Mr. SCHENCK. I ought to be satisfied, I think, when I consider that the argument of my colleague is an answer and an objection to his own amendment. But I will undertake to extend that objection somewhat by a little further argumentation. He proposes to reverse the order in which distinction shall be made between promotion by seniority and by merit, so that the 1st promotions shall be h merit and the subsequent romotions in the ivher rade only by seniority. If he does this lie will simply reverse the whole order of proceedings in all other services, in any Way assimilated to our own, and which exist in the very nature of these military offices. Now, sir, the reason why promotions in the lower grades are confined to seniority in all services except our 0wn, as far as I know, and that promotion bv merit comes in as the officer rises in grade, I take to be this: a young man entering the Army as a 2nd or 1st lieutenant, on having risen as captain to the command of a company, does not develop that particular genius and power of comprehension or combination which may make him a better field officer. Therefore, in all the various mil. itary services of the world they have gone on promoting by seniority alone in the 1st classes of officers until they reach some point (which we propose shall be above the grade of cap tain) where the officer is supposed to have developed the fact whether he is fit for a higher trust. Many a man will make a 1st rate lieu tenant or captain, be perfectly at home in all the routine of company matters and subordinate command, an yet be unfit for the larger and more comprehensive duties of a higher command, either of a regiment, brigade, or division. The gentleman, however, seeks to reverse all this. To show that I am sustained by the practice of other countries, I beg leave to refer him and the House to what is the practice in all the principal armies of the world. I hold in my rand a report upon this subject made by Major Mordecai, of the U.S. Army, who with General McClellan and another officer was sent abroad as a commission to look into the Military systems of European countries. From this report I find that in Russia “ Promotions areordinarily madeby seniority. In the guards. promotionsare maderegimentally to the grade of lieutenant colonel.inclusive; in theinfantry of the active army. regimental promotions are made to the rank of captain. inclusive: above that grade the promotion is by divisions of 4 reiments: in the artillery. the promotionsaremadeby rigadesof 4 batteries; officers of artillery not attached to batteriesare promoted separately. Above the grade of colonel. promotions are made through the whole army at the pleasure of the Emperor; soareextraor dinarypromotions for distinguished services in any grade. Throughout the whole army any officer who has shown what he is fit for is selected for any higher position purely and solely upon his merits. I will now refer to another Government in which the army is a very important part of the public service, and where its organization is admitted to have been brought to very eat perfection. I refer to Prussia. Major.Ior decai says, in his report, in reference to that country" Promotions are madeaccording to seniority and by regimentsor corps. to the grade of major. except in case of incompotanoy on the part of the senior captain to command a attalion. Above the made of major. the promotions aremade in selections; but the order of seniority is habitually ollowed in time of peaceowing partly to the difficulty in such atimo of determining real military merit." We find that in France “For brilliant action noticed in general orders pepenaiotionasre made without regard to the above The rules referred to relate to the term of service, and the grades at man must be in before he can be promoted. The report goes on" and generally, in time of war. the termof servico re"quired for promotionmay bo, reducodone half. Ordinary promotionsaremadepartly by selection by the Emperor, partly by seniority." Without detaining the House further by referring to these extracts, I may say that the same rule prevails in the military service of every great military nation, and it is founded upon the principle that a man may make a good subal tern, may have all the knowledge necessary for a company officer detailed on subordinate duty up to a certain point, but that there is ordinarily somewhere, ifyou will have the best selections, when they must he made with ref erence to merit. Now, in our own Army during the late war a law was enacted authorizing officers of the regular Army to be commissioned and serve as officers ofvolunteers; and everywhere through out the whole extent of that Army of millions of men this principle was resorted to, and selections were made instead of the regular step by step tread mill promotion, which carries up the dullest and poorest, as well as the best, in regular order. The truth is, the object is to prevent oy the regular promotion the inefficient man, or the least efficient, being brought up to the highest positions, thus having your Army die like some old tree at the top and become rotten there while all the vigor is below. I trust, therefore, that no reversal of this rule will be adapted by the House, and that we shall not abandon the practice as well as the theory of all military Governments in regard to promotions.