The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-11
THE REORGANIZATION or THE ARMY.
The Main Features Of the New Army Bill
That VIII re Reported to Congress.
Cincinnati Ennulrer.


WASHINGTON. Dec T. Tho special Joint
committee Of Congress appointed ut the last
session to prepare and report n bill FOR the re-
| organization of the army, had n meeting to-
day to put the finishing touches to the report
and to prepare ii for presentation to tho
House and Senate on Monday. The commit
toe held session of some length Mt White
Sulphur Springs last summer, when one of
the first things they agreed to do was TO keep
their deliberations as secret as possible
until they should formulate something
upon which they could be unanimous.
They issued series of questions to prominent
army officers. to which they received replies
which were considered a few weeks ago ut a
meeting in New York. and subsequently, In
this city. The result Of these labors Is a
voluminOus document, tho first features Of
which Is n codilication of all laws relating to
the army into one act The main features
kept in view in the plan OF reorganization are
the disposition and use of the army in Tina Of
peace as a frontier and Indian police: and.
second. its disposition as n nucleus of often
sivr and defensive force for foreign war
While the document itself will not he made
public until after its presentation to Con
features Tho number of rank and file is
limited to 20,on0 men, exclusive of
the Signal Corps; the systrm of organ
ization of the artillery branch IS changed
from regimCntaI formation to batteries
or companies, the artillery II consolidated
generals and rommissary generals stats are
consolidated under the control Of the quarter
masters department, and the staff corps as n
distinctive branch Of the service Is abolished
The engineer and medical corps retain their
present distinctive organization. the adiu-
tant generals. Quartermastcr generals. in
spector-g generals and aymaster-gcneral's
staff are done away with, and the system Of
interchangeahlity of line and stan officers
substituted similar to the European system
Of organization. tho object being to give all
officers of the army an opportunity OF perfect
ing themselves in a practical knowledge OF
the several branches of the service. In order
to reduce the number of officers II is provided
that there shall he no more promotions or ap-
pointments until the number Of generals and
line officers Is reduced to a certain number.
The oflcea of general and lieutenant general
will cease with the deccase of the present in
cumhents. The number OF major generals and
hrigatier generals is to he reduced to the lowest
point No change is made in the West Point
Military Academy, and the general proviSi ons
of the bill look to the elimination eventually
of all officers of the army who have not re-
ceiyed thorough military education. The
work of surveys and triangulations Is to be
exclusively under the control of the army.
The army regulations, which have not been
revised since 1863, are TO be thoroughly ex-
amined and a new series adopted. to become
a part of the eventual work of reorganiza-
ton An important feature Of the bill is the
adjustment of the staff as u distinctive
corps Of the army and the intcrchangaahlity
of the line and staff for offices in the several
departments, excepting the engineer corps.
Better provision is to be made for the educa-
ton of the cavalry branch of the service, Civ
ing il equality In this respect with the ord
nance and artillery branch. and additional
means will be secured for training officers in
the higher branches Of their profession. Tn
der provisions Of the law Attorney General
Townsend and Quartermaster General Meigs
are to be retired and their places filled from
the line.