The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-11-13
HOUSE.

The army appropriation bill AS re-
ported from the Committee of the Whole,
Saturday, came up for consideration as
the regular order.
| The first amendment was that of Mr..
Scheicher striking out the clause pro
hibiting the recruiting of the army beyond
the number of enlisted men on the rolls
the Isl OF November. Concurred in.
The amendment of Mr.. CuIberson pro-
vidng that four cavalry regiments be re-
cruted to 100 men in each company, and
be employed in the defense OF the Mexi-
can and Indian frontiers OF Texas, pro-
yided nothing herein contained stall au-
thorize the recruiting beyond 10000
men, was concurred in. Years 1873; nays
l27.
The Republicans voted Solidly against
the amendment, joined by Messrs. Gid
dinings, Mills and Schleicher.
The amendment providing that staff
officers shall not be entitled to or receive
any additional pay, rank or allowances,
was rejected. Yeas 1913; nays l3l,
The negative vote WAS given by the
Republicans, backed by Messrs. Black.
burn, Carlisle, Cook, Harrison, Mills, Pot
ter, Willis and Randolph.
Mr.. Garfield sent to the clerks desk
and had read letter from the Secretary
OF War, defending himself from the
charges made against him in regard TO
recruiting soldiers since the army bill
was before the Committee on ApproprIs-
tions. The Secretary claims that the
enlistment OF recruits is expressly
authorized by law, and therefore it can
be carried on even in the absence of ap-
priations. Nevertheless be had lot
deemed it best TO continue recruiting after
the first of July, not for the want Of
authority, because be thought it mex
pedient to muster men into service when
there Was no money to pay them. An
order Asd beer accordingly issued TO
stop recruiting July ls.. Subsequently
an urgent sppesl came from Major Gen
eral Mcdowell, commanding the mill
tsry division of the Pacific, approved
and urged by the General of the army,
asking authority TO enlist recruits for the
cavalry regiments engaged IN thst de-
partmeut in carrying on the then exist
ing Indian war The Secretary yielded
to that appeal, and recruiting mas been
for short time allowed for that
purpose. The order for this recruiting
was not only lawful but urgent and
necessary. A refusal 10 make 1t under
the then existing circumstances would
hsve subjected the department to grave
Censure, especially as the smsllness of the
force engaged in the Indian war was the
occasion of the greatest delay in con-
quering peace and ct the desth of many
brave officers and men. This order for
recruiting had been countermsnded as
soon as the emergency seemed over, and
no enlistments nave been made since.
The impression that 5000 have been en-
listed recently was al entire mistake,
growing out of a misconstruction OF the
Adjutsnt. Generals telegram. A supple.
mebtary telegram from the Secretary
was also read, stating that the order TOR
enlistment WAS made, not by himself, but
by the General Of the Army, on the 5th
OF July.
Mr.. Banning, Chairman of the Com
mittee on Military Affairs, also sent to the
Clerks desk and bad read a telegram re-
ceived to-day from the Adjutsnt- -Gener-
al. stating that the recruiting returns
showed that 1923 men had been enlisted
since July let. The principal part of