Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-22

The Senate committee on naval affairs yester-
day directed a favorable report to be made upon
Mr. McPherson's bill TO reorganze the marine
corps. The title of the measure is "a bill to es-
tabiish and equalze the grades and regulate ap-
pointments in the marine corps" and ii provides
as follows: That the active list of line officers
of the corps snail be divided into seven grades
taking rank according TO the date of their COM
missions i'm each grade as follows namely: First
orgadier general commandaut: second. colonel:
tnird, lieutenant colonel; fourth. major; hfth.
captain: sixth first lieutenant; seventh second
lieutenant. That the number Of officers
allowed TO each grade shall not
exceed one brigadier general. commandant
three colonies, three lieutenant colonies. six
majors, twenty-five captains. twenty-five first
ileutenants, and twenty-five second lieutenants:
Irocated. That the commissions of officers now
In the Marine Corps shall not he vacated 10y this
act That the adjUtant and inspector. the pay
master. and the quartermaster of the Marine
corps after thirty years service shall have the
rank of lieutenant colonel. and after forty
years service the rank of colonel, and assistant
quartermasters after twenty years service. ten
OF which shall have been in the quartermasters
department of said corps. shall have the rank of
MAJOR That the senior marine officer of a feet
or squadron. denominated fleet marine officer.
sLai nave, when serving such, the temporary
rank ard pay of the next higher grade.
mat appointments to fill vacancies in the grade
by the President, in equal proportions, near
as may De. rom such graduates of the Military
Academy and the Naval Academy as NAV so
elect. and by selection from such meritorious
hoh-comnlssloned officers of said corps as may.
upon examination before board of marine Off
GERS appointed by the Secretary of the NAVY De
found qualified That hereafter when vacancy
occurs in the office of commandment of th,. Marine
corps such vacancy shall be filed by appunt-
ment, by selection from the line officers on the
tuA .,,,I
upwards as commissioned officers i'm said CORPS
That all vacancies in the grades of colonel lieu
tenant colonel. major. captain and first lieuten-
ant in the line OF the Marine corps shall be filed
by promotion of line officers on the active list of
said corps according to seniority That appoint
ments to Ill vacancies in the offices of adiutant
and inspector and of paymaster OF the Marine
corps Shall be made by selection from the line
officers on the active list who have served
| twenty years and upwards as commits
| stoned officers in said corps. va
| cancy occurring in the Office of quarter
master of the Marine corps shall here
after be filled by promotion from the assistant
quartermasters on the active list according to
seniority. and appointments to I'LL vacancies in
the office as assistant quarternastcr shall be
made by selection from the line officers on the
active list who have served fifteen wears That
no officer shall be promoted to higher grade
on the active list OF the marine corps except i'm
the case provided in section 1894 of the Revised
Statutes, until he has been examined by board
selected from the medical corps of the navy and
pronounced physically qualified to perform all
his duties at sea. That no officer below the
grade of major shall be promoted to higher
grade on the active list of the corps until his fit
ness to perform all his duties both at sea and on
shore, has been established TO the satisfaction of
board OF examining officers appointed by the
President: Prorided. That any officer of the ma
rlne corps on the active list below the grade IF
MAJOR who. upon examination for promotion, is
not found professionally qualified. Shall be sus-
pended from promotion for one year. with cor
responding loss of date. when he shall be re -ex-
amined. and in case of his failure upon sucn Ie-
examination he shall be dropped ftom the ser
vice. And prorided further. That any officer of
said corps who. upon examination for promo
ton, is not found morally qualified shall be
dropped from the service.