The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-07

instituted during the year with an ag-
gergate membership of 1.516 OF these
three are, detached corps, one each in
the state of Arkansas, Georgia and Vir-
ginia. s
The report Of the chairman of the
board Of directors of the National Wom-
ans Relief Corps home states that the
home has been supporting from SO to 10
inmates, and that $4527.50 had been ex-
pended in assisting army nurses not resi-
dent at the home. Hh@
In his report A. Turner. chairman of
the Andersenville prisons board, recon-
mendS that each corps contribute one
half cent per member for the quarter
ending. March. 1900, to be devoted to the
care Of the property.
GRAND ARMY FIGURES.
The total membership of the Grand
Army of the Republic IN good standing
as shown by the report of the adjutant
general June 6. 1898, was 7,2l3 posts, with
membership of 305, sos; on Dec 81. 1898,
IT'S posts, with membership Of E9S,747.
and on June 80, 1899, 6,S4 posts, with
membership of 2S7.sS1. Expended in re-
lief during the year, Sl60, $50 "a.
The year 1890 was the high-water mark
In membership (4O9, 4S9). Every year since
then has shown a decrease. and it is not
likely that any year in the future will
show a gain over losses although enough
comrades and shipmateS Of the army and
navy of the Civil war period yet remain
to make such thing possible. Each
year shows an increasing death rate
among the membership.
The adjutant general includes in his
report a comparative table of receipts
and expenditures, from 1880 to 1899, inclu-
sive, showing a gradual decrease in b5th
these items.
And the table gives the number Of rep
resentatives in the encampment from the
states and territories at 344. New York
leading with thirty-six delegates. There
will be 6S2 past commanders entitled to
a seat in the assemblage and Ill national
officers and past ommanders-ln-chlef.
The adjutant general renews his recon-
mendation that a committee of five re-
wise the blank forms of the organization.
The report of Judge Advocate General
Eli Torrance, Of Minneapolis, deals with
a number of cases that were submitted
to him for decision, the most important
one being the deadlock following the
death of Commander James A.
Sexton. With regard to this case, the
judge advocate says:
For the first time in the history of our
order the commandments died while
in office, and by reason thereof perplex-
ing questions of important import were
presented to me for solution, and their
careful consideration led me to the only
conclusion / could conscienttously reach
without resorting to what Is known as
judicial legislation"
If it Is deemed advisable that the vice
commanders should succeed In order OF
seniority to the office of commander-in-
CHER. the rules and regulations can east
ly be amended, and apt words used de-
claring that they shall so succeed in the
event. of his death. resignation or re-
moval.
The report of Alonzo Williams of
Providence, r. l., Inspector general, gave
the losses by death Of 1894, which, added
to losses through other causes, such as
discharges, honorary and dishonorable,
surrender of charter, suspensions and
transfers, made the total loss Al, S55. The
number of members in good standing
June So 1899, was 287, 981. Other reports
presented were those Of the junior vice
commander-in-chief,s urgeon-general and
chaplain-in-chief After they had been
read they were referred to the commit
tee on amendments.
A committee on resolutions was then
appointed, consisting of one member
from each of the ferty-1ve departments.
Senior Vice Commander Johnson, as
commander-in- chief, was elected to serve
the unexpired term of the late Cal. Sex
ton. Commander Johnson will continue
in office until the end of this encamp-
ment.
Daniel Ross of Wilmington, Del, junior
vice commander, was elevated to the Of
fee of senior vice commander. succeed
ing Col. Johnson -
The report on pensions was made the
special order for 2:30 o'clock.
During the noon recess the Pennsyl-
vania delegation met in caucus and voted
unanimously to support Shepherd for the
Office Of ommanderin- chief. They also
decided to present no candidates for Of
flee to" the convention. This action was
taken for the purpose Of breaking up the
practice Of conceding to the state In
which the encampment is held the office
of senior vice commander-in-chief
Immediately after his election Com
mander-in-chief Johnson was the recipi-
ent Of a diamond badge, the gift Of his
chief of staff Col w. L. Smith, and
aides. -
CHICAGO CHOSEN.
The first business after recess was the
selection of place for the next encamp-
ment and Chicago was chosen by accla-
nation.
The report of the committee on pen
sions was then read. and a motion was
made to refer it to the committee on
resolutions This created much discus
sion Many of the delegates favored the
Immediate adoption Of a resolution COW
ering the subjects mentioned IN the re-
port The Michigan delegation was the
first to object to the report. on the
ground that it failed to specify what the
Grand Army wanted. They were sup
ported by Indiana, Kansas and New
York.
After, discussion lasting nearly four
hours the report was referred back to
the committee on pensions, with trstruc-
tons that it be presented at tomorrow's
session, embodying rs recommendations
and resolutions. The REPORT will be
printed tonight, and distributed among
the delegates Until then 1t will be with
held from publication.
The complaint Of the veterans, as con-
tanned in the pension committees report,
is that the law governing the granting
of pensions Is misconstrued by the pen
sion examiner. The report is not critical.
but is said to contain a statement Of
facts as they exist in the pension depart