The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-02-26
CONGRESSIONAL.
DEBATE ON THE BILL TO INCREASE THE PAY OF
THE OFFICERS OF THE ARMY.
TX sESArr. February an. lsb7.

N
the commencement of the present fiscal year. the pay
each commissioned officer of the army including military
storekeeper shall be increased twenty dollars per month
and that the communication price of officers subsistence
shall be thirty per ration II authorizes the Seceta
ry Of War; the recommendation of the council of ad
minstration to extend this additional pay to any person
serving as chaplain at any post of the army.
The Committee on Military Affairs reported the bill with
an amendment to add the following additional sections:
SEC. s. And be further enacted That from and after the
prohibited and all laws contrary to the provisions
ons Of this law be, and the hereby, repealed
SEC: And BE- further enacted, That the words non
commissioned officers musicians and privates in the first
section Of the act entitled can to increase the pay
the rank and file Of the and to
enlisted men of the army of the United States.
Mr.. WELLER. desire to amend the amendment re.
ported by the Committee Military Affairs carry
out the object propose substitute for the third
section originally reported by the committee, the follow
ing;
SEC. s. And be further enacted, That hereafter double
ratons for command of posts garroned with troops
hibed and all laws and regulations contrary to the prov
ions of this act are hereby repealed.
Mr.. RUSK. trust the chairman of the Committee on
Military Affairs will explain the effect of that amendment
the double raons allowed under special TO the adu-
ant general and quartermaser general and conne the
ducton to those officers who command garrsoned posts
Mr.. IVERSON The proposition before the Senate as
understand is to abolish what are called in the reg
ulatiOns double rations" hope it will not be adopted
Mr.: BRODHEAD. beg leave to suggest to the Senate
this bill 1t is bill providing increased pay the army
oftcers-a thing very much needed, all admit. /
submit to the chairman Of the Committee Military
Affairs whether if we send back this bill to the House of
Representatives do incur some hazard of its being
lost On Saturday morning told when the mill
ary road bills from the House of Representatives
that I'VE amended them they would pass the House of
Representatives, but would be lost Now sir do not
the rick in regard to this bill These amend
ments should be quite willing to adopt; but adopt
them hereafter other bill am dsirous that the
to m
they not Of sufficient Importance for hazard the
bill on them am willing to take the bill it from
the house of Representatives.
Mr.. WELLER. 1t will be utterly impossible for me to
Tote for this bill it from the House of Representa-
tves without making some attempt to amend it know
that many of those who desire increase Of the pay
officers of the army desire that this provision should be
made the army appropriation bill; but this bill,
passed by the House of Representatives will increase the
am unwilling TO give this extraordinary compensa-
ton to the officers of the army without at the same
time striking at what consider very great abuse in the
armyI double ratons The direct expense of the
double ration under this bill would only
thing over $4,000 but satisfied, from the e1amna-
tons have made at the Quarermasters department. that
the allowance of double raions increases the
of the Quartermasters department between 100000
and 100000 per annum. Although the direct cost of
the double ration only about $4,000 the increased
penses in consequence of the establishment of many
military posts cannot be less than 100000 $T0O 000
desire to abolish this practice There is very strong in
ducement to keep up military post long after the pub
drawing double raons There s therefore, strong Pc
cuniary nducemen remain at the post longer than the
public interest demands They sometimes sent Off into
the frontier for the purpose of giving protection to settle
ment and the settlement springs up around until they
sufficiently strong to defend and protect themselves but
the military post remains there because the officer in
mand is drawing double rations desire to abolish il.
Mr.. BRODHEAD desire to inquire if these posts
would remain in that position if the Secretary of War did
his duty2
Mr. WELLER apprehend it is very difficult for the
Secretary of War to ascertain what going army
post in California Washington Oregon Territory.
military post may be kept up twelve months after the
public interest has ceased to demand its existence
count of the deuble-ration system.
Mr., RUSk. think the whole of these amendments
ought to be rejected If there abuse in regard to
double rations in the army (Which do not think there
should not interfere with them in this bill providing for
increasing the pay which all parties think ought to be In
creased The pay as stands now believe was adopted
in ls08cerainy far back 1872 While the salaries
of almost all other officers Of the have been in
creased the army salaries have been increased at all
The BILL IT from the House of Representatives
does not change allow double rations. 1t is very
simple:
"That from and after the of the present
fiscal year. the pay Of the commissioned officers of the army
including military storekeepers shall be increased twenty
dollars per month"; and the Communication price of off
GERS subsistence shall be thirty cents per ration"
This is all there is of the bill The increase is twenty
dollars month to each of the officers of the army II is
large centage of increase upon the pay of the inferior
officers of the army and ought to be because they have
not received enough to live upon It is very small us
crease upon tne the superior olcerS
The Communication price of the ration is twenty cents
This bill increases IL fifty per cent. ~.
1t is said by the honorable chairman of the Committee
Military Affairs that the double rations abuse
They have existed believe during the whole time of the
existence of the government and in my opinion there is
an eminent proprety in them The commandan of post
is bound to entertain and upon the frontier he is bound to
incur heavy additional expenses besides the of his
living and his raons it to me, ought not to
be reduced They certainly ought not to be reduced in
this way at the hazard of bill of much Importance
this. The amendment reported proposed that from
and after the passage of this act additional double
tons for command prohibited That is now to be
amended to allow everybody here who obtains double
rations TO retain them and strike them off from the
manders of your posts The only given that
the honorable from California is that there is an
abuse in the establishment of posts These officers cannet
establish posts 1t is the fault of the Secretary of War f
abuses exist do not know how it may be in California
Oregon but certainly in my State, which has very
extended frontier there is abuse in the establishment
these posts. 0..s +.
The other amendment cannot well understand II is
SEC. T. And be further enacted, That the words snon-
commissioned officers musicians and privates" in the first
section Of the act entitled can act to increase the pay the
rank and file of the army, and TO encourage enstments
approved August 1884, shall be construed include all
enlisted OF the army Of the United States.
Mr. WELLER. will explain that If the desires.
Before explain it, will correct statement of the honor
able from Texas in regard to the increase of the
pay Of the army He says have increased the pay
all the other officers of the government and let the army
alone In 1854 increased the pay Of privaes from eight
to twelve dollars month
Mr. RUSK. said we had not increased the pay of off,
GERS of the army.
Mr.. WELLER This is provision to increase the COM
pensaton OF officers OF the army In 1854 when passed
act increasing the pay Of the noncommissoned officers
and privaes of the army intended that it should
all enlisted men but construction given at the War
Department which excluded the ordnance They