Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-11-16

Inc army Dill came up Tor CCnSlutlltlOh II
the House last week and the discussion showed
plainly that the Democratic party has lost none
of that dislike for the United States army which
it has felt since the war An attempt was made
to reduce Che force to 5000 men, but the
amendment failed through the votes of the
Texas delegation. who afterward showed.
however that their action in the matter was
purely selfish one. On Monday the bill passed
with n provision restricting the force TO 20
900 men and providing that four regiments of
cavalry shall always be stationed upon the
Rio Grande, and refusing TO adopt the i'm
portant amendment recommended by Gen.
Sherman decreeing that officers when
signed to staff duty shall receive no higher
rank or pay than their hneal rank or pay
Having obtained the insertion of the clause
requiring tour regiments of cavalry to be re
cruited to the maximum numb and ordered
to the Texas frontier. The T Nas members
permittedthemselyss to be driven against tn sir
own judgment rs expressed in their speeches
on the floor last week to support a clause re
ducing the measure Of protection due those re
siding on the Northwestern frontier whose
claims are as good ao those on tn Mexican
and Indian frontiers Of I Xss. The Senate is
pretty certain to make some sweeping changes
in the bill, among which will probably be the
striking out of thH limitation clause. which
was inserted in direct opposition to the advice
of Gen. Sherman, who told tn committee it
would BE better to dsband the army than to
make an appropriation for it on basis of 20,
600 men. II probable that the clause re
| quiring certain number of troops to be re
tanned on the Texas border will also be stricl-
en- out, upon the ground that it is in conflict
| with the Constitution. which makes the Presi-
dent commander-in-c chief of the army and
navy. and who cannot divide his responsibility
as such with the Legislative branch of the gov
eminent There will undoubtedly be a long
and stubborn controversy over the differences
that will occur between the two houses when
the bill reaches a conference committee In
the meantime the officers of the army will be
compelled to pay Il Large percentage to have
money advanced on their pay-rolls, in order
to support themselves and families. During
Saturdays debate on the bin m amendment
which was offered prohibiting the presence OF
troops in any State unless called for by the
Governor or the Legislature, met with strong
opposition from the Southern members, who
urged that the President has shown his conf
dence in the Southern people by Withdrawing
troops, and that it would be poor return OF
their part TO support such measure, aiming
as il did, at him personally. The amendment
was lost by vote of l37 against rs.
The Senate confirmed the nomination o
John Welsh TO BE- Minister to England with
out opposition. On Monday yea and IA,
vote was taken in that body on the confr1na
ton of John l.. Stevens Of Maine rs United
States Minister TO Norway and Sweden, Tn
two Hepubhcan senators from Minnesota op
pos.l his confirmation because they did no
wan. the present minister, c. c. Andrews of thoi
Stat, removed. but only four senators vote,
with them in the negative On the same da
d. W. Voorhees, was sworn in as Senator iron
Indiana to fill the vacancy caused by the dealt
of O. 2. Morton. 1t is now thought at Wash
) ington that the silver bill will not be brough
) up in the Senate until after the holiday re
cess.
On Tuesday the House passed the navy de
p ticiency bill. The estimat We're all for a spe
cific purpose, but the Democrats could not re
frain from bringing party politics into the dis
cussion and from reviving the stale stories Q
scandal connected with the Navy Department
under RObesous administration.