The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-02-26
[INGToN. THURSDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY 26, 1857.

officers in command Of departments and sometimes on dis
ant service when the egences Of the service require
do establish military posts but they only temporary
He must report the facts and circumstances TO the Secre
ary OF War; and if the Secretary Of War confirms or M
proves IT, the post is established if he disapproves th
post is abolished. The whole matter then is reerable
last to the discretion and wisdom of the Secretary of War
and IL would be too much think to say that the Secre
ary OF War increases these posts keeps them up for thu
purpose OF allowing these doueerS the officers rus
the Secretary Of War of the United States would be gov
erned by too much patriotism be controlled by such
influence as that do not believe it, This deduetiol
which the senator from California has drawn that the
double raons increase the number of military posts
to me TO be unfounded. believe no man. when he comes
to reflect how these posts established and kept up and
maintained will come to the conclusion that they
abshed for the purpose of keeping up the doubleraon
system. do not believe it, think il is an mputation
on the wisdom well the patriotism of our Secretary
| OF War, which bears no foundation in fact
hope this amendment will not be adopted. | think
s proper that officers in command of posts who are
responsible for the repairs and and condition
OF these posswho have undoubtedly much greater
and responsibilities to be encountered in consequence
their command-should be allowed these ratons Now
look at the facts Five ratons about the usual
age amount as have said which, according the pres
| ent law, would give to a commander OF post a cap
tain, major, or colonel dollar day in addition to his
original pay. This bill increases the pay of officers
twenty dollars month, and adds cents to the COM
mutation value of the ration, so that officer drawing
hvs radons, not in command of military post would
have his pay increased thirtyfve dollars monthtwen-
ty dollars for pay proper and fifteen dollars for raons
But applying ii to commanders of posts If you knock off
the double ration their pay win only be increased about
forty dollars per MONTH when the pay sub
ordinate officers will be increased thrtyve dollars per
month. lieutenant not in command of q post will have
his pay increased to the extent of thiryfve dollars
month, whereas colonel in command of post will have
his pay increased not more than forty dollars month.
How unequal that is a q
think Mr. President taking every view of the case in
which am able to look at it, this doube-raon system is
just and proper one and ought not be abolished Ger
tany the abolition of it ought not to be attached to this
bill If it will endanger its passage which all seem so
ous to bring about ~ LtaHiHa E %.
Mr.. WELLER. have, as matter Of course no per-
sena feeling in regard 10 this subject have felt it my
duty chairman Of the Committee on Military Affairs to
present what consider very important reformation in
the army All of agree that it is very necessary and
proper to increase the pay of officers of the army All
s have concluded that is proper to increase the value
the ration That fixed in 1908 twenty cents This
ration thirty cents, 1s. rEt' at#aH sa @ IN. #'I
The senator from Georgia has said that il is hardly to
be presumed that Congress- in the establishment of mill
ary posts would be governed by the consideration of null
plying them in order TO give double rations 1t is the
ect but am under obligations to my colleague on the
committee, the senator from Georgia. for the information
Mr. lVEkSON. suppose. that when fort is erected
by act OF Congress- there ordinarily in
mand and If So the commandant draws double ratons
rule All Notifications certainly are established not
by regulations of the Department of War but by act
Congress- and can only be done by act Of Congress To
be sure the military posts the frontier appointed by
the department .a7 . at '#"'7 ,.a 70.
MT. w ELLEh rOfunCauOHS where you have q COM
pany OF soldiers constitute very small portion Of the
ber Of posts where officers drawing double ratons
Military posts otentmes established for temporary
purposes There s for instance an infant settlement on
the frontier you place military poss there to give pro-
lection to the settlers until they sufficiently strong
protect themselves The officer placed in command of that
post remains there longer than the public interests de-
mand because of the strong pecuniary nducement
main. / desire to avoid that E's |.. ."
said when was up before that the increased expense
of the double ration mere bagatee in the words of
the senator from Georgia. but said that my information
from the department satisfied that these double raons
increased the of the governmen: six hun
dred thousand dollars 1t is because Of the difficulty of
approaching the extreme posts in order TO supply them
with subsistence that this expense incurred You
last year at one Of the military posts Eve dollars bushe
for corn In order to supply that post and there
settlements whatever near it, say the information have
from that department of the government which has charge
OF the transportation and supplies satisfied my mind that
should diminish the expenditures of the army of this gov
ernmen between six and hundred thousand dollars
by cutting off this little daga my friend from Geor-
gia has called it, fs 49, 'a..4' aa.. E.st.@AH
We all concede that it is proper to increase the pay Of
the army. The Military Committee propose to take the
bill passed by the House of Representatives, as far
that concerned to increase the pay of each officer twenty
dollars per month making $24O Der annum we then in
the value of the ration fifty per cent? but we propose
to abolish the double ration That only falls those who
have command of posts who in the beautiful language of
my friend bound to entertain all distinguished vsters
who may come there That may apply TO your posts
this side 1t may possibly apply to Carlisle and Newport
barracks and some Others but out the frontier know
that the expense falls well the subordnatos as
the commanding officer Ordinarily instead of his
tanning stranger the expense falls the mess and d
vded among them. know that the pretex that is the
ground which the original allowance was placed; but
in my Judgment it better abolish it, because il sub
ects US to an expense of six seven hundred thousand
dollars. an " AZ. so #Nt ~ n s@H
Mr.. lV ERSON The senator must certainly be mistaken
well as the distinguished from which he derives
his information He predtcates his assertion the sup
posed fact that the double raons delivered the Off
at the different posts In kind and that transportation
and cost of these raon amount to much The senator
knows and SO do the quarermaser general and the pay
master general and all the other officers of the army that
there is not officer in hundred of the army who
draws his rations in kind.
Mr.. WELLER Everybody knows that.
Mr.. 1VERS0N. Then how can they cost SO much The
raons cost only thirty cents each at the increased
tation price now proposed.
Mr.. WELLER say long those officers at mill
ary posts they have be supplied and they furnished
to some extent with raons in kind II Is difficult to get
there Ofenmes they have to make road. These posts
transporting supplies and troops there increases the
penses of the between six and seven hundred
thousand dollars year That is what mean to say.
Mr.. lVERSON. The senator falls back the proposition
that for the purpose Of giving double rations the various
posts multiplied and therefore the expense increased
deny that proposition wholly. As said BEFORE do not
believe there is single post in the United States establish
ed with view to give officers double raons think they
all regulated and established according to the exigen
cies and demands Of the public ervce and do not be-
eye that you adopt this amendment and this law goes
into effect it will diminish the expenses of the army sin
gle sou. That is my honest conviction
Mr. WELLER. There is honest difference OF opinion
them between my friend from Georgia and who ought
TO know all about it, take il for granted that my friend
from Georgia has not been in the quarermasers
missary department where alone he could obtain the in
formation to decide the matter But the Senate have the
Al e