Mr.CONKLING. Everybody will see, assuming that the 3 months pay would be due that the expense would not be so great as if we continued the regular pay of all these men pending the selection. Again, I am informed that amuster out and a muster in. as a simulta neous act, would not involve this 3 months a P How, if I can get the attention of the members of this House, I ask them to consider for a moment the utter insignificance of the expense of which we are speaking. I have had a computation made, approximating certainly as nearly as I can arrive at it by consulting gentlemen who know, which shows that there cannot be fewer than 200,000 men and officers in the country who [have served in the armies of the Republic, and who have become disabled by wounds or disease. Now, in these ten regiments there are 360 commissions, or in the proportion of about one commission to each orty disabled odicers and soldiers in the country. So that if the distribution of these offices should be made according to an impartial rule of selection, there would be about 9 commissions to be given to the 350 or 400 officers of the Veteran Reserve corps not now provided for. Therefore, the puint made by the Gentfrom Pennsylvania, [Mr. Srsvsxs] results in just this. that there may be incurred the expense of mastering out 9 men who will he muss tered in again and that can be provided for by the insertion of a word or 2 in some subsetquent section of the bill. ow, I hope that, as a large majority of this House voted to retain this provision concerning the Veteran Reserve corps. upon the express understanding that all wounded officers and wounded men are to be allowed barely to compete upon an equal footing for these commissions, that understanding will be carried out and carried out certainly, even if we put in a provision for abundant caution, which we might do without. That will do no harm, and this amendment is intended only for that pure. It is intended to prevent any advantageing gained by those who happen to be in Washington, who may happen to have such facility of access to the Dept as will give them an advantage when the bill comes to be administered. it is suggested to me to call the previous question. which I willnot do, however. if it will cut of any other gentleman who desires to be heard upon this subject.