The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-03-15

Mr. DOUGLAS. ! have an amendment TO oncr iot
the protection oil the emgfant route 10 oregon ahu oa
ornis which requires no money ana wncn ndoun w
be adopted. II Is 10 Add the ioNewihs as q" aua'o
section;
sxc - And be il farther enacted, That the President
OF United States Is hereby aulhofzea 70 e @ nv , uo
tracts with person persons as shall make me most
favorable proposals. and give the most satisfactory assu-
and security Tor defending ana Piooclnf at,p o
tho roads through he Territories of the uned a,es from
the western border of The States in the Mississippi valley
10 the eastern Of California and to he Pacific ocean
ia the Territory Of Oregon the following terms, to wt'
Fir,t The contractors are 10 establish posts or station
houses aong the such points and distances tle
President shall designate and shall keep at lees. iweny
all emigans travellers, and settlers on and along sad
seoood That the contractors shall make and keep in
rrnair rood wagon road along each of said routes, with
bridges ferries all the Streams and shall charge no
higher rates Tor crossing said streams 'han sha" pe pre-
Third In consideration of The services required by this
seotioo the President is hereby authorized grant such
four OF land and in the vicinity OF
each said posts which said grant OF land shall be In n
Of all services rendered expen'es incurred under this
section.
Mr. HUNTER. II seems TO me that we are putting
important propositions upon this bill with very little con
alteration This is measure OF great Importance winch
it ia now proposed TO attach u were IN favor OF H.
should be unwilling to Tack measures as these to the ar
nv appropriation bill. but know there is no time 10 de
bate them shall say nothing about them, except 70
call the attention OF the Senate again TO the course which
are pursuing IN regard to The legislation OF Inc
country ,,
COSTS
no money! and carries consequence hereafter that
bring money out OF the treasury.
Mi BELL do not see any objection to the amend
meni, except that will retard greater improvement
MI DOUGLAS. Not at all il will hasten it,
Mr. DODGE, of Iowa. cannot view the proposition
in the light in which The senator from Tennessee speaks
of it, Ii seems 10 the amendment OF the senator from
Illinois would have precisely the opposite effect think
the senator from Tennessee will do me the justice 10
saw that there is no sincere friend OF that grea,
tuhic haaO cd m n our IA n n
weeks past than myself but kRsw the importance Of
the amendment offered by The senator from Illinois IL
border II is important TO protect them from the merc
less Indian tomahawks; important TO give them some
resting place. Alter the deep and bitter opposition man
Tested here to ns onf ssous 70, us ss hsse % Of
those who are crossing over our Territories 10 the
Pacific.
amendment, and they were ordered.
Mr. PRATT. The distance OF this route, as has been
estimated is two thousand five hundred miles. II at
ery ten miles there to be snton and four sections OF
land be granted TO each station, there will be granted
thousand sections OF land Bat the effect OF the amend
rnen is 10 authorize the President TO contract, without
specfying the period for which he may contract whelh-
e for year, or six months or one month; but we are
obliged grant these one thousand sections OF land 10
the most favorable contractor on the condition that the
parties pro,ec, the route 1t may be only for one month
No matter how long they may propose the President is
required contract and TO give the one thousand sec
tions Of land. do not think the amendment is judi
cous is TO pass a, all Il should certainly be
Mr.. DOUGLAS. The senator is mistaken as to the
number OF the posts. The President is TO designate how
many necessary. The four sections OF land only
to be taken in the vicinity of those posts which the Pres
Mr. PRATT Then, there may be still more land
granted
The question being taken by yeas and nays the
amendment resulied-yeas Is. nays 23-as follows:
YEAs-Messrs Borland Bright, Brodhead, Cass, Chase,
CLARKE. pSSsH 81 ss pGsss
Jones OF Iowa, Sheid. Soue. Sumner, Toucey Wade,
SAYS~Me..r. Adams. Badger, Bell, Bradbury, Charl.
ton, Dawson Fiizpairick Foot Hua,e Jones OF Ienres
see, Mallory, M.ngum. Mason Miller, Morton, Norris,
wood-23
So the amendment was agreed TO.
DHBURslSG OFFICERS OF THE ARMY.
Mr. WELLER. have amendment 10 offer as an
additional section
sxc =. hnd be IL further enacted, Tha, the first pro-
thirteenth section OF the act approved the 81 Of
March, 1911. entitled "An making provision Tor addi-
onsi number OF general officers and for other PURPOSES
be- and the s hereby repealed, 80 TO place the
officers OF the dsbursng department the footing
with respec, to rank as other staff officers
MIR CASS. do not understand tha, amendment
MIR. WELLER. The thirteenth section OF the act
of ls47. TO which the amendment, refers, is in these
words:
Thst the officers Of the pay department shall have rank
lowances assipiate Propded, That shall not
in virtue Of such rank, be entitled TO command in the line
The only effect OF my amendment is repeal the pro
vso which have Just read | see no good reason why
discussing officers should be excluded from command
ing. IT, in the judgment OF The President they should be
competent officers 10 command, IS oilenumes the
They the only persons of the saH department in the
army who excluded from commanding, and it often
that the paymasier the most competent person
the frontier 10 take the command. The whole matter
le TO the discretion OF the President and he s give
command only II the ohcer be competent desire in
such that he shall have The power he chooses OF
selecting paymas,era the proper officer The only ef-
fect oil the amendment ~ 10 put the paymasters OF the
army equal footing with the other staff officers.
Mr.. CASS. Allow me to ask the honorable senator,
will not phys'cians come within the same Category
Mr. WELLER Not under this amendment
Mr.. CASS. But should they not' That is what |
Mr. WELLER. do moi, know.
Mr.. CASS. II seems to me that we have carried this
thing lar enough. year or two ago gave to pay
masters and other officers rank, and are called
upon TO give them commands There is this to be OBJ
served psymaser may be taken age and put
into the army. He has not to go through such school
oi training and practice other officers. do not see
the necessity OF these perpetual changes To-day are
be physicians, and what next do not know. | think
we had better let the army remain as it Is.
MT WELLER The only staff officers excluded
rom commands are paymasers. | suppose that those
VINO belong the surgeons staff could be- the discre
non on me PRESIDENT put under orders. The proviso
sees 70 repeal excludes the paymasters alone If
the paymas'er ~ mere civilian f he il an incompe
tent he President Of the United States OF course
Wouiu never aifect nm TO take command Bot if he
quahned-and know there are many of them better
9uaneo .nsn omcers OF the line-the President of the
United States should have power 10 diree h.n l., ,as
command That rs all propose
MI. SHIELDS lhls question was before tho Cam.
muee on Military Affairs, and they declined o ac, noo,