New-York daily tribune., 1858-02-17

The Army Bill passed its most difficult crisis in
the Senate ON Thursday last. BY the vote of that
day, so far as that could do it, the Army was per-
maneDtly enlarged by the addition of thirty compa-
uies of seventy -four men and three officers each,
beside surgeons and other supernu neraries. The
debate on the enlargement long and exhaustive,
and tie measure finally prevailed by q majority Of
one. The vote was on motion to strike out the
first section of the BILL and the Yeas and Nays were
as follows:
YEAsss Bel Chs1ds o@.%r G,eHdsn T, Hon psSn
sumIer TOcmb' IIumsul Wade and wiI.9n.a5 son.
1H h:y's SSs: Sfi
sGss sY 5 Gs os us Sn ho:o MS M aos sd Sss
1t will be seen that all the Republicans present
but Mr. Seward voted together, along with Messrs.
Bell, Crittenden, Tcombs, Pugh, Houston, Gwin,
Pearce and johnson Of Tennessee. Mr.. Stewards
vote turned the scale. This is the most important
division in tho Sonata since the beginning Of this
Session, aud we deeply lament the tendencies it
discloses. To mere temporary increase of tho
Army we do not object, if the public exgency re-
quires it. But this increase il totally different
thing, and is intended to be totally different thing
1t is designed to be permanent and not tempo
rary enlargement Of the Standing Army. The
amendment which afterward prevailed, that the
increase should he limited to two years, is sham,
ard was intended rs such. 1t will prove inoper-
ative from the very nature of the case. These
thirty companies will he raised and Oficered BY
ninety place-seebers, whose importantly has no
doubt done much to secure this addition. In pro-
cess of service vacancies will occur, and they will
be supplied in the regular order of seniority from
other companies of the line. In this way, when
the term of two years shall expire the thirty COM
panies will be found to be- to considerable extent,
offcered from the previous Army When the
proposition comes for the retiring Of the new CON-
panies, it will be argued that if We disband them
We mutt discharge large number of regular Off
GERS. and this will be condemned and rejected as
unjust. Thus the addition will prove to be perma-
nent and remediable.
fact to which We feel it to be our duty to call
espe cal attention is that this need not have been
So and would not have been co. but for Mr..
Stewards vote. 1t is vote which he dOubtleis
justifes to his own sense Of propriety but for
which we cannot account on any other ground than
that he favors strong and growing standing army.
1t is extraordinary that while a large number of
gentlemen from the Administration side of the
chamber could not swallow the proposition of .
permanent enlargement q man holding Mr.
Stewards position should advocate it, especially
considering the state of things in Kansas. We SUBJ
NIT that it is being something more than an - In
dependent to throw such a vote on such occa-
sion.
fit were question between voting for this per.
manent addition to the Army, and not voting for
any increase at al, man might, in view OF his
conviction that larger force was necessary for the
temporary necessities Of the country, be excused
for giving dangerous vote But it is quite other.
wise with this case. Tne bill of the War Commit
tee provided in the FIRST section for the addition of
thirty companies to the existing regiments. This
ADDITION would give an increased force of about
twenty two hundred men. The second section
provided that the existing 100 companies Of the
Army should be increased by % men each. This
would add over 1900 men to the present force.
The Senate declined to take both sections. Mr..
Hunter Of Virginia, the Chairman Of the Commit
tee of Finance and leader Of the Administration
in the Senate proposed to sdoptthe second section,
and drop the first. But this did not answer the
Amy men and the place seekers. They preferred
70 take the first section, because though it gave
lever men, IT gave ninety additional officers The
hrs' section was accordingly passed, and the second
s'neAen out. Nothing can be palmer than that it
was the clause providing for nirety officers that
carried the thirty companies, adding only 1900
men to the Army while the second section, which
would have given double the number of men, but
no additional officers, was voluntarily abandoned.
If it had been merely an additional force that wa,
wanted, the repudiated second section would have
given it; and when the recessity Of the time had
passed, the number in the companies could have
been reduced to the old standard Tbi. pl.n IRA.
perfectly simple and feasible, and therefore it seems
plain that the vote Of Thursday, which we have