Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-03-15
XxXIxTH CONGRESS,
The Reconstruction Question.
MILITARY PEACE ESTABLISHMENT
Amendment of the Habeas Corpus Act.
THE EIGHT HOUR SYSTEM.
The Paris Exposition.
WASHINGTON, March II.

-, ADAMS EXPRESS COMPANY.
MIR. Morgan presented the petition of Adams EY
press Company, asking for the renewal of certain
legal tender notes destroyed by fire. Referred to the
| committee on Claims.
dhe House joint resolution for the relief of the
fGerers by the late explosion at the arsenal in the
District of Colunbi apprOpriating therefore 500
was reported by Mr.. Morrill,, from the Committee on
| the District Of Columbia, and was by unanimous
| consent read three times and passed.
NAVY DEPARTMENT..
Mr. Grimes. from the Committee on Naval Affairs,
reported fayorably the bill to establish Bureau of
| Hydrography in the Navy Department
- RECONSTRUCTION.
Mr.. Davis offered resolution nstructing the Com
inttee on Reconstruction to take the testimony of
the Senators and Representatives from the late rebel
| States and such reasonable number of persons as
they may indicate, the condition of affairs in said
States. Laid over, objections being made
MILITARY PEACE EsTABL IsHMENT.
The special order being the bill to increase and fix
the military establishment of the United States
was then taken up.
Mr. McDougaIl offered an amendment. striking ont
the PROVISION Tor eight regiments of coored troops
He said he did not pretend to be gifted by God as the
Senator from Ohio (Mr. Wade) nor to be chained to
the throne of the Almighty, but the people of his
country were able to take of themselves, and
did not want the assistance of an infirm race The
profession of arms an honorable one and in his
opinion should not be conceded to those so low in the
scale OF humanity. He demanded the yeas and nays
on his amendment.
The call for the yeas and nays was not sustained
and the amendment was disagreed to-
G MI Grimes ri % offered an amendment providing that
erininately from all the officers of the army
Mr. Harris said he was opposed to this amendment.
as 1t would force officers who did not wish to COM
mand colOred troops to leave the service.
Mr. Grimes said that was his object. If there were
any officers receiving the pay of the Government who
were unwilling to command its colored soldiers they
ought to leave the service; they not fit to stay
in it.
The amendment was then agreed to.
Mr.. Sherman offered an amendment as an addi-
tOnal section, that for the purpose of increasing
knowledge OF military science among the youths of
the country the President may upon the application
| of an established college having hundred and
fifty students, detail an officer Of the army to give in
structiOns in military tactics the number of officers
so detailed at any one time not tOeXceed twenty.
Mr.. Grimes offered an amendment that the officer
SO detailed shall act as professor in any such nstitu
The amendment as amended was agreed TO-
Mr.. Wilson offered an amendment as an additional
section, fixing the rate of mileage to officers travel
ing upon public duty at ten cents perl mile, which was
Mr.. Hendricks offered an amendment, that selec-
tons for vacancies in the ten regiments of the in
tantry arm, shall be made from among officers of the
Veteran Reserve Corps, and advocated its adoption
as due to men who, though wounded and mai med in
the service OF the Government, were yet able to do
more service.
Mr. Fessenden said the Veteran Reserve Corps had
been organized for temporary service, and so long
as they useful to the Government, it was very
we'll to keen UP the organization The facts are that
/ a large number of wounded officers never entered
into this Corps and many of those who in it,
covered long since from their Wounds and Tor two
years had light service and full pay and they nov
come forward and ask to be regarded a faYorite
| branch. In his opinion more impudent ana selnsn
|
had come to his knowledge where officers had entered
into this Corps, and without seeing any service had
1 been rapidly promoted.
communication had been sent to him, and he
supposed to the other Senators from the officers of
this corps, in which they styled themselves the Old
Guard - in imitation of NauOleon's 0lI G.arl #
had always been his impression that the 0Id nar5,S
| was composed of hearty vigorous men, who did the
! hardest fighting and led fOrorn hopes and not of
| those who did comparatively service and received
the best pay, Il willing for these officers 10 be
placed on the, same footing as their wounded com
rades who had never belonged to the corps, but not
! to give them any advantage.
| Mr. mt,SCcn read from letters of Generals Meade.
| Sherman and Thomas mat it was much better and
cheaper provide for the Veteran Reserve corps by
PENSIONS and explained that the opinion of these
Generals influenced the Military Committee in strik
ing out the provision in the original bll relating to
| Mr.. Hendricks modified his amendment so that
the officers of the regiments shall be selected from
/ wounded in discharged from the service by
/ of wounds, and who may be capable of performing
provided for, and not be compelled to depend upon
the uncertainty of being appointed to civil offices,
which had been suggested by some Senators as the
| proper way 3t providing for them.
