Mr. DARLING. Then, sir, they would receive $4,000 each, which would make a sum total of about 2 million 500,000 dollars. Now, I would like to know whether the gentleman would not be perfectly willing to include in his bill paymasters of the Navy. The laymasters of the Army rank as majors, and receive about 3000 dollars peranuum. They have been enabled to keep fast horses, and I do not know but fast other things. I have seen them in the city of NewYork sporting around, and I know that a large amount of Government money held by them has been used in Wall street for specu lating purposes. There are many cases of this kind, and the paymasters of the Navy have been through all the perils of the war, and received only 331, 40operanuuni; their responsibilities have been equal] y great and their personal risk a great deal more. Now, I am in favor of doing justice to all these officers, both of the Army and of the Navy. I am disposed to be liberal in all these matters. But I do not want to see any class legislation. 1 do not want to see this class of men benefited by the provisions of a bill of this kind, while another class equally deserving and who have suffered equally as much an received a great deal less, are entirely ignored. Now, it is well known that paymasters of the Army have had in their possession large amounts of Government funds, and have been able to loan that money out at interest. l in. SGHENCK. I think the gentleman i must have finished his fiestion, which has become so ex)ansive, by tstime. [Laughten] It seems that instead of explaining anything connected with this bill, I must answer speech after speech interjected into mine as I endeavor to proceed. The Gentfrom N NewYork [Mr. Dmuxo] has discovered a new objection, that this bill does not include the paymasters of the Navy. ll ell, as to that, I have only to reply that nothing connected with the Navy has been referred to the ComMilAffrs. That matter belongs to the Naval Committee, and surcl we are not to be held responsible for not having proposed legislation about miitters in no way or manner coming within the jurisdiction of the coinmittee which I represent. Since the gentleman, however, has “sailed in, ” and wants us to turn our attention to the Navy, I have but to make this remark that the payments made by aymasters of the avy are made to crews a oat, Within the hmits of shipboard, where they have their chants before them and with them; where they can proceed at leisure; where they are not interrupted by the exigencies of the bottle or the march, the bivouac or the camp, or by the storms which sometimes interrupt men out in the open air, but from which the naval paymaster can take refuge at the pay table, which may be between deck. There may be reasons for the relief of paymasters on land service which do not apply to paymasters of the Navy. I do not want to be understood, however, as making any speech in advance iigainst any properbill reported at a proper time from the proper committee for the reief of naval paymasters, if that relief be thought properand just. I am only led to these remarks by the suggestion made.b the Gentfrom NewYork, who thinks this bill defective because in does not embrace the Navy. To show something of the character of the difficulties under which officers of the Army of the U.S. labored during the late war I will have one of the many, many letters an communications made to the ComMilAffrs, and to members of this House, upon this subject, read in the hearing of the ease. I send to the Clerks desk, and ask to have read, a portion of a letter fromsn in telligent paymaster in the Army, in reference to his own particular case. I will say, before it is read, that I can vouch for it as a generally accurate picture of the troubles an difficulties under which these officers labored in their attempts to perform their duties during the late war.