Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-08-05

authorized by voluntary enstmens to increase the number of
pvates in each any Of the companies of the existing
gments Of dragoon artillery, and infantry any number
not exceeding onehundred and reduce the same to
when the exgeaces requiring the present increase
shall cease Should this remain force the maximum
number Of the rank and file the army authorized would
be l6 600 exclusive Of officers Should the auho
ry conferred by this be continued would depend
exgences of the service whether the number the rank and
file should be increased and what beyond he
minimum number of sixty four pvaes to company. Al
lowing sixty -four privaes to company, the army would be
10, 600 men, exclusive of commissioned and
missioned officers number which il is believed will be suf-
cient but precautionary measure is deemed expedent
that the Executive should the power increasing
strength of the respective corps should the exgences Of
service be such require it, Should these exgencies
call for such increase the discretionary power given by
10 the President will not be exercised.
II will be from the report of the Secretary Of War that
portion of the forces will be employed Oregon, New Mex
and Upper California, portion for the protection Of the
Texas frontier adjoining the Mexican possessions and bor
derng the territory occupied by the Indian tribes within
her limits After detailing the force necessary for these OBJ
jecs it is believed sufficient number Of troops will remain
to afford security and protection TO Indian frontier in the
West and Northwest and to occupy with sufficient gasons
the posts Northern and Atlantic borders have
present believe that any increase Of the number of
regiments corps will be required during period Of peace
JAMES K. POLK
Referred to the Committee Of the Whole on the state Of the
Union and ordered to be printed.
The SPEAKER also laid before the House a com.
municaion from the Commissioner Of the General Land
Office, enclosing map of the estimated surface Of the
Territories Of the United States north and west OF the regu
ary organized States Of the Union, compiled from Tanners
large map of North America and Dsurnells map of Mex
co. published in New York ls47 and on which is repre-
sened the parallel of 36 30 north latitude Referred the
Committee on Engraving.
ARMY APPROPRIATIONS.
The committee, motion of Mr.. YINTON, proceeded
the consideration of the bill making appropriations for the sup
port Of the army for the year ending June 80, ls49
Mr. VlNTON said it was perhaps proper that he should
state that the original army BILL which reported five
months ago. and which predcaed upon the suppo
son of the continuance of the through the present fiscal
year, had, subsequent period, been ecommtted the
Committee of Ways and Means That the bill that was
in fact before the committee. He did propose ask that
should be read but he up the Chair the bill which
the Committee of Ways and Means had reported subs
tue for that bill upon its recommtmen II No. els.
He offered substitute for the original BILL together with
the following amendment to in after line twenty-one
[The amendment read and appropriates $4,000 900
the three months extra pay granted by the of the last
month to the officers, musicians, and pvates of the
He would briefly state the grounds which the
the substitute bill had been reported by the Committee Of
Ways and Means After the resumption of peace with Mex
ico the President of the United Sates will be recoected
by all the members of the committee had sent message
Congress- recommending that the peace establishment of
the army should stand the which placed by
the act of 9th May, 1916 that say, that all the reg
ments OF the regular army should be retained with the
pement of one hundred each company The Secre
of War; after that Of the President had
dures of the army during the fiscal year, predcated
that basis According these estimates the army of the
United States, exclusive OF the officers, would consist of
O,2l9 persons. That number embraced matter OF
course only all the army proper but all the empoyes-
all the persons composing the army or connected with the
army The aggregate of these estimates in by the Sec
retay Of War; upon the basis of hundred to each
company, s3 ,s65 Sc. If the should de-
eide upon the basis recommended by the President Of the Uni
ted States and the estimates sent in the Secretary of War;
the aggregate of this bill would be the he had mentioned
viz. 81 3, $685. SG5 So
Mr.. SAWYERrose to question Of order, and made the
point that the bill had not yet been read through the rules
required, before either debate or amendment
Mr.. VINTON. That WAS waived by common consent
The CHAIR decided that it late make objection
Mr.. VINTON continued The Committee Of Ways asd
Means had directed him ask the Secretary Of War send
in estimates to them pedcated upon the basis of the army
stood prior the Of the with Mexico
Or in other words send in estimates the Committee Of
Ways and Means pedcated the establishment Of the army
would have been if the act Of May 3, 1896 repeal
ed. That, matter Of course, would leave the army in
this way the act Of ls42 reduced the artillery and infantry
from 81 TO 40 n company. That the basis which
the army stood at the time of the declaration of with
Mexico Since the declaration of with Mexico regi
men of mounted riemen had been raised Of 81
pany and also company of engineers composed Of 100
That the estimate which this bill was predicaed
and the committee should be Of opinion that that should be
the basis Of the peace establishment of army army
would then stand as II stood prior to the Of
the with Mexico, together with this additional regiment
Of mounted emen, and this company engineers composed
of 100 The number of persons estimated for including
employees and all, 1891 of every description,
elusive Of officers who would then be in the employment Of
the Government and the bill, stood on that es
mate as a basis, appropriated $40, ,595, ,O76 So.
The Committee Of Ways and Means had also directed him
ask the Secretary Of War send to them an estimate pre-
dcaied the supposon that authority given the Pre-
sden Of the United States by the Of 18th May ls46
raise the companies 100 were repealed leaving the
companies 81 II would be recoleced that by the
act Of 18th May 1885, they had filled up what the skee
ton army upon the peace establishment determined by the
act of 1912 The act Of May ls46 raised the companies Of
the regiments Of artillery and infantry from az men each to
not less than 64 than 100 men each-eving the Pre-
sident authority TO fill up these companies 100 men, but
to reduce them below 81 each company The Com
mttee Of Ways and Means had directed him 10 call the
Secretary Of War to send in to them estimate pedcaed
the supposon that this discretion be taken away from the
President Of the United States leaving the companies 81
men n company they would then stand under the of
18th May 1896 The Secretary Of War had that esi
mate also TO the Committee Of Ways and Means Under that
estimate should be adopted by this committee peace
establishment the number Of persons in the employment of
the army or belonging to the army exclusive OF the officers
would be l3 5S and the Of the estimates pred
Gated on that basis was 81 325, ,531.
The details Of all these estimates before him. They
were in such shape that, il the committee should decide up
on either basis the blanks could be filed up in very little
time As the bill stood, feI up in all instances
the second basis he had mentioned that was the peace
establishment prior the with Mexico together
and the company Of engineers of hundred men, That
would be the army of the United States IL the bill stood in its
Mr.. DUNCAN of Kenockv iro,;raJ 49, So. ~. ,Jf