The amendment was not agreed 10.
| Mr.. Wade offered amendment that two of the
! regiments of cavalry shall be composed of coiored
( troops. He had understood that the coored troops
| had performed very efficient cavalry service
| Mr.. Wilson could see no objection to the amend
| ment 1t would be matter Of economy TO the Gov
er1ment, as the desertlOns the frontier would be
! far less frequent
I The amendment was agreed to.
number of other amendments were offered and
agreed to. when the bill read three times and
| passed by yeas and nays as follows:
IeaS-Messrs. Anthony, Buckalew, Chandler. Con-
ness, Cragin, Fessenden, Foster, Guthrie Johnson
| Lane of Indiana, Lane of Kansas Morgan, Morrill,
Nesmith. Norton, Poland Pomeroy, Ramsey. Sher-
| man. Spraguo, Stockton. Sumner, lrumbull, Van
| Winkle, Wade, Williams and Wilson-27.
Nays5,Messrs. Davis, Grimes, Harris, kirkwood
So the bill was passed.
The bill, with the addition of the amendments no.
ted above as having passed. is substantially fol-
1t fixes the peace establishment as follows Five
regiments of artillery, twelve of cavalry, fifty of in
tantry cadets, &c. The five regiments of artillery
are now organized, but the organization of the first
second, third and fourth shall be like that of the fifth
the adjutants quartermasters. and commissaries,
hereafter to be extra first lieutenants To the six
cavalry regiments existing there shall be six
troops the first and second lieutenants, and two
thirds of the higher officers, to be selected from the
officers and soldiers of the volunteer force. and the
other third from the regular army. Four companies
of each regiment may be drilled infantry at the
discretion of the President. The fifty regiments of
infantry are thus made up: Ten regiments now or
ganlZed OF ten companies each; the remaining nine
each with three battaliOns of eight regiments, are
made twentyseven, by adding two companies to each
oatta!l0n hve additional regiments OF ten companies
and eight regiments OF coored troops to be oticered
by otcers OF coored troops who have distinguished
themselves IN the field.
1t requires the distribution of officers among the
States In proportion to the troops furnished during
| the Each regiment shall have one colonel one
lieutenant colonel major, one regimental commits
sary one adJutant, one regImental qUartermaster,
ten captains, ten first and ten second leuenanS one
sergeant major, one quarernaSter sergeant. hos
plal steward, one commissary sergeant. two princi
pal musicians. Each company, captain, first
and one second lieutenant, first sergeant, four
sergeantS, eight corporals, two musicians, wag
oner, and fifty prlvates.
1t provides an ordnance sergeant and hospital stew
ard for each military post and authorizes the Presi
dent to appoint superintendent of national ceme-
teres established to be established, with the rank
and pay OF ordnance sergeant to be selected from
non. commissioned officers. Enlistments shall be for
| five years.
1t provides one lieutenant general, five major and
The adjutant generals shall have the rank and pay
Of brgader two assistants, colonies of cavalry four
assistants lieutenant colonels and thirteen assisants
majors. -Four inspectors and eight assistants shall
have respectively the rank and pay of colonels and
lieutenant colonies of cavalry.
The judge advocate general to rank as brigadier
| the assistant to rank colonel of cavalry.
Ihe number OF military storekeepers Is to be six
teen, with rank and pay of captains of cavalry.
The quartermasters department shall have one
general three chief assistants. four assistants eight
| deputies, ana sixteen quaFtermasterS, grading as
above, and in addition torty-eight more quarter
masters, ranking as captains
aThe commssary general shall have two assistants
ranking cOlonels two lieutenant colones eight
cofnmlssarieS as majors and sixteen captains
Surgeons seventy five, majors assistants one hun
dred and dfty, first eutenantS for three years, then
captains.
| deputies, sixty paymasters.
Inc chet engineer shall have six cOlonels, twelve
! lieutenant colonies, twenty-six majors thirty cap
tains, twentysx first, and ten second lieutenants.
The President is authorized to employ in the terri
torres force of 1000 mounted Indians to act as cav
airy scouts, andreceve the same pay to be employed
only when required.
Mr.. Trumbull from the Committee on the Judi
dietary, to whom referred the civil rights bill
with the House amendments, reported that the com
| mIttee had agreed to the House amendments, and
asked the immediate consideration of the bill for
| the purpose OF concurring therein. Laid over.
On motion of Mr.. Grimes the Senate went into
executive session. and at its conclusion, adjourned
| HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
COURT or CLAIMS
| Mr.. Wilson, of Iowa. from the Committee ON the
Judiciary. reported Senate bill to amend the act es
tabishlng the Court of Claims, which was passed
| without debate.
Mr.. Spalding, of Ohio. lose to personal explaua-
ton, and said that he found that the Globe reported
| the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr Stevens as
| stating that resolution introduced by him (Mr
Spaldng) relating to the taxation of United States
| nothing else. He desired to say that there was
nothing farther from his intention than to iniure be
| credit of the Government which he regarded as the
| apple of his eye. He introduced the resolution IN
remedy what was looked upon in Ohio as defect in
] the Internal Revenue law of last Congress
| Mr.. Stevens, of Penn. said that at the time he
| made that remark he did not exactly understand
| the purpose OF the gentleman's resolution He had
| no desire to lmpute to him any motives looking to
| reputation.
HABEAs CORPUS
| The House then resumed as the unfinished busi-
OF the morning hour OF yesterday House bill to
pus and judicial proceedings in certain cases. an
| I doc,