Mr. SCHENCK. Now, Mr. Speaker, I do not pretend to say that paymasters in the Arm receiving the pay of majors are not wellenoug paid for their duties under ordinary circumstances. I do not pretend to say that in time of once and when there is no derangement leaing to such difficulties as were developed in connection with the performance of the duties of this office during the war, any relief ought to be accorded to these officers. We are legislating now as we have always found it necessary to legislate at the close of every war we have had, with the reasons for it increased 10,000 fold on account of the nature and character of the contest, and the manner in which these officers were necessarily employed in this war. It is said these payments, if they amount in the shape of a commission to $1,000 perannum, in each case will amount to some 4 or 5,000 dollars to each paymaster who has been employed as such all throwh the war. Now, gentlemen need not be disturbed about that et them amount to whatever they will, I repeat the remark in the presence of the House, that an examination and adjustment of the accounts of these paymasters show an average of stoppages and suspensions against each one of them, amounting, or the 1st half of the war, to $25,000; and it is likely to be doubled when the whole accounts to the end of the war shall be examined and adjusted. If there are, then, on an average, $50,000 of stoppages and suspensions against these officers, arising out of irregularities and errors occasioned by these difficulties during the war, no man who gets even the largest amount which may be given him under this bill will get a sum equal to the demands against him. It will go so far to extinguish the technical claims of the U.S. against him. The money is not to be paid to them; this commission, this increase of compensation, is only to be passed to the credit of these officers as a se ruff in some degree of these very stoppages by which they are now embarrassed. I repeat, these stoppages and suspensions arise out of errors and irregularities in payments owing to the circumstances under which these payments were made. No crime, no fraud, and no implication of criminal default are imputed against these officers and to remove all difficulty upon this subject, I will state to the House that I have conferred with one of my colleagues upon the ComMilAffairs [Mr. BINGHAM] who has prepared with my assent, and will propose as an amendment to this bill, aprovision that this allowance of extra compensation shall be applied to the payment of the stoppages and suspensions against their accounts; so that the money will not come out of the Treasury at all, but will be used in this way. I apprehend such an amendment will be only a piece of supererogation; it is not demanded by the terms of the bill. I think there, is nothing ambiguous in the bill; nothing from which a construction could be drawn other than that this money is to be applied to the credit of the Officer when his accounts come to be adpisted. But in order to remove all such possible mise onstruction, I am willing to have:i provision inserted of the character I have indicated, requiring this extra compensation to be applied by each officer to meet the suspensions and stoppages against his accounts.