Mr. SCHENCK. I will answer the gentleman with pleasure. I have not pretended to take the ground that there was to be a sort of bed of Procrustes by which every man should be measured and cut off a certain length, which should be invariable. I have proposed to adopt a general system of compensation by salaries, fixing them with h reference to the office and duty to be performed, just as they have done in the Navy, where it has been found to work well, as I explained. The officer who is at sea gets a certain compensation, on shore duty:1 less compensation, and on leave of absence less. Thus there is a gradation, and yet the general fact is that he is paid b a salary, but it is a salary for each class of uties fixed by aw. Now, instead of saying that every major general shall receive so much, and every brigadier general so much, there is a difference of this kind made, just as there is a difference as to the allowance made to certain officers of the Navy, accordin to the rate of the vessel which they common or serve on board of, or whether they command a single vessel or a fleet. This very line to which the gentleman refers is an illustration. A brigadier general when commanding a division of the Army or a division in the field is allowed $5,000 a year, because he is then in fact actin as a major general. Though we do not give gim a major generafs Bay, yet we give him something between the ighest pay apportioned to his rank and the low est pay of the rank next above him. So also in regard to colonels. We make a distinction between a colonel commanding a regiment and one commanding a military post. A good deal has been said and I admit that there is some equity in that view of the expenses to which a man may be put by his assignment to particular duty. for instance, you put a man in command of a post on the plains, where every body is assing to and fro. He must necessarily need a little higher pay than others might do, because of the entertainment he must afford to such persons. That is one reason for the difference of pay. But, sir, I do not desire to detain the House. I only wish the gentleman would understand that we propose merely to graduate these sal aries, not mere] as between different officers, but between ofhcers of the same rank when engaged on different duties.