New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-03-04

VICTORIES, ike GnO00 Tor which Cn0y are pre-
pairing in Louisiana and Mississippi, may
that which sent the needless Early "whirl-
ing down the Valley."-New York Herald.
Banning the Army.
The following abstract of General Ban
uing's new Democratic army bill is frsm
the Chicago Inter Oceans Washington cor
respondent:
Mr.. Banning. chairman Of ths House
Committee ON Military Aft airs, has bill to
provide for the gradual reduction of the
army, and 10 consolidate its staff depart.
merts. The bill provides that the number
of cavalry regiments be reduced from ten
to eight, and the numbsr of infantry regi-
ments from TWENTY-FIVE to twenty three. and
the Secretary of War is instructed t., merge
the enlisted men Of two of the regiments
into o her regiments, and to assign the
commissioned officers to duty with other
regiments. The bill provides that there
shall be no further enlistment in the army
until the number of enlisted men shall have
been reduced to 10000, including Indian
scouts, anu exclusive Of the enlisted force
authorized for the Adjutsnt Generals office
and the signal service.
The bill abo!ishes the regimental Orgaui-
zation of the artillery, and establishes
corps Of artillery. to consist Of five bat
teries OF light artillery, sixty batteries OF
artillery, all with the organization now Pre-
vided by law; one chief of artillery, with
the rank OF brigadier general; four cOlOnels.
of whom two shall bo ex-officio inspectors
of artillery when assigned By the President;
ak lieutenant coloneL; twelve mai ,rs,
sixty captains; 100 first lieutenants: SIXTY
five second Heutenauts. The chief of artil
lery shall be selected from among the colo
neis of artillery, length of service. military
record and efficiency in view; ard the otfi-
GERS ether than the chief Of artillery shall
take rank in the corps according to the ex-
isting dates Of commissions IL the artillery
arm; the original vacancy in the grade Of
lieutenant colonel shall be flied BY &C.
niOrity.
The bill provides that no officer of the
corps of artillery below the rank Of major
shall hereafter be promoted to a higher
grade without having passed satisfactory
examination before board of three artil-
lery officers senior to him in rank and
should the officer fail at such examination
shall be re-eXamned, and upon a second
failure shall be, by the President, dropped
from the army.
The non-commissioned staff of the pres
ent regiments Of artillery shall be assigned
10 vacancies in the grade of first sergeant
as they may occur. The non-comm ssioned
staff, musicians aud trumpeters of the dis
continued regiments Of cavalry and in
fantry shall be assigned to other positions.
or otherwise disposed of, as the Secretary
Of War may direct. The grade of com
pany wagner in the artillery, infantry and
cavalry is abolished by this bill, and the
enlisted men now holding that position will
be classed as privates.
The bill provides that the general officer )
may select from the army and shall be
entitled to aids-de-camp, not to exceed as
follows:
The General, three; the Lieutenant Cen
eral, two; the M jr Generals, tw" each;
the Brigadier Generals, one each; Provid
ed, that the selection and assignment OF
an officer as an aid to the General or
Lieutenant General shall not carry rank,
pay. and allowances in excess of what may
be attached 20 the next grade above the
officers actual rank in the army; and no
aid to the General or Lieutenant General
shall receive higher rank, pay, and allow
| ances than that, respectively, of colonel and
! lieutenant colonel. The Mi n Generals
shall select their aids from the captains
of the army, and the Brigader Generals
| from the first lieutenants of the army.
| Aids shall be confined to actual service on
| the stsff of the respective Generals. See
| tions 1896, 1907, and 1898, Revised Statutes,
| relating to al Is -de-camp and tae military
secretary. are hereby repealed.
The bill provides that there shall be no
| new appointments and no promotions in the
! Bureau Of Military Justice. nor among the
| Judge advocates of the army. Any officer
| of the bureau, inclusive of the judge advo-
Gates, may, or application, be honorably
| discharged frcM the service, with one years
! paw proper for each aud every term of eight
| years service, and tr ive'ing expenses to his
| home. The quartermaster's and eubsist
| ence departments, as distinct branches of
the service. are abolished by the bill and
! merged into one organization, to be known
as the department OF supplies. to consist OF
| one chief with the rank of brigadier gen
| eral, six colonies, ten lieutenant colonels
! twenty four majors and forty-two captains
| Tue chiet of the department ef supplies
! shall be selected, length of service, military
| record and efficiency in view from the brig
adler generals Of the present quartermas
| ter's and Subsistence departments; and
| officers of lower grades shall take rank &C
| cOrding to their respective dates of commits
sion in the existing departments: Provided
| that the brlgadier general not selected At
| CHEZ shall be assigned as inspector of the
! department of supplies, and on the occnr.
renee of vacancy the grade and position
| shall not be filled. The two original vacan
| cies IN the grade of major shall be filled by
seniority. The lieutenant colopels and
! maj ,rs Of the department OF cup
plies may, by direction Of the Pres
| ident, and in addition to rhei1
duties proper. be assigned to duty as pay.
masters OK Otficic, when the demands of the
| service 20 require. All vacancies in the
| department OF supplies shall be filed from
the the first lieutenants Of the army. All
laws applicable to supplies and disburse
ments, including the bonds of officers, in so
far as now governing the quartermasier's
and subsistence departments, shall be con.
tinued for the government of the depart
| ment of supplies. The Secretary of Wa
ehsll prepare q system, of regulations 1Os
the said depaltm of supplies, the same
to be submlited to Congress for approval
in the meantime such regulations as may be
sanctioned by the Secretary of War shall
govern.
The medical department of the army, il
is provided by the new bill, shall hereafter
consist of one surgeon general, with the
| rank of colonel; two medical purveyors,
with the rank of lieutenant colonel, who
shall give bonds as now rquired by law,
| and shall, when not acting as purveyore, be
assignabIe to duty rs surgeons; i've sur.
ge ons, with the rank of lieutenant cOlOne,
to be appointed by seniority fro m the sur.
geone; forty surgeons, with the rank of ma.
jor; 1.t assistant surgeons, with the rank OF
| first lleutenante, mounted, for the first five
years service, aud with the rank oi
captain, mounted, after five years ser.
| VICE. The number of contract surgeons
from and after January /, 1877, shall be