Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-04-21
THE ARMY BILL.

LII alsu4 L bAi%iA'
! The House of Representatives ye5ter
day passed as an emergency war meas'
ure the bill empowering the President
to call out the volunteer forces of the
country and providing for their organi
zaton. Both the President and Score
tary Alger urged the passage OF the
bill. The bill is permanent in its char
acter. The principal change made by
the House OF Representatives was tc
vest the appointment of all regimenta.
officers in the Governors of the several
States instead of in the President, as
recommended by the War Department
The original bill was amended as fol-
lows: Authorizing the President to raise
volunteers when Congress shall have
authorized him to do so, or when be
has been authorized "to call into the
actual service of the United States the
militia of the several States;" to
provide that the Governors of the
States, instead of the President, might
appoint officers of the regular army in
the grades of field officers in the volun.
teer army, such appointments to de.
pend upon the consent of the Pre- sident;
providing for chaplain for each regi.
ment; providing that regimental and
all other medical officars should keep
daily records OF all officers or men sick
or wounded.
During the debate General Walker
Republican, of Virginia) made the
statement that his experience in the
+ Confederate army had taught MIN that
an army that elected it's own officers
was wholly inefficient. He declared
that ell men were not brave. While all
men would fight if properly disciplined
and led, many could not be counted
upon in the hour of danger when in
efficiently differed.
Under the bills provisions, in time Of
war the army is to consist of two
branches, the regular and the volun-
teer army, the latter to be maintained
only during the existence of war or
while war is imminent, and to be raised
and organized only after Congress au-
taorizes it. All enlistments for the
volunteer army are to be for three
years, unless sooner terminated. All
the regimental and company officers of
the volunteer army are to be appointed
by the President, upon the recommen-
dations of the Governors of the States
in which their respective organizations
are raised.
Concerning the National Guard, it is
provided that when the members OF
any company or regiment of the organ
lied militia shall enlist in the volun-
teer army in 8 body, as such
company or regiment, the regi-
mental and company officers in
service with the militia organization
thus enlisting may be appointed by the
President, subject to an examination as
to fitness and capacity, to be officers OF
corresponding grades in the same Or
ganization when it is received in the
service as a part of the volunteer army.
The troops in time of war, whether
belonging in the regular or volunteer
army or to the militia, are to be or
ganized into divisions of three brigades,
each brigade to be composed of three or
more regiments, and when three or
more divisions are assembled in the
same army the President is to organize
them into army corps, each corps to
consist of not more than three divisions.
The President is to appoint in the vol
unteer army not exceeding one major
general for each organized army corps
and division, and one brigadier gen.
eral for each brigade, to be selected
from the regular or volunteer army or
the militia.