Evening star., 1866-04-25
CONGRESSIONAL.


SENATE.-Iesterda after our report closed
The bill for the admission of Colorado was
taken up and discussed until the Senate ad-
Journ-G.
HoUsE.-Yesterday afternoon
The 18th section of the army BILL as passed
by the House, provides that hereafter no grad
uate of the United States Military Academy,
being al the time in the army of the United
States, or having been therein at any time for
three years Iext preceding, shall be eligible to
appointment as an officer in the subsistence de-
partment But tins provision shall not extend
to graduates of West Point now in the suhsisf-
ence department.
The House then took up for consideration the
2Oth section, Gin reference TO the Provost Mar
shals Bureau.)
Mr.. ConkIing, of N. ", moved TO strike out
this entire section. Its provisions, he said.
proposed TO fasten upon the public a hateful
instrument OF war in time of peace. He was
opposed to the perpetuaion of aa Office which,
In the past, had proven SO prolific of evil re-
suits. He had heard il stated. in support of the
introduction OF this section into the bill that il
mbodiPd the views of the Lieutenant General
commanding. To ascertain what foundation
there was for this statement a Senator had ad-
dressed note 10 General Grant on the subject.
which he would ask TO be lead, with the Gen
erals reply.
The Clerk read a letter of inquiry from Sem
ator Nesmith, OF Oregon, and also the follow
ing reply from Gen. Grant:
WASHINGTON. %. g., March Iq, lS66.-H0n j.
W. NeSBtith, L. y. ScHGf1r.-Dpar SIR: YOurs of
the l7th, stating that il had been intImated that
i had recommended the continuance of tue
Provost Marshal Generals Department and
the transfer of the recruiting service TO n, has
been received.
Some months since paper was referred TO
me, show ing the great number of deSertlOns
from the army, and asking for suggestions 20
put a stop TO them. To that paper I suggested
number Of changes IN orders governing the
recruiting service, and recommended thar the
whole matter be put in charge OF the Provost
Marshal General, who could de vote more time
and attention 10 ~ than the Adintant General
other 1 I'D
however, 10 multiplying bureaus. and / think
there IS no necessity Tor a Provost Marshal
General. In tact, if We had 10 organize the
army anew, / would not have as mauy bu-
reaus as we now have. In nv opinion the
country would be inst rs well aud much more
economically served If the Coast Su-vPyiug
duties were added TO The Engineers Bureau,
and the q luartermaster's, Subsistence, and Paw
Departments Were merged into one. 1 would
not recommend change now. however, but
would not make any increase OF bureaus.
Very truly, yours,
Us. GRANT. Lieut.. GenI
Mir; Conklng, resUming, said that the provost
marshal's bureau had always been an incubus
on the country, and reviewed and denounced
its operation in strong Terms.
Mr. Blaine OF Maine, Nindicated the bureau.
and SAID that there was more Pstimahl. Or
high minded officer in the service than its head
General Fry. He also ntimated that the oppo-
SIMON manifested toward the bureau uV the
gentleman from New York Mr. ConkIiugI had
lis rise IN some issues which had been raised
between that gentleman and General Fry, i'm
winch the gentleman from New York had not
come OIL first best He did not consider il very
chlvalrous IN the gentleman from New York
10 have reflected so severely upon an officer
whom he knew had no opportunity TO reply
here.
Mr.. Conkling replied that when he had to
learn the rules of propriety from the gentleman
from Maine, (he did not mean to speak pro-
fanely,) God help him! He declared that he
was perfectly responsible, here or else where
for whatever he might saw And as for the
statement that he had had anv personal issue
with General Fry, he wanted to say that il was
false. Mr.. Conkling repeated this with great
emphasis
Mr. Blaine called the gentleman to order.
DE ADDED that he did not understand what the
gentleman meant by avowing his RESPONSE
bllity :" here or elsewhere" In the days when
the seats on the other side were filled that
kind OF phrase was understood to mean a
duel. lLaughter.I He was willing that the
gentleman from New York should Ind1lye in
his cheap swagger.
After some further desultory discussion. Mr..
Stevens offered the following as a Substitute
ior INC twentieth section, and ii was agreed 10
by the House:
See 20. And be IL further enacted. Thar the
Provost Marshal's Burean shall be continued
only so long as, in the Judgment of the Sarre
tafy OF war, may be necessary TO close M the
business thereof; not exceeding, however, six
months after the passage of this act
The House then took up the twenty-firs
secllon, and after some slight amendment
adopted II.
The twenty-second section was then stricken
out and the twenty third section adootpd
when the House took recess until 30 O'Clock
ID. m.
AT the evening session, the Pacific railroad
bill was recommitted TO the committee and
few minutes later Mr.. Price, the chairman of
the committee, rose, and again announced that
he was authorized TO report from the commit
tee The bill to secure the speedy construction
OF the Paclhc railroad. &c.
Mr Washburne, of Ill, raised the point of
order that the gentleman from Iowa had no
rlgft 10 report bill as coming from the COM
mlttee TWO minutes after 1t had been recon-
mltteo, and when, in point Of fact, there had
been no meeting of the com mittee TO reconsider
the bill and proposed amendments
The Speaker oyerruled the point of order
on the ground that the House could not as
sumo that the committee had not given con.
ditlonal instructions TO its chairman, and that
the uniform practice of the House had been TO
consider the statement of a chairman that he
was authorized 70 speak for the committee as
sufficient.
Mr.. Price rose and said that he wanted the
House TO understand that when he stated thar
he spoke for a committee the statement must
not be doubled
Mr. Ross, of lll.-Mr. Speaker, L rise 70
point OF order, and that is that ssbrethren
(pointlng to the Republican side OF the House)
should dwell together in peace and unity.''
[Laughter1
The SpeaEer,-The Chair sustains that point
OF orcer fRenewed laughter.l Adjourned