Mr. SCHENCK. The amendment now proposed to this 4th section would strike out all that portion of the section which relates to the organization of the Veteran Reserve corps. I desire, before an vote is taken upon the amendment, that the House shall fully understand the length and breadth of that proposition. I stated at the be innin 0ft e consideration of this bill, that in xingt e number ofinfantry regiments we have adopted the idea of the War Dept and of the Lieutenant General, though some of us believed that the number of regiments should be greater. We have settled upon the number here named as perhaps the number mest proor to be selected) under all the lights we now ave, and under all the necessities of the country and therefore we l provide a the House bill that there shall be 55 regiments of infantry. That number is to be made up as follows: 1st, of the ten regiments now in existence in the old Army. Then there are 9 regiments, consisting each of 3 battalions of 8 companies, which regiments were created during the war. It is proposed to continue those 9 regiments, and by adding 2 companies to each battalion, to make a regiment of tea companies of each of these battalions, or 20 7 regiments in all from these 9 regiments. These 27 regiments, with the old ten regiments will give 37 reiments of the 55 to be provided. but leaves 18 of the 55 regiments still to be accounted for. Of these ten are to be regiments which shall constitute the Veteran Reserve corps, and 8 regiments are to be made up of colored troops. Now, the proposition is to reduce the whole number of infantry regiments b striking out the ten regiments to be organism as a Veteran Reserve corps, and the reasons have been as signed, by gentlemen who have discussed this subject, why this should be done. I think, however, the general reason for the opposition to this cors has not been assigned. Original y 55 regiments of infantry were proposed, with the assent of all persons representing the interests of the regular Army. But when it was found that the House insisted that ten of these should be regiments officered by those who have been wounded in the service of their country, it was suddenly discov ered that there were too many regiments infantry provided for and it was then propgsed to drop 5 regiments, bringing the num r down to 50 reriments, the other 5 to be added to the regu ar Army in the ordinary wa. ffow, I am not at all surprised at the course which has been pursued here, and I shall not be surprised at any course which may here after be pursued toward this feature of the bill of the House. There is a general hostility eul tivuted, pressed, nr ed, spread around congress, comin from 51056who are opposed to any Veteran reserve corps at all. Xnd it is not to be supposed but what it will have its, influence undJlie felt here. Before I s ak of that, however, I want it distinctly understood what is proposed by the ComMilAffrs of this House. Gentlemen have spoken as if the committee were proposing to transfer the present Veteran Reserve corps bodily to the Army. There is no such provision in the bill. The present Veteran teserve corps consists of 24 regiments, of whom there remains yet in service about 600 Officers, some 400 of whom are employed at present in the Freedrnens Bureau. What is proposed by the committee is not that there she I be a Veteran Reserve corps of 24 regiments, but that of the 55 regiments of infantry, ten shall constitute a Veteran Reserve corps, and that they shall be oiiiccred, not by taking exclusively the officers of the Veteran Reserve corps, but by selections from among them upon properand thorough examination, on from among all other officers who have been wounded in the Union cause during the rebellion. In this way, officers are to be provided for this limited number of ten reiinents. Be ore gentlemen conclude to vote or or against the propesition to strike out these lines from the 4th section, I invite their attention to the provision contained in the 5th section: The Veteran Reserve corps shall be odiocredby selectionfrom the otheers oftho ircsenfly oteranRo servecorps, and by appointment roui anyofficersand soldiers of volunteers who have beenwoundedin the line of their duty while sen/ing in the Armv of the U.S. in the into war, or have beendisabled by diseasecontractedin such service and may yet be competentfor garrison or other duty, to which that corpshas heretoforebeenassigned. Itis, therefore, a misrepresentation, or at the least a misapprehension, to s oak as if there were to be a transfer of the eteran Reserve corps. The bill contemplates no such thing. The provision is for the creation of ten regi ments out of the 55, instead of the old corps of 24 regiments, these ten regiments to be officered by selection from among the officers of the Veteran Reserve corps an all other officers and soldiers wounded in the Union cause in the suppression of this rebellion. the only requirement being that they shall be found competent upon examination. These officers of the Veteran Reserve cors might well say, “ It is hard that we should e required to undergo a reexamination, having once passed an examination when we receive our appointments and were confirmed by the Senate.” But these men do not ask fort emselves, nor is it asked