The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-04-27
CONGRESSIONAL.
WASHINGTON, April 26,


Mr.. Sherman, chairman Of the Fl
nance committee in response to a reso-
luton OF instruction on the subject, re-
ported that the committee were unani-
mously of the opinion that no change
ought to be made in the rate of taxation
on distilled spirits.
Mr.. Wilson, from the Military COM
mittee, reported il substitute for the
House army bill. The substitute di-
reefs the President to reduce the mum
Der of enlisted men in the army to
TWENTY-FIVE thousand before July LIST,
1871, and authorizes him to honorabIy
discharge officers who apply therefor
before next October Such officers are to
receive extra pay and allowances for
two wears, one and halfyears or one
wear, according IL to terms. IT the ser
vice has been over ten or five, or under
five wears, officers who have served
thirty years may be retired, and the
limitation and number on retired lists
shall hereafter be three hundred officers.
If the General and Lieutenant General
be continued only until vacancies occur,
no appointment to Major General or
Brigadier General shall be made until
the number of officers in these grades
are reduced to three and six, respec-
lively. Vacancies occurringin the heads
of staff departments are to be filled
by officers having the rank and pay of
Colonel. The grade Of Regimental
Commissary is abolished.
The General of the Army, Com
manders of Departments and Chiefs OF
Staff of Departments shall, as soon as
practicable, forward to the Secretary of
War a list of officers deemed unfit for
the discharge of duty, and the Secretary
of War shall convene a board OF five
officers for their examination, and on
the recommendation of such board the
President may wholly retire any of said
officers so reported with one year pay.
The scheule of the pay Of officers is
the same as in Logans bill, except that
the total pay of Colonel is limited to
$4,000, Lieutenant-Colonel to $1,000,
and Major to $1,000; ten per centum Of
the current yearly pay of all the officers
is allowed for every term of five years,
but the total amount of such increase
must in no case exceed forty per cent of
the yearly pay. This is provided in
view of the longevity of rations here
tofore allowed for fuel, forage and quar-
tiers in kind as now allowed All con-
tinued officers on the retired list are to
receive seventy-tive per cent. of the
pay of the rank upon which they re-
tired; the pay and allowances Of enlisted
men is to remain as now fixed by law
until June 80, 1871; officers on the &C
tive list are prohibited from holding
civil offices.
Mr.. Anthony, from the committee
on Printing, reported with amendment
the bill to regulate the public printing
and discontinue the publication of books
and official documents.
Mr.. Wiley offered resolution di-
recting the committee on Education
and Labor to inquire ntothe expediency
of dividing the net proceeds Of the sales
of public lands among the several States
for educational purposes and otherwise
so providing by law that all people OF
the United States may have an oppor-
tunity of acquiring a common school
education, which was adopted:
After an executive session, the Senate
adjourned