Mr. SCHENCK. I will submit a few words in explanation of that bill. Toward the close of the war, in 1864 and 1805, it was found that a large number of officers in the field, and especially of the lower grades, 1st and 2nd ieutenunts, were resigning from sheer necessity. They were not able to subsist even in the field, chen as the moons of subsistence there were. lhey could not make purchases within the limits of the seat of war, outside of commissary stores, except at a great disadvan tage and at. large prices; they were not able to draw, as soldiers do, their rations, and there was, in fact, proof before the ComMilAffrs, as I remember well, in the last Congress, of a great deal of absolute des titution among officers of that class. I use the word “destitution” advisedly. It is not too strong n one to describe the condition of things. In this state of affairs the last Congress provided, in order to encourage men to hold out to the end of the war and not to resign, this as an inducement, that those who continued in the service to the end should receive extra. payment to the amount of 3 months compensation. The provision is to be found em odied in the 4th section of the act of 3d March, 1865, providing appropriutions for the support of the Army for t ie year endin on the 80th of June, 1866. It is in these wor s: “SEC. 4. Abife:.That all officers ofvoluntcers now in commission.below the rank of brigndier general.who shall continue in the military serviceto the close of the war, shall be entitled to receive, upon being mustered out of said service, 3 monthsIMy Proper.” The war, so for as active operations in the field are concerned virtually closed with the surrender, 1st, of lice, and afterward of other forces in the month of April, 1865. After that, there being no further hostilities, officers, feeling that they had virtually complied with the expectations of the Government, in some instances tendered their resignations volunta rily, but in many instances tendered their resignations because they were invited by the War Dept, in 2 or 3 successive general O era, to do so; and the construction was afterward put upon their conduct, that, having resigned, even when invited by the Dept to do so, they did not. come within the description of persons eutitled to the 3 months extra pay, or the reason that it was to begiven to those alone who stuid in the service until they were, by order of the Dept, legu larly and formally mustered out. The object of the bill which we now procan is to extend the provisions for the extra 3 monthsJiay to all officers who in good faith remainc till the end of the war before asking to be relieved from further public service, that they might return to the pursuits of civil life; but limitin the application of this provision to those who had served at least 2 years prior to the 19th of April, when hostilities were in effect closed throughout the country. The committee deemed this but an act of justice to a meritorious class of officers who, without intention perhaps upon the part of the military authorities, were actually intrapped into resigning, under the impression that, according to the true construction of the law, they were putting themselves in the same position as those mustered out by an order emanating from the Dept.