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

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[85] which he was dismissed. If such trial is not had within six months after the application was made, the dismissal is made void. The section of the House amendment to provide for the transfer of officers from one corps to another, from one arm of the service to another, and from the volunteer service to the regular service, the House recede from.

The section in regard to declaring foreigners liable to draft the House recede from, it being of doubtful constitutionality.

The section in regard to increasing the pay of provost-marshals and enrolling officers the House recede from.

The section in regard to substitute brokers being authorized by the Secretary of War, the House recede from, believing that in other sections of the bill the country is sufficiently protected from the evils of the substitute broker system.

The last section of the bill, in regard to mustering out enlisted men who went into the service to fill up old regiments, we receded from, not, however, until we were satisfied that the Senate could not be induced to recede from their position, although adhering might involve the failure of the whole bill. The managers on the part of the Senate said that the Secretary of War had informed them that if this provision were adopted, it would take forty-five thousand men immediately from the field, and thus very much impair the efficiency of the army on the eve of a great campaign. In view of all the circumstances, the Committee recommend that the House recede from that amendment.

Mr. Le Blond, of Ohio, demanded the yeas and nays on the acceptance of the report, and they were ordered, and being taken, resulted-yeas, seventy-one; nays, fifty-seven; so the report was agreed to.

In the Senate, Mr. Wilson, from the committee of conference, made a report, which, after debate, was agreed to without a division. The title of the joint resolution was changed so as to read, “An act to amend the several acts heretofore passed to provide for the enrolling and calling out of the national forces and for other purposes ;” and it was approved by the President on the third of March, 1865.

No. Lxxxix.--The Bill making Appropriations for the Support of the Army for the year ending June thirtieth, 1866, and for other purposes.

In the House, on the seventeenth of January, 1865, Mr. Stevens, from the Committee of Ways and Means, reported a bill making appropriations for the support of the army for the year ending June thirtieth, 1866. On the seventh of February, the bill, on motion of Mr. Stevens, was taken up, and Mr. Wilson, of Iowa, moved to amend it by adding a proviso: That no money appropriated by the act should be paid for the purpose of paying any railway company for the transportation of property or troops of the United States where such company might have accepted a grant of lands from Congress upon condition of furnishing said transportation free of toll or other charge, except in such cases as had been modified by act of Congress. After debate, the amendment was agreed to, and the bill as amended passed the House.

In the Senate, the bill was referred to the Committee of Finance, and the Committee reported in favor of striking out the proviso forbidding the payment of any of the money appropriated by the bill for the transportation of troops over the land grant railroads. The Senate, on the eighteenth, proceeded to the consideration of the bill, and Mr. Cowan moved to amend the proviso so as to leave the subject to future adjustment between the Government and the railroads. After debate, in which Mr. Sherman, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Howard, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Trumbull, Mr. Cowan, Mr. Henderson, and Mr. Grimes participated, the proviso and amendment were informally passed over. Mr. Wilson moved to amend the bill by adding as a new section, That from and after the first day of March, 1865, and during the continuance of the rebellion, the commutation price of officers' subsistence should be fifty cents per ration; but the increase should not apply to the commutation price of the rations of any officer above the rank of brevet brigadier-general, or of any officer entitled to commutation for fuel or quarters; and the amendment was agreed to. Mr. Wilson then moved to amend by adding as a new section: That thereafter, during the continuance of the rebellion, there should be no deductions made from, or income tax levied upon, the salary of any officer in the military or naval serv-vice; and all acts or parts of acts inconsistent therewith were thereby repealed. Mr. Sherman opposed the amendment, stating that it would be pertinent to the income tax bill, and Mr. Wilson, at the suggestion of several senators, withdrew it. Mr. Wilson then moved to add a new section providing that all officers of volunteers below the rank of brigadier-general, who should continue in the military service to the close of the war, should be entitled to receive, upon being mustered out of said service, three months pay proper. Mr. Howe moved to amend it by inserting “now in commission” after the word. “volunteers ;” and the motion was agreed to. The amendment as amended was adopted — yeas, twenty-four; nays, not counted. Mr. Wilson moved to add as a new section, That commissioned officers of the army, serving in the field, should thereafter be permitted to purchase rations for their own use, on credit, from any commissary of subsistence, at cost prices, and the amount due for rations so purchased should be reported monthly to the Paymaster-General, to be deducted from the payment next following such purchase; and it was agreed to. Mr. Wilson moved further to amend the bill by adding as a new section, “That the President may appoint, in addition to the number of cadets heretofore authorized by law, from among the orphan children of officers or soldiers who have been or may be killed in battle, or who have died or may die of disease incurred in the line of duty during the present rebellion, two cadets for each ”