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

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[35] should be paid out of the general appropriation for the army. Mr. Sherman moved to amend the bill, by providing that all enlistments there-after made should be credited to the States respectively in which the same should be made, and be deducted from any future draft in pursuance of the act; but it was rejected. On motion of Mr. Hale, the bill was so amended as to limit the number of staff-officers of corps commanders to the number provided for in the tenth section.

On the fifteenth, the Senate resumed the consideration of the bill. Mr. Sherman moved to amend the thirteenth section, so as to make it read: “That when any man or boy of African descent, who, by the laws of any State, shall owe service or labor to any person who, during the present rebellion, has levied war, or has borne arms against the United States, or adhered to their enemies, by giving them aid and comfort, shall render any such service as is provided for in this act, he, his mother, and his wife and child, shall for ever thereafter be free.” Mr. Lane, Mr. Pomeroy, Mr. Howard, and Mr. Harlan opposed the amendment, but it was agreed to — yeas, eighteen; nays, seventeen. Mr. Wilson moved to amend the bill, by adding that medical purveyors and storekeepers should give bonds in such sum as the Secretary of War might require, with security to be approved by him, and the amendment was agreed to. Mr. Wilson then moved an additional section, providing that the sum of fifteen thousand dollars be appropriated for the purchase of artificial limbs for soldiers and seamen disabled in the service of the United States, to be expended under the direction of the Surgeon-General; but, on the suggestion of Mr. Grimes, he withdrew it, and it was, by unanimous consent, put as an amendment on to the supplemental civil appropriation bill.

Mr. Browning moved to strike out the words, “his mother, wife and children,” so that the bill would simply provide for the freedom of the person of African descent rendering military service, but the amendment was lost — yeas, seventeen; nays, twenty. Mr. Browning then moved to amend, by adding a proviso, that the mother, wife and children of such man or boy of African descent should not be made free by the operation of the act, except where such mother, wife, or children owed service or labor to some person who, during the rebellion, had borne arms against the United States, or adhered to their enemies, by giving them aid and comfort. The amendment was supported by Mr. Henderson, and agreed to — yeas, twenty-one; nays, sixteen. After debate by Mr. Wright, of Indiana, Mr. Henderson, of Missouri, and Mr. Powell, of Kentucky, the vote was taken on the passage of the bill, and it passed — yeas, twenty-eight; nays, nine.

In the House, on the sixteenth, on motion of Mr. Stevens, the bill was taken from the Speaker's table, and read twice. Mr. Stevens moved the previous question. Mr. Holman, of Indiana, moved that the bill be laid upon the table, but the motion was lost — yeas, thirty; nays, seventy-seven. The previous question was then ordered, and the bill passed. It was approved by the President on the seventeenth of July, 1862.

No. Xxxviii.--The Bill to define the Pay and Emoluments of certain Officers of the Army, and for other purposes.

In the Senate, on the twenty-eighth of January, 1862, Mr. Wilson, of Massachusetts, introduced a bill to define the pay and emoluments of certain officers in the army, which was read twice, and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. On the fourth of February, Mr. Wilson reported it back, with an amendment as a substitute. On the fifth, the Senate, on motion of Mr. Wilson, proceeded to the consideration of the bill, the pending question being upon the amendment as a substitute. The amendment provided that officers of the army having brevet commissions should not be entitled to any increase of pay or emoluments, because of the exercise of command according to their brevet rank. That officers entitled to forage for horses should not be allowed to commute it, but should draw the allowance in kind. That major-generals should be entitled to draw forage for four horses; brigadier-generals for three horses ; colonels, lieutenant-colonels, and majors, two horses each; captains and lieutenants of cavalry and artillery for two horses each; and chaplains for one horse. That whenever an officer of the army should employ a soldier as his servant, he should, for each month deduct, from his own monthly pay, the full amount paid to or expended by the Government per month on account of the soldier. That the first section of the act approved August sixth, 1861, increasing the pay of privates, should not be so construed as to increase the emoluments of the commissioned officers. That so much of the act approved twenty-second July, 1861, as authorized each regiment of volunteers to have twenty-four musicians for a band, be repealed. That each brigade should have sixteen musicians as a band, to be selected from the regimental bands mustered out of service. That, in lieu of the present rate of mileage allowed to officers, not more than six cents per mile should thereafter be allowed, unless when an officer was ordered from a station east of the Rocky Mountains to one west of the same mountains, or vice versa, when ten cents per mile should be allowed. That, during the continuance of the present rebellion, there should be deducted from the compensation of all persons employed in the military, naval, and civil service of the United States, except warrant officers and sailors in the navy, and non-commissioned officers, musicians, and privates in the army, ten per centum of the amount of their compensation. That in each of the permanent hospitals, where the President might deem it necessary, he might appoint a chaplain. That no person should be appointed a chaplain in the United States army who was not a regularly ordained minister of some religious