Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 10.
Frank Moore, Ed.

The Senate, on the tenth, proceeded to consider the amendment of the House, and, on motion of Mr. Wilson, the Senate disagreed to it, asked a committee of conference, and Mr. Wilson, Mr. Lane, of Indiana, and Mr. Nesmith, were appointed managers. The House insisted on its amendments, agreed to the committee of conference, and the Speaker appointed Mr. Blair, of Missouri, Mr. McPherson, of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Steele, of New-York, managers on the part of the House.

On the fourteenth, Mr. Wilson, from the committee of conference, reported that “the Senate concur in the amendment of the House to the bill, with the following amendments: in section one, line seven, after the word ‘service,’ strike out the words ‘shall be forty-five dollars per month and one ration,’ and insert in lieu thereof the words ‘shall be thirty dollars per month;’ and at the end of said section add as follows: ‘and all medical cadets in the service shall, in addition to their pay, receive one ration per day, either in kind or commutation.’ In section seven of said amendment of the House, strike out the whole section, and in lieu thereof insert the seventh section of the original bill of the Senate, with the following amendment thereto: at the end of the said seventh section of the Senate bill add as follows: ‘Provided, however, That when this act shall expire, all officers who shall have been promoted from the medical staff of the army under this act shall retain their respective rank in the army with such promotion as they would have been entitled to.’ ” The Senate concurred in the report. On the fifteenth, Mr. Blair reported to the House, and the report was agreed to. So the bill passed, and was approved by the President on the sixteenth of April, 1862.

No. Xxvii.--The Bill to facilitate the Discharge of Enlisted Men for Physical Disability.

In the Senate, on the twenty-ninth of April, 1862, Mr. Wilson, of Massachusetts, introduced a bill to facilitate the discharge of enlisted men for physical disability, which was read twice and referred to the Military Committee. On the second of May, Mr. Wilson, from the Committee, reported it back without amendment.

It empowered the medical inspector general, or any medical inspector, to discharge from the service of the United States any soldier or enlisted man laboring under any physical disability which made it disadvantageous to the service that he be retained therein; and the certificate in writing of the inspector general or medical inspector, setting forth the existence and nature of such physical disability, was to be sufficient evidence of the discharge; but it was provided that every such certificate should appear on its face to have been founded on personal inspection of the soldier discharged, and should specifically describe the nature and origin of his disability; and that the discharge should be without prejudice to the right of the soldier to the pay due him at its date.

On the ninth, the Senate resumed the consid eration of the bill; it was amended on motion of Mr. Wilson, so as to apply only to soldiers in permanent hospitals, and passed without a divi sion. In the House, on the twelfth, the bill was taken up on motion of Mr. Fenton, of New-York. On motion of Mr. Richardson, of Illinois, it was so amended as to require the consent of the enlisted man to his discharge by the medical inspectors. It was then passed without a division. The Senate, on the same day, concurred in the House amendment, and it was approved by the President on the fourteenth of May, 1862.

No. Xxviii.--Bill to authorize the Appointment of Medical Storekeepers.

In the Senate, on the seventh of May, 1862, Mr. Wilson reported from the Military Committee a bill to authorize the appointment of medical storekeepers. It authorized the Secretary of War to add to the medical department of the army, medical storekeepers, not exceeding six in number, who were to have the pay and emoluments of military storekeepers in the quarter-master's department, who were to be skilled apothecaries or druggists, who were to give the bond and security required by existing laws for military storekeepers in the quartermaster's department, and to be stationed at such points as the necessities of the army might require. The provisions of the bill were to remain in force only during the continuance of the rebellion. On the eighth, the Senate proceeded to its consideration, and amended it on motion of Mr. Wilson, by adding a section, providing that the President was authorized to appoint, if he should deem it necessary, a chaplain for each permanent hospital, whose pay, with that of chaplains of hospitals heretofore appointed by him, should be the same as that of regimental chaplains in the volunteer force, and who should be subject to such rules in relation to leave of absence from duty as were prescribed for commissioned officers of the army. It was then passed. In the House, on the fifteenth, Mr. Blair reported back the bill from the Military Committee, demanded the previous question, and under its operation it was passed. It was approved by the President on the twentieth of May, 1862.

No. Xxix.--A Bill providing that Company Officers of Volunteers should be paid on the Pay-Roll of their Regiment or Company, except when on Detached Service.

In the House, on the twenty-second of June, 1862, Mr. Kellogg, of Michigan, introduced a bill providing that officers of volunteers should be paid on the pay-rolls of the regiments or companies to which they belonged, which was read twice, and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. On the thirteenth, Mr. Dunn, of Indiana, reported it back without amendment. It provided that company officers of volunteers should be paid on the muster and pay-rolls of their company, party, or detachment, and not otherwise, except when such officer should be on detailed service without troops, or on leave of absence.