The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-15


reductions being colonel, one lieutenant colonel
and two majors.
The reductions in the other staff departments are
Inspector General's-Three colonies and one lieu
tenant colonel.
Bureau of Military Justice-Four majors.
Quartermaster's Department-One colonel, two
lieutenant colonies. two majors and six captains
Subsistence Department-Two majors aud twocap-
tains.
Medical Corps-Two colonels four lieutenant coll
ones. ten majors fifteen captains and ten first he-
tenants.
Ordnance Corps-One colonel. two majors. four
captains and four first lieutenants.
order 20 limit the supply OF new oeers from rom
each member Ut the next two graduating classes shall
be at liberty If he so elect upon the completion OF
his studies to receive $3.50 and mileage TO his place
OF residence, with permission to remain there two
years. subject, however, the expiration OF that
tme to recall by the President in his services
are required.
The new measure next provides that in each rcg-
ment OF artillery cavalry and infantry there shall be
the same numbers aud grades OF officers IRE now
provided by law but the number of regiments shall
and the infantry to seventy and the President shall
have power ut any time hereafter to reduce the
Der OF companies in each regiment OF infantry to
eight, and to distribute these companies into two
battalions of four companies each aud to assign or
appoint major to each battalion, may assign
appoint an additional first lieutenant to each OF said
companies.
THE RETIRED LIST.
In order to bring about the reductions above in
Dictated it is proposed to repeal the existing iInita
ton of the number OF officers that may ut any one
time be upon the retired list. anu TO provide that
"every othcer who has been thirty years in service
may. upon his own application. be placed Oh the re-
tired list, and before the 1st of January, 1885,
every officer who shall have rendered forty years ser
vice officer who shall be sixty-two years OF
age. shall be retired; but the President may extend
the limit Of age to sixty Ave years in any an,
possess peculiar fitness for his position and soon
practicable the Secretary of War shall cause
reports to be made to him. showing that officers may
the ODipiOu their officers. be unfit for
the performance of military duty by reason OF any
sufficient causes and il any such officer, after being
for permission to appear before retiring
board he shall be retired; and in case OF
tired or Continued according to the recommends
ton of sNch retiring board If approved by the Pres
dent. Officers retired by reason OF wounds received
in action to be retired upon the highest rank
elusive OF brevet rank actually held by them III the
regular or volunteer service before retirement.
OTHER PROVISIONS.
Other important provisions follows:-
Any officer who, with the consent aud approval of
the President may voluntarily resign from the active
shall be discharged with three years full pay; but
this gratuity shall not be given to any officer who
may prior to the tender OF his resignation be under
trial or sentence by general court martial upon
charges or habitua intemperance OF crime amount
ing felony unless he shall subsequently be found
not guilty. or unless the proceedings OF the court
martial in his shall be set aside by the Presi
dent shall it be given to any officer until his
countabilty for public moneys and public property
is audited and closed.
MODIFIED INTERNATIONALLY.
Whenever the number of officers herein provided
for any staff corps department shall DO certified by
the chief of either OF the to be inadequate for
the performance OF it's duties the President may de-
ment, but officers detailed shall be Of the rank
below the lowest rank herein provided tor such
staff corps department, and such officers shall not
remain such detail for more than four years. and
while such duty shall have the rank, pay and
allowances Of mounted officers one grade higher
than that held by them in their respective
raAyifn
occur III any stan, corps or department, other than
the Engineers and Ordnance. shall be filled by selec-
ton from tho officers serving who have served by
detail therein If any there be, and If shall be
none then from the line OF the army, OF the rank
next below the lowest rank IN e.stan corps OF ae;
that officers who may be detailed to service in tho
pay department shall give bonas in the amount
Us is now required from paymasters.
DIscoNrINUANcE OF REGIMENTS.
The President shall, from time to tilne and in
such may be for the best interests OF the
service, discontinue such regiments and companies
by this act made excessive, and shall discharge
such enlisted men thereof as may be necessary, or
shall transfer to the OF other regiments Of
the of the service, and shall transfer the
officers OF the regiments and companies to
other regiments OF the same as rapidly as vacancies
in the retained regiments occur and may assign
supcrnumersry eutenalts, not exceeding to each
company, ana n,ay detail any supernunersry officers
TO other duties
Whenever the number OF officers in any grade of
any corps. department arm OF the army shall be
rcducea below the number liked by the foregoing re-
qurcnents, promotion or appointment to such grade
is to be resumed, and thereafter the promotion of
first aud second eutenants Of the line shall he made
lineally within each armartilieiy, cavalry and in
fantry-in the same manner as now provided tor the
promotion of captuins and majors.
is finally declared that nothing in this act shall
be held construed to require the involuntary dis
charge of any officer from the army"
PROSPECTIVE REDUCTIONS.
The prospective reductions Of the number of off,
GERS are as Iolows-
Cavalry ......................... SO
Artillery. ................. Do
lnfantry....... I'D
Total line. ......................... 3l7
In various staff departments. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 1Ok
Total reduction. 421
The general principle adopted by Mr.. Hewitt and
his colleagues the preparation of this bill to
make reduction ot about twenty per cent in the
number of officers. both line and staff. The max
imum of $4,000 for the rank and file Is left I'M
changed