The republic., 1851-01-31


the retired List, or wheunyer ordered 70 perform
duties shall be thought incompsteut for their per-
formauce, whenever the Psesident deems any
officer incompetent, who believes hiInscf " be
competent il shall be the duty Of the Secretary Of
War TO convene board Of oficers-not lees than
three nor more than seven, In all cases where the
grade allows, OF superior rank TO hmscif-to con
sider the subject; and il he be found incapable,
from old age, wounds received, or disease Incurred.
he shall be placed the retired list The third
section provides that those who entitled by
law to pensions shall receive them. He was
that gentleman in this House would
take from the gallant officers the pensions which
their country gives to those wounded ia battle.
The fourth section simply makes the provision
applicable to the marine corps. He wished To in
form the House that in 1876, during the Mexican
war. report was submitted by the adjntant gene
raj, basis recommendation OF the bill, in
which it stated that, of twelve field officers OF
artillery eight were at the time incapable OF per-
forming duties from some OF the causes specified In
this bill. OF twenty four officers OF regiments OF
infantry one third were incapable of performing
duty; and he had been informed that OF the marine
corps three fourths were incapable OF taking the
field. The result WAS that, during the Mexican
war, an additional major was added to regiment,
and in some OF the engagements brigade--two re-
giments-was actually commanded by captain OF
the army. In conclusion, he repeated that the
bill would not increase the army, and that lts pas
sage required in justice to officers OF inferior
grade, who, by existing laws, are required u per-
form the duties OF infirm and disabled officers,
without any allowance for the grade Of service
which they respectively perform.
MIR. GIDDINGS was unwilling to vote for the
bill until he had opportunity to examine IL. We
all knew that bills from the Committee Military
Affairs passed without due considerations and
against such improper and hasty proceedings he
entered his protest. AS to the design OF the bill
now before them, he knew Of no moro merit be-
tween an officer In the army and member In this
hall-between one who renders service to his coun-
try at the cannons mouth, and he who encounters
the storm here in the performance OF public duty.
You will find ten men who will face the cannon's
mouth to one who will face public sentiment when
his views unpopular. There was not so much
merit therefore, in the frat asn the last. He was
opposed to initiating the European system OF pen,
soning any particular class on the country and
granting them annuties; and that the bill might
be fairly considered, he moved to refer 1t 10 the
Committee of the Whole on the state OF the Union.
Mr.. J. A. KING. of New York, expressed the
hope that the motion would not prevail. The bill
had been reported by the unanimous vote of the
| Committee on Military Affairs The matter had
been well examined, and had received the sanction
of the proper officers of the Government. II was
only proper in itself, but necessary for the etf
cheney Of the army He did not intend to say any
thing as to the force of the army-how much or how
little it should be- This not the proper time to
make defence, but it WAS the proper occasion to
say that the proposition clear as to require
but the reading Of the bill to show that 1t would
not add dollar to the expenses of the army, nor
increase the personnel a single man. II was merely
to permit officers, old disabled, wounded, to re
tire by their own will, or by the Judgment OF
board of officers. It for the House TO act
promptly If the bill should go to the Committee
of the Whole the state of the Union, il would
never be reached. He moved the previous ques-
ton.
Messrs McGAUGHEY and BURT severalIy
asked Mr. KING to withdraw the motion, but he
did not acquiesce.
The demand for the previous question was then
secondcd-ayes 7S, noes IL; and the main question
ordered to be put
Mr.. JONES moved that the bill be laid upon the
table; and the question being taken, it was de-
cided in the affirmative yeas 81, nays 80 fol-
lows:
YEAS - Me.srs. AIbertson, Allen, Anderson.
