, 1864-05-26

Senator Collamer the other day gave the
Senate a pleasant Illustration OF the dangers
Of cutting red tape. Senator Howe, Of Wis
consin, bad made an allnsIon to m army sur
geou who had misappropriaten hospital
fund. He said:-
"I have I'll indistinct recoleetion-some
Senators will tell me how far am right and
how fur I am nrong-that within few
months past surgeon connected With tho
army ofthe Potomac was tried before court
martial for the nnis.ppropriation OF what has
been known as the hospital fund. The fact
of The misappsopriation was abundautly ed
tablished, snd yet the judgment Of the court
was Judgment OF acquittal, because it was
the usage of the army, and had been SO long
the usage OF the Ermy that, notwithstanding
it Was violation Of Law, the surgeon ought
not TO be held guilty. have read such
story. and cannot tell now who the officer
WIS or just where the trial took place but
my convictions are 20 very. strong that this
hospital fund has been q demoraiizing agent,
and one of the greatest demofalidng a,yents
found in the army, betting whisky all hols
low, not saying who did it-my convictions
are SO yery strong on TINT point that / am
unwilling to tske any step taken toward nuF-
M. Coliamer then told the story in detail,
as follows:
"I presume, though do not know 1t, that
the Senator from W3bconsiu has reference to
the case Of q surgeon Of New Hampshire
regiment, DR.. Tbayer- am acquainted with
that cese, and think the Senator from New
Hampshire Will bear me out as to the facta
Of 1t, which am about to state- His regi-
ment was stationed mp the river, no very
great distance from here, believe year or
more since, md the surgeon had On his hands
some very sick men whom he wanted to get
of thegTound. They had fever, and he de-
aired to get come boards that he might make
board floor to his hospital tent, and also
make 1t secure agatnst the wind blowing in.
Tie Guartermaster could not furnish him
with the supplies necessary for this purpose.
He then went and purchased the boards, and
made floor and got his sick men otf tho
ground and saved their. lives When he got
through, he consulted with the brigade Sur
geon how he should manage to get his money
for the boards and nails and other things
used in doing that work. That officer said
he did not know any way Of doing It unless
by putting them down as diet for
the sick. rs milk, chickens. dc.
The doctor put In the amount as diet
for the sick, and rendered bis account IN
that way. 4 year afterwards his account was
looked up, and somebody. ascertained that
there were boards charged as dict Com
plaint was made Of the surgeon, and court
martial tried him It WAS shown by tha sur
geon who directed him to do go, and by the
medical director, that he had been told SO to
do, and he called half . dozen old surgeons
way they alwa:s did It; that when 1t came
TO q case OF absolute necessity the took they
money ont of the hospital fund IN that man
ner. The court acquitted the snrgeon; bat
10, end bcholdl the Secretary OF War and
thoso under him read over the record, and
at once Alsapproved OF the finding Of
the court, and discharged the sur
geon from the service. We have succeeded
since, through the President, in replacing
him. he Is an honorable gentleman in every
respect, above all possibility Of equiyocationn
about an5 5thing: Tho President was satisfied
account wu Ill right and straight, .nd though
It wes not kctualty diet for the sict, It was
that treatment Of them which saved their
uve4." - 5,