Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1878-07-11
THE ARMY.
The Army Appropriation Bill--Resume Of
Its Principal Features.

| sly oCAN1CO ACu.
Expenses of Adjutant General at head
quarters of military department, $4,000.
Apparatus and equipments for signal SER
vice, $10,5O
Pay of the army mileage and miscellane-
ous expenses, &11 $50, 289 1S.
Subsistence department., $2.3lo, 900 Qess
$500, 600 heretofore appropriated.
! Quartermaster's Department-fuel, forage,
etc.,-$3, $50, 600; incidental expenses, ST.
O0O, 900; purchase of horses, 5000, 600; trans
portation, $4,200,0OO; hire OF buildings. ex-
cluding quarters for officers, S8O,OOO, of
which 100000 is to be used for building
storehouses and offices at Omaha; hospitals,
$4,000; clothing and equippage, 5000, 900;
cemeteries, $780, and contingent expen-
ses, $4,000.
Medical department, $21O,OO0; Medical
History of the War, $3.50, ,29S 73.
Eng ineer depot at Willet's Point, $4,000.
Ordnance service, 100000; small arms
ammunition, $75.000; preserving and Clean
ing the ordnance stores, $25,000; repairing
ordnance stores, $25, 900; purchase and man.
ufacture of stores, $115,0 600; infantry, cav
ufacture of arms at armOries, $15, 600: trial
grounds at Sandy Hook, $12, 500; convert
ing ten-inch smoOth-bore guns into rifles,
$4,000.
For building new military post north or
east of the Black Hills, $500, 1000.
For new post near where Milk river
crosses the southern line of Montana, $780,
600.
Section 9. All registers hereafter shall
publish the lneal rank of every line officer,
separately for different corps, and record of
previous service, whether in the regular or
volunteer ranks or as volunteer officer.
Section 3. All appointments hereafter as
second lieutenant shall be filled by graduates,
if there are any unassigned (the military
academy bill forbids assignments except to
actual vacancies y if any vacancies still re-
main, non-commissioned officers, who have
been recommended and passed the required
examination, shall be appointed; but ii any
vacancies still remain, after these classes are
exhausted, civilians may be appointed.
Section provides that non-commissioned
officers, who have served two years and have
| received the recommendations of the CON-
pany and regimental commander, shall be
examined by board OF i've officers con-
| yened each year by the department CON-
| mander, shall be examined, and, if passed by
| the board, the names shall be forwarded to
the Secretary of War, June 1, each year.
Section 5 abolishes laundresses. to take
effect on the expiration Of the enlistments of
their husbands, if married.
Section requires all headquarters, except
that of Gen. Sherman, to be established at
points where there are government buildings,
except the Secretary of War shall direct
otherwise by IN order in writing
Section provides that the time any officer
has served as An enlisted man, regular or
volunteer, shall be allowed in computing lon-
gevity pay or for retirement 1t also fixes
the retired list at 400 instead of 300.
Section cuts off commutation for fuel to
officers, but provides that they may be furn-.
ished oak wood at s. cash per cord for actual
use, or fuel at its equivalent in oak wood.
Forage in kind may be issued for horses kept
and owned by officers on duty with troops in
the field or at posts west OF the Mississippi
river, fixes the allowance of horses for Gen.
Sherman at five and Gen. Sheridan four, in
stead of cash allowances of $50 per month as
before, and reduces the allowance for Major
Generals from five to three, and OF Brigadiers
from four to three under the above provis-
ions All other officers are allowed the same
as before.
Section 8 fixes the communication of quarters
for Gen. Sherman at 1926 per month instead
of $500 as before, and of Gen. Sheridan at
$50 instead of $1O6; and for all other officers
WUcJC tuCIC 0AO Nv POOAA~ 4NsA SNA03 Nv Wv
per room instead of $18 as before.
Section 10 provides that the whole question
of army reform and reorganization shall be
referred to Joint committee of three Sena.
tors and five Representatives, to be designated
by the Vice President and Speaker, with
power to send for persons and papers, en-
ploy clerk and stenographer and cit during
the recess. If requested the Secretary OF
war may detail one or more officers to act as
secretaries.
Section II specifies the line of inquiry by
the Joint committee provided by section ~.
To examine as to the number and pay of OIL
GERS and men, proportion of the several arms.
rank. nav and duties of the staff corps, and
If reduction in numbers or pay, by consolida-
ton or otherwise, can be done consistently
with the interests of the service. p'
Section 10 directs the joint committee 70
report to Congress by January l, 1879. and
to sit when and where they may elect.
Section 13 directs promotion to cease IN
each grade, in staff or line, from the passage
of the act, and no further promotion or ap-
pointment shall be made to fill any vacancy
which may occur until the joint commission
has made its report and Congress has taken
action thereon; provided, that this limitation
shall not apply to the line OF the army below
the rank of captain.
!, Section IA provides for another joint conf