Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-07-11
F0RTIETH CONGRESS.
This Afternoons Proceedings,
SATURDAY, July II

SATJRDAY, July II
SKHATH.-Mr. Wilson called up the bal re.
lafin4 TO the Frcedmen's Eureau, aud To pro-
Woe 1or its di sconnnuance.
sion.r shall rrmain IN office, unlcs- he dies o.
rsisns, a1o IN case Of necessity the Presideat
snail appoint another Commissioner on the
recommendation r Of the Secretary Of War, and
form the duties Of the ONCE uuless confirmed
by the senate. The pewer is conferred on the
Comms ioner TO discontinue, at his discretion
AFTER January next, the operations Of the Bureau
admitted to Congress.l
Mr.. Davis said the first part Of the bill was
oot suo.erfnge TO make another encro chment
ON, ON trs s sppolutns poSs. Of ne Pre'dent The
tne Pr dent to NIL vacancy which may oc.
cur during the recess. viii the party in Con-
eIess never panse; will IT never sop it aggrcs-
sionS on the President The whole object of
the bill is to continue the Bureau under the
ausp'c's Of the party until after the Presiden-
tiai erection. Mr.. ID. moved al amendm. MT,
tnat when vacancy occurs in the ONCE. the
sald oflice shall thereupon cease and determit
Mr. Conpess seid to pass such an ame nd.
ment would be prenium on the lie OF ths
I on miss oner.
,6 Messrs. ID wis, NJ Gre -ry, and Vickers In
the af1rn tive.
Mr.. Howard moved furth~r amend ueu-
that ell W 'c.uci2s OF 81 ant CO. n ;ssione-.,
the Secre eTy Of War on the nomination of the
Commits -ioner; which was adopted.
The bill was ,hen passed. 1t also provides
that II the CommissiouershIp becomes vacant
during the recess, the Acting As istaut Ad in.
taDt General of the Buren, shaiI act as Com.
missioner until the vacancy is fill d.
Inc special order, belng the Funding bill,
was then taken mp.
Mr.. Sherman said that there was a uniyersal
demand that the burden of the public debt
should re reducad. He did not believe there
was any power in the SS hes to tax the securi.
ties OF the General Government The Cove n.
ment had been in debt ever since its founda.
uon, and no one had ever advocated taxing
them until the Democratic party did it, The
courts had decided against il. There was also
no power in the General Government TO sp.
eifically tax its own securities. 1t was not
worth while to go over the ground again, as he
had iully argued it before.
Mr.. MorrIl, of Maine, by unanimous con-
sent, from the conference committee on the
legislative, executive and judicial appropria-
ton bill, made report; which was concurred
in.
Mr. Sumner then took the floor on the fund.
ing Dill, arguing at great length on the intimate
connection betwcea political reconstruction
and financial reconstruction.
House OF RKPEIsENTATIvKs.-Mr. Bout.
well, (Msss) from the Judiciary Committee
ported bill authorizing terms Of the United
States District Court to be held in Virginia as
ioiiows:-At Richmond, commencing with the
second tuesdays Of April and October, snd AT
Wetnervilie, commencing on the fourth Tues
lays Of April and October. Pas: d,
MI. Wilson, (lowa) from the same Commit.
tee, reported a bill to extend the proyisions of
the ACT Of July =, 1864, in restion to the juris-
dic. ON OF the Court Of Claims, to the State Of
The Hou.e resumed the consideration of the
Dill for the establishment Of the peace estab-
hshmeLt OF the army; the pending question
telrg upon the amendment tO rcduce the num-
Der OF Br :; dier q nerais 20 six, after March
Sd, To-, to be selected three DAYS before said
date, by the President of the United States
without regard 10 seniority Of commission.
Mr.. GARFIELD (Ohio) hoped the amendment
would not be adopts !, because some of our
brigaciers were an Ong the b"st aud most hon.
orable officels Of the array; and It would Be
reflf ct.on upon the military character of such
o6cers as were mu> ter our.
mr.. Butler lMa argued that il it was
really propoN d 10 r; tuce the army, ard if this
Whole th ng WIS not Ior political eject, the
reduction should comm nee with the officers of
rapk.
