The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-01

I selves up, bound, in political servitude, to ths
q tender mercies Of their natural enemies, and Z
erect new government, free from the disturb
) ing and disgraceful element OF slavery, IN whicf
the experiment of self-goyernment could b
fairly tried."--[To BE Continued
HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES,.
THURSDAY, Jan. 30th, 1850.
Mr. BURT, from the Committee on Military
Affairs, TO which had been referred Senate bill NO
II, entitled san act to increase the efficiency OF
the army by providing for retired list OF invalid
officers, reported the same back with an amend
ment.
M. BURT said that he was instructed by the
Committee on Military Affairs to ask that the
bill be put on its passage
The bill and amend ment having been read,
\ Mr. BURT said If an apology be due to the
House for asking that this bill be now put on us
passage, hope that that apology will be found
in the fact that similar bill has for the last eight
/ wears been reported by the Committee on Mill
iary Affairs, and has been recommended by the
President ofthe United States, and by the Secre-
tary of War. But with that peculiar ill-fortune
which seems TO attend all the measures of the
Committee on Military Affairs in obtaining the
consideration Of the House, that bill has never
been presented for examination. The bill which
needs the concurrence Of the House to become d
law--the Committee on Military Affairs having
! reported an amendment which simply makes the
provisions Of the bill applicable to the Marine
corps.
i The bill ia deemed by the officers Of the army,
by the Secretary Of War, and by the COMMITTEES
on Military Affairs, to be absolutely indispensable
to the efficiency of the army. And if ever there
was time in the history Of this country, when il
became-the Congress of the United States, and
the War Department, and all the heads of that
department, to endeavor to nfuse vigor and ef-
iciency into the military establishments OF the
country, the present is the time.
! trust, sir that this is but the first Of series
Of measures which will prevail having that Oh.
ect in view; aud which, If carried out, promises
an entire renovation in the army, which has suf
fered very greatly from various of derange-
ment.
| | shall content myself with very brief expla
nation of the provisions Of this bill, and lpremss
by saying that il is no army pension bill; that il
does not propose to increase by even one dollar
the expenses Of the army 1t is true, will adj
init, that it does not propose to diminish the ex-
penses of the army at all. The first section OF
the bill provides, that whenever officer of the
army shall become incapable Of performing the
duties of his Office, by reason Of age, wounds, OF
disease incurred in the service Of the United
States, that he shall be put upon this retired list
The House will remark, that to entite an officer
to be placed on this retired list, he shall have be-
come incapable Of performing his duties by rea-
son of age, wounds, or disease incurred in the ser.
vice; and if he become incapable from any other
cause whatever, he is not entitled to be placed on
this retired list.
| The bill further provides, that when an officer
shall have been found incompetent, from any OF
the specified in the first section Of the bill
he shall be placed on the retired list, with his pay
! proper and his service ration and the next officer
in command shall succeed to his rank, with the
| pay proper Of his own grade, and the allowance
of the grade of the officer who is put upon the re.
tired list. For example: If the colonel Of regi-
ment should be placed on the retired list, he
would receive his pay proper that is to say, his
monthly pay and service ration, but nothing else
This service ration, many members OF the House
know, ia ration given by law for every FIVE years
Of service A colonel, then, retiring with his
monthly pay proper, and his service ration, the
lieutenant colonel would succeed to his command
OF colonel, and the lieutenant colonel would re-
ceive his monthly pay--his pay proper-and the
allowances which are given by law to the coIone
of regiment, and so on down to the very lowest
grade, in the army II a lieutenant colonel is
placed upon the retired list, the major would sue
coed under the same circumstances. If the majo,
| be placed on the retired list, the senior captain
would succeed to his command in precisely the
same manner, and so down to the brcvet lieutcn.
ant who is attached to the army.
| Well, sir, the second section Of the bill seems
| to me to provide the most ample security against
any abuse Of power the part Of the President
Of the United States, OF any board of officers
under this act. IL provdes, that whenever an Of
fcer in the army shall ask to be placed on the re
tired list, and whenever he shall be ordered to thu
performance of his duty, and shall be found in
competent to their performance, and Whenever ths
i President shall deem officer incompetent who
himself believes that he Is incompetent, shall bt
the duty Of the Secretary of War to convene
board OF officers to consider his case consisting oil
not less than three members and not more thar
seven; and in all the rank and grade of these
officers shall be superior to his own; and if he be
found incompetent to the performance of his duty
from old age, from wounds received in the service
or from disease incurred in service, he shall be
placed on this retired list. The third section OF
the bill contains provision for those gallant Off
GERS of the army whose impetuous valor has very
often caused them to be disabled by wounds, and
who are therefore entitled to pension. 1t pro-
vides that, whenever an officer is thus disabled
he shall not be debarred from the pension which
the law now allows him, because of his being
| placed on the retired list.
| am sure, sir, that there is not man in this
House--there is not an American citizen-wbo
would be inclined to take from the gallant officer
the pension which the country gives to those who
have been wounded in its battles.
The fourth section, which is the amendment
reported by the Committee on Military Affairs,
simply makes the provisions Of this bill appIica-
bic to the Marine corps.
desire now, in this brief statement of the few
considerations which recommend this bill, to in
form the House that in 1876, during the Mexican
war, report was submitted by the Adjutant
General, as basis of a recommendation to in
crease the field officers Of the army, in which re-
port it stated that Of twelve field officers of
the artillery eight were at that time incapable of
performing their duties, from some of the causes
| specified in the first section Of the bill. OF the
twentyfour officers Of the regiments OF infantry,
one third (eighD were incapable of performing
their duties And am informed also, that Of the
Marine corps, about three-fourths of the officers
are incapable of doing their duty in action
! The result Of all this was, that during the Mex
lean war, additional major was added to each
regiment, and that in some engagements in that
war a brigade oftwo regiments WAS actually COM
manded by captain in the army.
trust that this brief statement Of the facts will
assure every gentleman on this floor OF the indis-
pensable necessity for the passage Of this bill to
the efficiency Of the army. The expenses of the
army will not be augmented by its passage. In
| Jury will be done to no one, bat justice will be