Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-01-22
ANEW ARMY BILL.
Salient Features of the Bill to be Pro-
posed as a Substitute for Burnside's

Representative Atkins, with the coun-
sci, suggestion and cooperation of some
of the ablest officers of the army, has
prepared substitute to Burnside's bill,
which, although it has the same general
object as the Burnside bill, differs con-
siderably from the latter in it's methods
and details. It's principal provisions are
as follows: The army is to be reduced
to the desired strength not by summary
dismissals, or enforced retirement, but
by the slower operation, of natural laws.
Vacancies created by death, casualties
and designations are to be left untitled.
Regiments are to be consolidated as
their effective strength decreases and
the whole army line and staff alike al
lowed to gradually shrink to desired
numerical limits; the retired list instead
of being restricted as now to four humid
red, to be made as large as the neces-
sites Of the service may require, and all
officers without exception are to be
placed on that list as fast as they be-
come incapacitated for active duty, or
reach the age of sixty two. In the mean
time the supply of new officers from
West Points to be cut off. The bill
provides that the members of the. next
two classes graduating from that acad-
envy shall, # they SO desire, receive
$3.50 each upon completion of their
studies and be permitted to return to
their homes subject to recall at the ex-
piration of two years if their services are
required. The provisions of the bill
with regard to the reduction of the
number Of regiments in the army are
similar to those of the Burnside bill
The army, however, is placed under the
supreme control Of the secretary of war
subject only to the higher authority Of
the president as commander in chief
instead of being increased as by the
Burnside bill, is strictly limited to its
present bounds. The bill provides for
the adoption Of the battalion system of
regimental organization and makes a
change in the present rule of promotion
as regards first and second leutenants.
Lieutenants can now be advanced only
in regiments to which they are attach
ed, while captains and majors may be
promoted to higher ranks in other regi-
ments belonging to the same army
service. This difference the bill pro-
poses to abolish by giving leutenants
the same eligibility to promotion in
other regiments that the higher officers
enjoy. The general features proposed
as to the reorganization of the staff de-
partments are similar to those attached
to the army appropriation bill by the
house last session and subsequently
abandoned. The interchangeability Of
line and staff officers, which is a much
criticised feature of the Burnside bill, is
not included in this substitute. Other
changes of greater or less importance
are made in detail Of the army organ
ization but the above are the salient
features OF the proposed law. 1t is now
under consideration by the sub-com-
mitee on the army appropriation bill,
and it is believed the latter will recon-
mend to the full committee the adop-
ton of at least Its more important pro-
visions. If, however, it should not be
incorporated in that bill, it will shortly
be introduced by Atkins or Hewett, of
New York, on its own merits as a sub
stitute for the bill of Gen. Burnside and
Banning. S t.'#tts3