Mr. GARFIELD. I will 1st speak of the JtResolution as it was originally printed and presented to the House before the amendments were made, and then state what are the amendments which the ComWays&Means propose. I desire to say in the 1st place that this measure is not designed to supersede any plan for the reorganization of the various Depts of the Government. There are bills pending, which the committee hope will be matured and presented, by which some of the Executive Depts will be thoroughly reorganized. If that reorganization had been made such a bill as this might not have been necessary; but in the absence of any such reorganization it is a matter of temporary 'relief to a class of employees of the Government who have suffered very greatly from fluc tuations of the currency and the advance in the cost of living. It was proposed, as 1st printed, to restrict the payment of the increase granted by this bill to those persons who had been in the civil service during the fiscal year ending the 30th of June, 1866, and were still in service. That proposition was intended to help those persons who came into the service when prices were lower than they now are, and who suffered from the fluctuations which really changed the conditions of their engagement with the Government. But it was found to cut off many soldiers and sailors who were mustered out of the service during the fall of 1865 and mustered into general service or appointed in the civil service, and who have been employed in the several Depts since that time. We were unwilling to do injustice to so large and meritorious a class of persons, and the committee propose to strike out all after the word “resolution” in line 34, so that whatever is paid as additional compensation to clerks, messengers, and other employees in the civil service at Washington shall be paid to all In Service. who are now In the next place, fearing that the language of the printed bill was too general, the committee propose to insert in line 14, after the words “PayMGen” the words “including the division of referred claims in the office of the Commissary General of Pris oners.” There are 2 temporary divisions, depts perhaps not recognized directly by law, but established to meet the necessities of the service, which it was feared would not be covered under the general term “War Dept;” and for abundant caution we propose to insert the words “including the division of referred claims, office of Commissary General of Pris oners.” This is the 1st of the proposed amendments as they stand in the resolution. The 2nd amendment is to insert after the words “abandoned lands, ” in line 15, the words “in the office at the Capitol extension, ” so as to include the clerks, employees, and messengers in that dept, who it was thought would not be included in the general terms of the resolution. The 3rd amendment is to insert after the words “enlisted men, ” in line 16, the words “ of the Army, Navy, or general service of the U.S., ” lest the language might not be construed to include all these persons. Perhaps all the members of the House may not know that we have a class of enlisted men who do not properly belong either to the Army or Navy, but are enlisted in what is known as the general service. They are wounded men or men disabled by sickness, who are not fit to enter the field, and perhaps really not fit to go into the Veteran Reserve corps men who have come out of the service somewhat disabled, who have been enlisted on the same conditions of pay that soldiers are, and are put in the various Depts as clerks, messengers, or laborers. There are also some soldiers and sailors detailed on similar duty. It was therefore thought better tomention them expressly as enlisted men “of the Army, Navy, or general service of the U.S. ” In the same line, after the word “clerks, ” the committee propose to add the words “mes sengers, watchmen, or laborers;” for these 3 classes are employed in these various Depts. In the same line we propose to strike out the words “Adjutant Generafs office, ” and insertin lieu thereof “any bureau of the War Dept, lamplighters under the ComrPubBldg.” We found that there were soldiers employed in other bureaus of the War Dept who should be included. We found, also, that there are 6 or 7 persons employed by the ComrPubBldg as lamplighters who have not been included in any law increasing pay. This compensation is very small, and the committee thought proper to name them in this connection. The 6th amendment is to insert in line 26, after the word “aforesaid, ” the words “except those clerks in the office of the QuarterMGen whose pay was equalized with that of 1st class clerks by act of July, 1866.” The reason for this amendment is, that this class of clerks are an exceptional class; men who ware in the Army, but who in 1866 were appointed to serve at only 75 dollars a month; and who are doing precisely the same duty as 1st class clerks. receive $1, 200. annum. They received from Congress ast session extra compensation enough to put them on an equality with $1, 200 clerks: but if we say that this compensation allowed in this resolution shall not apply to those who have had their. increased, these men would get nothing while other $1, 200 clerks would get the increase. The amendment will remedy the difficulty. The 7th amendment is in line 26, after the word “received.” In order to make it more definite we add the words “during the current fiscal year;” so as not to count any additional pay they may have received in former Haloa. The 8th amendment is to insert after the word “aforesaid, ” in line 32, a proviso “that such additional compensation shall not be held to apply to all female clerks or employes in any bureau or division in the Treasury Dept whose compensation does not exceed 60 dollars per month.”. It is designed to reach that class of female clerks who are hired by the month or by the day and who have not an annual salary fixed by law. The 9th amendment I have already mentioned; it is to strike out the last paragraph of the resolution, which limits the payment of this additional salary to those who have been in service since June, 1865. We strike it out in order to include soldiers and other clerks who have been appointed since that time. And now, Mr. Speaker, I will say a few words on the general provisions of the resolution be. fore submitting it for the action of the House.