Averett, Beale, Bell, Bennett, Bingham, Bokee,
Booth. Bowlin, Boyd, Butler, Joseph Cable. Joseph
p. Caldwell, Campbell. Cartier, Clarke, William
son X. w. Cobb, Cocock, Conger, Cro~ell, Dan
ner, Dickey, Dmmck, Disney, Ducr, Durkee,
Fitch, Fowler, Freedley, Giddings, Gilmore. Gott,
G. Harris, Hebard, Henry, HibbArd, Howe. Hun
ter, Andrew Juhnson, Jones, Julian, Letter,
Littcfield. Horace Mann, job Mann, McCier-
aii E. Mclean. McMoisn.s Mcqueen, Meacham, ana
Meade, John X. Miller, Moore, Morehead, Morris, |
Olds, Orr, Otis, Outlaw, Owen, Parker, Phelps, |
Robbins. jr Root Ross, Sac kett, Sewage, Sprague,
Toonbs, Walden. Waldo, Wallace, Watkins,
wellborn, Wentworth. White. whittlesey Will
drck, Williams, and Woodward "a.
NAYS-Messrs. Alexander, Ashinun, Bayly,
Bowie, Breck, Brisbin, Brooks, Buel, Bullard,
Burt, E. Darlington Cabell, George A. Caldwell,
Calvin, Chandler, Cole. Corwn, Daniel, Deberry,
Dixon, Doty, Duncan. Edmundson, Eliot, Nathan
Evans, Featherston, Fuller, Gentry, Gilbert, !
Goodenow. German, Gould, Grinnell Holloway.
Haralson, Sampson ". Harris, Raymond, Hill |
lard, Hoagland, Hoaday, Holmes, Houston, Inge,
Joseph w. Jackson, James l.. johnson, Robert w.
Johnson, Kaufman, Kerr. George u. King, James |
G. King, John A. King, La Ssre, Marshail, Mason,
Matteson, McKissock, Robert M; McLane, Mill
son, Morse, Morton, Nelson, Newell, Peasee, |
Peck, Ph0nix, Pitman, Reed, Reynolds, Risley, |
Rockwell, Rose, Rumscy, jr., Sawtellc, Schenck,
Schermerhorn, Schoolcraft, Seddon, Shepperd, Sill
vester, Spalding, Frederick P. Stanton, Richard
II. Stanton, Taylor, Thurman, Underhill, Van |
Dyke. venable. Vinton, Wright, and Young-So.
Mr.. WENTWORTH moved to reconsider the
vote just taken.
Mr.. TOOMBS moved to lay that motion on the
table; whercupon the yeas and nays were or
dcred
MIR. WENTWORTH moved that the House re-
solve itself into Committee of the Whole the |
state of the Union on the special order.
This was disagreed to--yeas 81, nays 1902.
The question recurring on the motion to lay on
the table the motion to reconsider the vote by which
the bill laid the table, it decided in the
affrmative-yeas SO, nays 81.
THE MINT BILL
The House resolved itsclfinto a Committee of the |
Whole on the state Of the Union, (Mr. CARTIER in |
the chair) and resumed the consideration of the
Senate bill to establish branch mint in the city of
New York, and a branch mint and assayer's |
Office in the city of San Francisco.
Mr.. CHANDLER had offered a substitute for the |
bill, establishing branch mint and an assayer's
office in San Francisco, and authorizing dcpostes
of bullion for coinage at the mints with the assist
ant treasurer at New York, to be sent to Philadel
pha the assistant treasurer to issue certificates TO
tho depositors, which, together with those OF the
of the several mints, shall be receivable
in payment of duties to the Government.
Mr.. CHANDLER, after briefly referring to the
substitute which he had offered. said that to es
tabish branch mint at New York would be
wanton waste Of money. Gentlemen who favored
the BILL he remarked did SO on the ground Of pub
lie necessity, and on the ground that the mint at
Philadelphia incompetent to discharge the du-
ties required; and secondly, that there was loss
of time and money in transporting bullion from
New York TO Philadelphia, and the transportation
OF the coin back 10 New York. With regard to
the first proposition he proceeded to show that tho
capacities Of the mint, sincc the improvements in
October last admitted Of coinage OF from seventy
FIVE to a hundred millions Of dollars per annuin.
No delay had been caused by any deficiency in the
coinage department The delay was in the fining
and separating department.; but the appropriation of
0O0last May had obviatcd this and now the mint
pour out coin fact as il may be asked for lie
held In hia hand q letter from the director of the