Mr. BLAINE. Do not interrupt me at this moment. The QuarterMGen himself suggested that the titles in the staff corps, articularly relating to his own, were unduly fim and cumbersome, and he asked thatthey should be changed and made verbatim, literafim, at punctuatim as they are in this bill and it was as a convenience to him that it was done and now that the Gentfrom Pennsylvania should suppose that it was the design of the Military Committee to legislate a set of gentlemen out of office by a change of nomen clature, I can hardly think heis seriousaboutit. I agree with him that that change would have that effect. I am not in favor of pthe change; but I want to say that it was the furthest from the intention of the committee to do anything more than to accede to the wishes of the Depts, as they thought were expressed through this chief. Now, one word aboutthe Adjutant Generals Dept. If I cannot have a better amendment than the one the Gentfrom Pennsylvania [Mr. THAYER] has offered, I shall vote for that. I think the argument of the chairman of the committee in regard to curtailing the size of this staff corps is unsound. The section provides that after a certain time the asst adutants of the corps shall be.reduced to ten. ere let me state a fact. When the war broke out in 1861, with a little army of 11,000 men, capable of being enlarged to 19,000, there were 14 officers in the Adjutant Generals dept, and it was not considered too many. During the war it was increased by 6 and now, with an army 4 or 5 times as great, there are only 6 added, making 20. You have ndt increased them 50%. while on increase the Army 4fol. I think, instead of decreasing the number, it ought to be increased. When the generals in convention Generals Grant, Meade and Sherman recommended that there should be 17 of these officers the committee in the Senate agreed to it, but the committee of the House did not concur, but introduced a provision cutting it down to tea, which it seems to me is entirely inadequate. One word further. I want to ask the Gentfrom Pennsylvania [Mr. Tush Jul if he will accept an amendment by me as a substitute for is. The number of officers of high rank in all the Depts, QuarterGens, Ordnance, Subsistence, and every where else, has been very much more increased than in the Adjutant Generals Dept. In almost every instance an adjutant general, either brigadier or major general, is the chief of staff. An adutant general on a staff, where there is no chie of staff by that name, has as much employment as a chief of staff and if there should be a difference in rank it certainly should be in favor of ratherthan against the adjutant generals. I think, therefore, that without increasing the number of officers in this Dept there should be a change in their grades and rank, and lpropose, if the Gentfrom Pennsylvania [Mr. THAYER] will accept the amendment, that the section shall be made to read as follows: That the AdJutant Gonorals Dept shall hereafter consist of the samenumber of officers now authorized by law and their rank shall boasfollows, namely, one mliutnnt general, with the rank. pay, and emolumentsof a brigadier general; 4 asst adlutant generals, with the rank. pay and emol uments ofcoloucls of cavalry; 5asszstantndjutnnt fionerals, with the rank, pay and emolumentsof eutenantccloncls; and ten asstndiutant Generals.with the rank. pay and emolumentsof majors. All that that does is to change the rank of e majors to that of 2 colonels and one lieutenant colonel, and that will give an opportunity for such meritorious officers as Major Vincent and others, who have done very valu able duty during the war, to have some chance of promotion. It does not increase the number of officers; it only changes the grade of 3 of the officers in the Dept. I hope the gentleman will accept this as a substitute for what he has himsel offered.