The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-12-13
WASHINGTON. J
SUGAR DUTIES.

WASHINGTON, December l2.-T ( Com.
mitlee on WAYS and Means to-day adopted
resolution inviting the Secretary OF the
Treasury and other officials to appear Tues
day next with reference to the duties upon
sugar and appointed rs q sub: committee
Messrs. Gibson, Phelps and Garfield TO
collect information on the subject for
full committee. On the fnt day, after the
reassembling Of Congress, the committee
win hear al spetsOns concerned in the
THE WHEAT CROP.
The October returns to the Department
OF Agriculture do not materially change
the aspects OF the wheat crop as fore
shadowed by the monthly report OF the
condition. The December returns, In,
Guiding the estimated yield per acre, con!
firm and somewhat enlarge the previous
estimates. A computation from all the
returns shows the aggregate crop TO be
about 425, 900, 600 bushels. : 80" -"
ATTORNEY GENERAL OEvESs i, Ili!g
Il can now be stated positively that
there Is at least no present. probab bihtg Of
Attorney General Devens retiring from the
Cabinet. The President and other meme
bers OF the Cabinet consider It OF adyar-
taee to. the Government that no change,
shall occur at present, and while General
Devens hashad offered TO him the position
OF First Circuit Judgeship, he will defer
his own wishes in regard thereto and re-
main in his present office.
INVALID PENSION BILL.
TheIbf1li for thepay ment Of invalid and
other pensions for the next fiscal year as
4 passed the House to-day, apprepriates
S29, $3.50, 900, being $3.50, 900 less than the
amount estimated, and S., 500, 600 less than
the appropriation for the present fiscal
year. The bill contains the proviso that
any unexpended balances from the former
may be expended for a sim.
liar object in the present bill. The bill as
reported yesterdsy.was In accordance with
the estimates, bfit Il having been found
that there was an pnexpended balance,
the Committee on Appropriations accord.
ingly prepared substitute for that bill
making an apparent reduction, as above
noted. u.., i.a.;.,ia
iS uHisiBuRssrDE's AMY BILL. = 30, aSi'',., .,
The bill reported by the Joint Commit
tee on Reorganization OF the Army, pro-
yides that the general officers shall be re-
duced to two Major Generals and four
Brigadier Generals for permanent organi-
zation instead OF eleven, as at present, but
the reduction is tostake place by casual
ties that the offices: OF General and Lieut.
Generaishall cease 70 existwith the pres
ent incumbents; thatthe Adiutant Gener-
ais Department and the Inspector Gener-
al's Department be consolidated under one
head, viz: "sThe General Staff, " composed
OF one Brigadieri General; three Colonels,
six Lieutenant Colonels and eight Majors,
making total reduction OF six officers;
that the Quartermasters Department be |
OF one ,Brigadier General. two
Colonels, five Lieutenant Colonies and
eight Majors, in all sixteen. making |
a reduction OF fforty.eight officers; that the
Department sbe composed of
one Brigadier General, one Colonel, two
Lieutenant Colonies and five Majors, IN all
nine, officers, q reduction. OF seventeen
officers ,fthat the Medical Department be
composed OF one Brigadier General, six
Colonies, ten Ia. Colonies, iorty.eight Ma:
iors and one hundred and twenty Captains
and first lieutenants, in all 1877 officers,
making a reduction OF IL oficers; that the
Pay Department be composed Of one Brig
General, ! Colonel, lsLieuts Colonel and
25 Majors, in all % officers, making re-
duction OF q officers; that the Ordnance
Department be composed of brig! Gene.i
raj, 9 Colonies, Lieut.. Colonels and s
Majors, in all, 10 officers, making areduc.
ton OF 40 officers; that the Bureau Of
Military Justice be composed Of Colonel
and % Majors, in all 3 officers, reduction
OF 6 officers; that the Signal Service re-
main unchanged; that the Office OF Post
Chaplain be abolished, but one regimental
Chaplain be appointed for each cavalry
and infantry regiment, in all 50 ON
Gers. reduction OF 8; that the officers
OF the corps OF engineers remain unchang'
ed; that-the corps OF artillery shall con-
sist OF five regiments as at present, with q
reduction OF twelve in the number iof
officers; that the corps OF cavalry shall
consist OF eight regiments, instead OF ten
as at present; the corps OF infantry shall
consist Of eighteen regiments, insteat2f
TWENTY-FIVE rs at present with q redue doh |
Of l38 IN The number OF officers; that each
regiment OF the line shall consist OF four
battallions. three OF which are TO be Off
cefeQ uilu Hlhllueh, but hhV AOaA - -
main unofficered aud unnamed till es-
pecially, authorized BY Congress; that
three 6attaiions each of the regiments Of
cavalry shall be manned for the present;
that but two battalions OF each OF the reg
iments OF artillery and infantry shall be
manned for. the present; that company
officers be detailed for service IN the staff
department as nearly as possible in rota-
tion; that promotion shall be made by
seniority in the different corps and de-
partments, but that the appointments TO
the rank OF Major, the lowest established
grade in the staff Department (other than
tthe Medical Department., shall be made
from Captains and First Lieutenants OF
line in orderof merit and service in said de-
partment but such appointments In
the ordnance Department are TO- be made
only from the artillery; that when il be-
comes necessary to officer and man the
4th Battalion IN appointment OF officers.
shall be made by seniority in the separate
corps. and vacancies in the lowest grades
be filled BY West Point graduates and
meritorious soldiers; that the present
organization shall not exceed q. 900 en-
listed men exclusive Of signal soldiers, /,
Under thel bill f6r'the reorganization of
the army the number ol officers on the ex.
ecutiye fist will be reduced by SS3. ISIS,
f.xTJCAGO