[21] War to procure from such officers and enlisted men of the United States army, as were or there-after might be held as prisoners of war in the so-called confederate States, from time to time, their respective allotments of pay to their families or friends, certified by them in writing, and duly attested, in pursuance of such orders as might be made by the Secretary of War for that purpose, and upon which certified allotment he shall cause drafts to be made payable in New-York to the order of the persons to whom the allotments were or might be made, and to remit those drafts to the address of such person as might be designated in the allotment tickets. The resolution was then unanimously passed. The House concurred in passing the resolution, and it was approved by the President, on the sixth of February, 1862. No. Xx.--The Bill to provide for the better Organization of the Signal Department of the Army. In the Senate, on the ninth of January, 1862, Mr. Wilson, from the Military Committee, reported a bill to provide for the better organization of the signal department of the army. On the tenth, the Senate proceeded to its consideration. It provided, that the President be authorized to appoint for service during the rebellion, as many signal officers, with the rank, pay, and emoluments of captains, or first lieutenants of cavalry, and as many enlisted men with the rank and pay of sergeants of cavalry as he might deem necessary. The bill also made the following appropriations: for the manufacture or purchase of signal equipments and signal stores, to equip and supply the forces now in the field, twenty thousand dollars. For contingent expenses of the signal department, one thousand dollars. For the manufacture or purchase of signal equipments and signal stores for countersign signals, to prevent the collision of friendly regiments, thirty-four thousand nine hundred dollars. Mr. Grimes moved to strike out “captains,” and “first lieutenants,” but after debate withdrew his motion, and on motion of Mr. Wilson, the first section, authorizing the President to appoint signal officers was stricken out. Mr. Sherman moved to amend by striking out the second section, providing that officers temporarily serving as signal officers, should receive for the time they were so serving, the pay and emoluments of cavalry officers of their respective grades, but the motion was lost, and the bill as amended, passed. In the House, on the seventeenth, Mr. Blair reported from the Military Committee, the bill without amendment, it was passed, and approved by the President, on the twenty-second of February, 1862. No. Xxi.--The Bill making an Appropriation for completing the Defences of the City of Washington, and for other purposes. In the House of Representatives, December twentieth, 1861, Mr. Stevens, of Pennsylvania, from the Comitteee of Ways and Means reported a bill making an appropriation of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars for completing the defences of Washington. Mr. Stevens asked for immediate action on the bill, which was recommended by the Chief-Engineer General Barnard. He stated that the defensive system of Washington, consisted of forty-eight works, mounting over three hundred guns, some of which were of very large size; and the actual defensive perimeter occupied, was about thirty-five miles, exceeding the length of the famous (and hitherto the most extensively fortified extemporized field-works) lines of Torres Vedras by several miles. The bill was passed without a division. In the Senate, on the thirteenth of January, 1862, Mr. Wilson, of Massachusetts, from the Military Committee, to whom the House bill had been referred, reported it without amendment. Mr. Clark, of New-Hampshire, moved to amend it by adding at the end, that the arrearages of all debts already incurred should first be paid out of this sum; and the amendment was agreed to. Mr. Pearce, of Maryland, and Mr. King, of New-York, opposed its passage. Mr. Wilkinson, of Minnesota, moved further to amend, “that no part of the sum hereby appropriated, shall be expended on any work hereafter to be performed.” On the twenty-first, the Senate resumed the consideration of the bill, and Mr. Wilkinson's amendment was agreed to. Mr. Wilson moved to amend it by adding two sections,
That the fifth section of the act of the twenty-eighth of September, 1850, providing for the discharge from the service of minors enlisted without the consent of their parents or guardians, be, and the same hereby is, repealed: Provided, That hereafter no person under the age of eighteen shall be mustered into the United States service, and the oath of enlistment taken by the recruit shall be conclusive as to his age. That no volunteers or militia from any State shall be mustered into the service of the United States on any terms or conditions confining their service to the limits of said State or vicinity; and if any such volunteers or militia are in service contrary to the provisions of this act, the same shall be discharged.Mr. Powell moved to amend by striking out the words which provided, that the oath of enlistment should be final and conclusive as to the age of the minor. Mr. Wilson stated that under the law of 1850, persons were often discharged as minors, who were twenty-four or twenty-five years of age. Mr. Powell, Mr. Clark, and Mr. Trumbull opposed making the oath of enlistment conclusive as to age. Mr. Nesmith, of the Military Committee, believed it would cut off very great abuses. Mr. Powell's amendment to the amendment was rejected, and Mr. Wilson's amendment agreed to Mr. Wilson moved to add as a new section, that the tenth section of the act of the tenth of April, 1806, shall read:
That in time of war or rebellion against the supreme authority of the United States, all persons who shall be found lurking as spies, or acting as such, in or about the fortifications, encampments, posts, quarters, or Headquarters of the armies of the United States, or
