Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-05-14

bed so that they cannot perform the duties Of their sta
ton account Of wounds received in service, ac
of age disease shall be retired under certain
circumstances, when they ask and request to be
tired. That is and injustice can be done 10
a man who asks and requests it. The second case is,
when they called to perform duty appertaning to
their Office and'they incompetent and declare them
selves TO be So account Of Wounds age, disease
The third that which provides that the President
OF the United States may Gdudge certain officers incom
peen when he considers them be account Of any
of the which have named but in these cases he
to submit the matter to board Of officers consisting OF
not less than three more than seven members These
the three principal points that the referred
to by the honorable Senator from New Hampshire Will
be affected by this bill unless the officers themselves
wish retire, unless they declare themselves unable
perform any duty apperainng to their Offices and then
it will be the duty Of the President submit that matter
the board provided The referred to by the hon
orabe Senator from Kentucky win not be touched by the
bill ut all. These gentlemen in the service Il know
them ALL believe. They active and efficient officers,
and although they have suffered from wounds still they
| are excellent officers, and discharge their duty
This bill passed the Senate two years ago. 1t was
brought in here by my predecessor the Military Com
mitee, (Ir DAVIS OF Mississippi and was lost IN the
House for of time have felt it my duty to bring
it in this time and have added the provisions respect
the navy the request of various officers OF the ma
Wv, that the army and navy may be put upon the same
footing. think that is correct principle VIII add
that the army and navy are now constituted from the
number of officers superannuated and totally disabled SO
that they perform portion Of duty you can never
make either of those OF the pubic service very en-
cen Something of the kind proposed by this bill exists
in almost every other army in the world In fact thisls
bill providing the means of subsistence for these poor
disabled officers during life instead of doing may
otherwise be compelled do fnallyturn them out Of the
service 1t provides refuge, support for those men
who have been rrecoyeraby and rremediaby injured in
the service and who are no longer able to perform any
service think object to bill of that kind
Mr. CASS believe, for my own part, that this is
Of the best bills that have had before us connect
ed with the army and navy 1t has been before us for
three four years and suppose express the feelings
Of the officers themselves when say that they are alto
gether in favor oft ltmay perhaps do not see how
but it well may, is always the case more or less work
some personal injustice But do not see low it can
Mr.. SHIELDS 1t is impossible that it SHOULD, unless
! through the act Of the President.
i Mr.. CASS. have not examined the bill lately, but
according to my recollection of it there must be board
to decide with regard to the disability. You can leave
the officers in safer hands than their The Pres
dent cannot put in that condition, The disability
must first be inquired into by board Of oficersohcers
with the interests and feelings those brought
before them being disabled There is military
vice in any country which has not some such law IN rea
ton it and the Senator from Illinois has well said that
if you do not pass such BILL you win have your army,
in the of ime filled with superannuated men ut
tery incompetent to do business In other countries the
provision called half pay for life disabled officers
retired halfpay for life. Here is officer utter
ly incompetent to do the duties OF his Office the Co
vernment is willing to give him about half of what he
ceyed for full services but it cannot do he standsin
the way of man. and in the way of another and thus
it goes on officers below him performing duties which the
law does not require them to do on account OF his inca
pacity 1t is his msfortunea misfortune incident, per-
haps his line of febut the service of the country
must not suffer by it. and nothing will the army and
navy but such BILL The service viii rot tolerate such
and in the event of it will be found unless
such bill is passed. necessary for the President and
Senate to oversaugh them. do not see how il can be
prevented You cannot send men round the country
performing the duties of others who receive fupay 1t
is better let them retire the bill proposes. In this
think speak the uniform opinion OF the army. Ii was
drawn up by gentleman who was one Of the best officers
in the army and of the most able Senators and re-
collect reading it, was perfectly satisfied with It,
hope it will pass without opposition.
Mr. HALE My desire TO have the consideration Of
the bill postponed was, that 1t might be printed that
may have opportunity to examine il. have salts
factory for this in the fact that bill has been
introduced this morning substitute for another BILL
do not intend to enter into the details of the arrange
ment OF the army navy. know nothing about them
and am willing leave them those whom they pro-
perly belong All that desired that we should not
do any injustice 1t has been said that cannot be
put in condition where he shall be deprived of his pay
and emoluments unless he says that he is disabled Take
the of Major Searle name him because the case
is familiar the Senate is utterly ncapactated for
service utterly incompetent but the Senate refused to
stand BY and see him oyeraughed Suppose he order
ed TO perform active duty and he declares be must
that he is incapacitated? Then understand the BILL
there be board Of officers decide upon the case
and whether he is incapacitated OF course they
must decide that he is being unable to use his limbs and
perhaps only just able to live upon his pay and hire his
Hes to be cast aside and put upon half pay
oversaughed, and his right Of promotion cut of
Of disabilities incurred in service Of the country
Let me call the attention Of the Senate to another
When bill works apparent injustice it is unjust bill
Take the Of the young in the navy to whom
have referred young man Of twenty-five has entered
the service with all the spirit and ambition which belongs
to young men thus entering life; and he loses hs.eye
sight in the service Of his country His pay is about
enough to support him economically. But by this bill
you subject him TO situation in which that pay will be
reduced one-half Thus you make bravery crime, and
Vs..
officers when they about entering the service Of the
country, Take that you do not get wounded,
put yourselves in condition in which you render
further service to the country because the moment
lose your limbs by exposure danger that moment your
country puts you by useless like disabled animal,
further fit for use say that bill that does that
is to my humble apprehension, unjust BILL and ought
not TO pass No motives Of convenience to my mind
justify It. see injustice that can be done by allow
ing the bill to lie until tomorrow. Nobody knows
what il is therefore move 10 postpone the further
sijeration Of the bill until Tomorrow and that the bit te
printed
Mr.. CASS The honorable Senator speaks OF the harsh
ness Of the operation Of such BILL and supposes that ii
only gives to the officers oneha what they received be-
fore they disabled If a loses both his arms in
battle and goes out Of the service, he gets pension.
And what is it, He can get his half pay
Mr.. HALE You do not turn him out.
Mr.. CASS What difference does 1t make whether he
goes out by his consent by provision OF law.
speak Of the operation Of the system The that any
man get is hafpay. We propose 10 give these off
GERS about full pay-tha is what is called pay proper
AT any rate il is about double the compensation given
your pension laws for the highest rate Of disability known
in service any other What injustice is there in
that? repeat this subject has been before for years.