for them, that they shall be exempt from this reexamination. But the door being thrown open for all wounded officers and soldiers of the Union Army, it is proposed that they shall come in with the rest, and that from the whole the officers for these ten regiments shall be selected. Again, how are the men for the regiment to the obtained? Generally by recruitin, as in other cases. But there is in one of the later sections of this bill a provision for obtaining and providin" for men who have suffered wounds or contracteddisability in service. At the close of the 10th section is the following provision: It shall be competent to enlist men for the service who have beenwoundedin the liueof theirduty while serving in the Army of the U.S or who have beendisabled bydisense contractedin such service.provided it shall be found. on medical in spection. that by such wounds or disability the are not unfittedfor efficiencyin garrison or other Iilht duty: and such men.when enlisted shall be assi ned to service exclusively in the regiments of the et eran Reservecorps. Those 3 provisions in these different and appropriate sections, show, taken together, how we would constitute this Veteran Reserve cors, to consist of these ten regiments. There is all provision made by which officers and men alike who have served their country and have been wounded or otherwise contracted disability shall not on that account he debarred from coming with their meed of help to the country in doing such duty as they may be fitted to perform, because they would be unable to undergo successfully that medical inspection which, both as to officers and men is a part of the inquiry into their fitness when they are presented for service; but the rule beiu relaxed in their case, they are to be receive notwithstanding their wounds or disabilit. If you do not have a provisionof that ind, both as to officers and men, what will be the consequence? No man who has been wounded in your cause can ever expect to be admitted into your service, whether he be an officer ora private, because the medical inspection always on inquiry into his fitness will exclude both officers and men unless you have some such provision. But gentlemen say. these men beingwounded ought not to be employed let them live upon their pension; let them go into the pursuits of civil ife. Let me apply that to those gentlemen who, being themselves already established in the regular Army, would exclude these wounded officers of volunteers. When one of them becomes wounded does he wish to go out of the Army upon his pension? When one of them becomes wounded does he wish to be relieved from all duty, from light duty and receiving such entire pay as the law ives him I You never hear an argument of that ind come from that quarter. But they say that it is to legislate a body of men into the regular Army who were only temporarily employed, passing by the question what these men were taught to expect in the Veteran Reserve corps when they were given the privilege of remaining in the Army or not. Let me say if we do thatitis no more than what we are domg for the regular Army. What are these new regiments made it of"! The 9 regiments of the old Army. lhey were regiments of 3 battalions each, raised by law for the rebellion, and their term will expire by the limitation oflaw. Why. every one, whether he belon s to the school of WestPoint or was appointm from civil life, would be turned out unless such a revision is made as that we make in the bil. When gentlemen make an objection of that kind they do not see how far it will go. Ifyou cannot legislate the Veteran Reserve corps or any selection of them into your Army ccause there is bad policy in it, then it is bad policy to have 27 new regiments made up of the 9 old regiments rarsedonly for the war. I expect these Gentlemen have forgottgn that. Who are these wounded officers? Let us look at their character, as they will be spoken of disparagingly here and elsewhere in reference to points connected with this debate. There is a great misapprehension, Ia ct, in relation to them. They were appoin to the Veteran Reserve corps in 1863, 1864 and 1865. In 1863, when this organization was 1st begun, the aggregate of officers appointed was 680. They were appointed without examination by transfer from the volunteer service. It was afterward determined to give a better character to the corps, and it was provided they should undergo an examination and be confirmed by the Senate. On that examination, of the 608 appointed about 1/3rd failed and were ropped from the rolls, leaving the number of appointments in 1868 at 446. In 1864 near 400 appointments were made after rigid examination. In 1865, at the close of the war, only 55 were appointed, making the total appointed and confirmed by the Senate 890. About 600 remain in the service who were regularly appointed. confirmed, and commissioned. Of these 600 about 400 are on duty with GenlHoward in the Freedmens Bureau. I think it no breach of confidence to say I have his assurance although like all other classes ofofficers there may be some who are unfortunate, who will be weeded out on examination yet as a body he has no better, more efficient, capable, and intelligent officers than those sent to him for duty. Here the hammer fell.]