Pending iura raher consideration of this amend.
nf II, IN accordsuce WI the ur rders ard',y
was adopted as AMENDED last night, was recon.
sidered.
The question then reeurred upon Mr.. But.
iers amendreht, TO strike out sect oa Iour,
which prov ides that there shall be but four
Major GenersN, End 70 insert in lieu Of Il, tsa,
there shall be but three Major Geuera's q. 10 be
designated by ,hs G-neral of the army without
regard to seniority, and that all others shall h,
mustered out OF service by January LIST.
Mr. Pane (WIs.) moved to amend this by
providing that the number Of Major q neral.
shall be reduced to thr by March 3Ist 1869,
mustered out by the PIE ident ten days bs,ore
such st day OF March, the officers to be- ne.
lieved 10 be selected by lhe President without
regard 70 seniority.
The amendment WIS adopted, and the sec
ton as amended YVES then agrecd to, yeas, 70:
nays, ~.
The amendment relating to Brigsdi-rs was
Mr.. Butler (Mass.) moved to amend the 9Th
section, whicn reiales 70 Quarfermaster Gen.
eral, Adjutant General, Surgeon General &c.
and provide that 10 ofiicer of a rank Greater
either OF the above bureaus by adding pro-
vifo that the present Incumbents Of the o6ic-s
named may re'ain their positios at the rank
pay End emoluments Of Colonel.
MI. Garfield (0.) opposed the amendment ON
the ground that Its tendency was to put the
officers now holding these positions q grade
lower in the armay. Most Of these OH GERS OBJ.
tanned their positions through merit, and II
would be unfair 10 put them at lower grade.
and upon lower pay.
Mr.. Butler said the only difference between
himself and the Committee was that he wanted
TO make the reduction commence al once while
the COMMITTEE proposed that no vacancy
should occur until the Generals now hoidins
the positions die or resign. There were now
6Sl stan officers 10 2aVOv, and that was too
much.
The amendment was agreed 10, yeas, "a,
nays, 25.
Mr.. Butler moved to amend further by pro-
vlding that all staff officers of departments
shall be reduced one grade until the grade OF
captain Is reached. This will reduce brigadier
generals Of STATS to coonels, the latter to lieu.
tenant colonels, the later to majors, and the
latter TO captains.
This amendment was adopted.
Mr.. GARFIELD moved to amend by adding
new section, providing that after the passage
OF the act the stem officels shall be reduced IS
3Cllows :-Assisfant quartermaster generals of
rank OF colonel TO 5; d-puty quartermaster gem
erals OF rank Of lieutenant colonel 10 s; assis.
tant O quartermasters Of rank Of major to Il; and
e assistant Quartermasters Of rank Of Captain to
20; commissarles of subsistence Of rank of ma
Jor TO d; OF rank OF captain TO l2; assistant pay
master general OF rank Of colonel to 1; pay.
masters TO so; surgeons Of rank of major 10 20.
assistant surgeons of rank to rs; colonels on
duty in ordnance department to .: lieutenant
olonels 10 3; mrjors TO 2; captains TO -: firsi
lieutenants to IA: and second iieutenants to Is
ltwcs ordered that the amendment should be
considered by paragraphs. as they related to
the several departments of the service.
Mr. Butler moysd to amend by substituting
In lieu OF that reported by the committee, pro-
viding that the staf Of the above officers sballl
be reduced one.half those to be retained, to be
designated by the General OF the Army, and
the surplus Officers to be mustered out.
Mr.. Buffers substitute WIS agreed to, yeas,
SC; nays, 81. .s....y -.
Mr. GARFIELD meved an amendment that her.-
aftsr she Bureau Of Mlltlfy Justice, shall be
composed OF ore Judge Advocate General
with rank Of Colonel; one Assist mt with tae
rank Of Lieutenant Colonel; aud eight Judse
Advocstes Of the rank Of Major. Adopted.