Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-08-13
THE GRAND ARMY.
Points from Commander Burdette's Ad-
dress-t Flourishing Order.


In the annual address OF the command
erin chief of the Grand Army of the Re
public at San Francisco he reported a
large increase OF membership of the Grand
Army. On March 81, 1888, there were 30
departments, 502G posts and 269, 694 mem
bels; on March 81, 1856, the Official re-
turns showed 5765 posts and member
ship in good standing of 29j, 337-a net
gain of 739 posts and 25,643 comrades.
There were gathered in by muster
alone during the last year a new mem
bership of 60,663 The commander,
reviewing the suspensions of 2S,SOl in
the year 1884 54,292 in the year 1ss4-5,
and 81, l46 in the year 1856, remarked
that the rules ought to be mended; in the
first place so that comrades in arrears for
dues should not be summarily dropped,
but have warning and formal action and
he commended the prOprietv of instituting
Il retired list upon which the posts may
place their veteran members, relieving
them of the payment of dues and active
duty generally, but leaving them the right
of attendance at post meetings, of partlci-
pating i'll and enjoyment OF the honors
and benefits, the decision of all questions
relative to the standing of comrades.
The balance of cash on hand June 80.
1886, was S23, S64, the net receipts of the
year being 81 ,S5S The amount expended
IN charity for the year was Sl16,2IO, as re-
ported by the adjutant- general, but as re
ported by the inspector general 1916 posts
expended :205, ga, and there remained in
the relief fund $1,000 The number of
badges issued from national headquarters
during the year was &c, 1893. OF the IL
bronze guns obtained from the New York
arsenal in August, 1854, six, weighing
$3.50 pounds, are yet on hand. There is, III
addition, upward of 20U0 pounds of this
gun metal which has been reduced to the
form of pigs.
The commander announced an abstract
of decisions in 20 cases, among which may
be specially noted, as of general interest
No u, that there is no territorial limita
ton upon the power of the cOmmanderin-
chief to authorize the organization of
posts of the Grand Army of the Republic.
He may do so within Il foreign country
and attach them to any department with
in his jurisdiction. No. = that n soldier
in the Union army who had previously
borne arms in the service of the con
federacy while Il slave, is eligible for
membership, his act in that case having
been not his own, but his masters. No.
$, that it is not fraud for a comrade to
have enlisted under an assumed name.
If he received an honorable discharge he
is eligible No. IA, that an officer who
was, by order of the president, dishonOr-
ably dismissed from the army because OF
such order and was removed by subsequent
order, is eligible to membership in the
Grand Army of the Republic. No 10,
that "A special order of the president di-
recting that an officer who has been dis
honorably discharged shall, upon receipt
of a new commission from the governor of
his State, be again mustered into service
and mustered out with his regiment, cures
the disability resulting from the officers
dismissal, Notwithstanding the fact that
before the new commission arrived the
regiment was mustered out.