New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-01

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: :ssss: 49, q & ,Sd l pss g, ~ "a
h hs tIs IN : 1Eish IS e 49, D that
sum. Tho bill provides for fouf peo1eeeos
ct $500 per annum each, and i've q $4,000.
II also provides for $40 cadets ct $50 cash,
In addition 70 rations, instead Of $500, q
ct present. A provioo doolayeo that the pay
appropriated shall be IN full Of AL other
pey, allowance. forage, rations or COM
mgsstion; except for quarters, fuel and
$ INSTRUCTORS Ct tho Academy shall
not receive moro than their regular army
pay. Mr.. Hamilton explained the extravar
gance now practiced, contending that the
pay of professors and instructors ct West
Point 10 swelled by allowances Of various
kinds, until their pay 10 greater than that
Of the Governor Of New jersey. He dwelt
upon the romantic beauty Of West Point a.
residence, and it's great desirability -
post Of duty. He could not understand
why officers serving ct that post should be
granted allowances NOT granted officers
serving on the frontier. He had brother
educated there, and he received only twcnty.
eight dollars per month. while the pending
bill allows the cadets forty.five. 1t 10 I'M
warranted extravaganza which has grown
out Of the prodigality Of the times, and the
majority in the House now propose to stop
it.
Mr.. Hurlbut, of Illinois, made a forcible
speech against the spirit in which the bill
was conceived. He said the Appropriation
Committee had undertaken to strike blow
ct West Point in q cowardly, laundering
manner. The bill shows they are profound
~ ignorant of the matter upon which they
ask the House to legislate. Three hundred
and ten cadets only are provided for, which
is below the number allowed, and below
the number At the academy in September
last. Tho ignorance of the committee is
further shown by the fact that no provision
whatever is made in the bill for the rations
of cadets, and the committee will have to
amend their own bill by inserting section
appropriatlng So, 900 for that purpose. Mr..
Hurlbut showed that the longevity pay and
allowances of officers is fixed by law, and
it would be unjust and breach of public
faith to order an officer to duty at West
Point and make him suffer in rank and
pay because of that detail. The su.
perintendent of the academy does not
receive the pay alleged by Mr.. Hamil-
ton. He has the rank of colonel, and the
pay of that rank lie the same ct West Point
and on the frontier. There is no such thing
as Communication of forage and quarters;
and here again ignorance is DISPLAYED by
the committee. Forage and quarters are
allowed only in kind aud can not be COM
muted. Mr.. Hurlbut contended that pay
of officers at West Point should be liberal
because it was necessarily an expensive
place to live. Military men from foreign
countries always visited the academy, and
the officers were obliged to show them cour.
tesies which involved personal expense,
and they are obliged always to be dressed
in uniform, and to show an example of
neatuess to the cadets. Mr.. Hurlbut's re-
marks caused considerable annoyance to
Randall, Holman and Hamilton, and the
expose made OF the blunders in the bill
caused some humiliation ON the Democratic
tide. Mr.. Hurlbut's remarks were greeted
by the Republicans with applause: After
Randall. Holman and Speaker
Kerr had conversation in which the fiasco
If the Appropriations Committee was the |
main topic. II is doubtful if Randall can
MUSTER his party to follow him in the sup
i've as the Military Academy bill.