lived upon those territories about
extend laws Oregon there Indians there, and
would need brigade Of men in each Of these Territories
would there be enough in the old peace establishment
Tor the present condition Of the country
Mr.. VINTON, in reply TO the gentleman from Tennessee,
would say that when they to the items Of the bill for pay
and subsistence they could fix the amount according they
determined whether should have orytwo or
Dne hundred TO each company. There difficulty
all 1t all imaginary. As he had stated the other day,