HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Dec. 30, 1S64.— To be 
 printed. ' 
 
 [By Mr. Snead.] 
 
 > 1" 1.1 
 AMENDMENTS 
 
 To the Bill to he entitled An Act to authorize the Consolidutipn of 
 Com2>a.nics, Battalions and Regiments. 
 
 Strike out tlie 1st section, and insert : 
 
 1 Section 1. Wlienever the average ' strength of the several 
 
 2 compnmV-«5 fnvmiDg a Itn^f- ilion or regiment shall be less than forty 
 
 3 (40) men, excluding prisoners of war, men perniaiiently detached 
 
 4 from their commands by disability, detail or otherwise, men 
 
 5 absent without leave, and deserters, the general officer com- 
 
 6 manding the department in which such battalion or regiment 
 *7 may be serving, slinll fx-thwitb so consolidate such companies, 
 
 8 thftt €&ch n'eWconip;iiiy shall have "present for duty'* at least 
 
 9 the minimum number of men required by law ; and ho shall 
 
 10 immediately thereafter organize such new companies into bat- 
 
 11 taliona and r<^giment8 ; and he may in like manner consolidate 
 
 12 independent or unattnchcd companies, r.n) tiridi is fr., 'fr'Tent 
 
 13 States shall not, witfiout tlieir consent, i..- ronsoliu, l< 'i nto the 
 
 14 samfe cotnpany, battalion or regifncnt. 
 
 Strike out the 2d section, and insert : 
 
 1 StC. 2. The officers of each new company shall be ehipted by 
 
2 
 
 2 the men thereof; and the field officers of each new regiment or 
 
 3 battalion, by the newly elected officers of the companies com- 
 
 4 posing it. But no one shall be eligible to the captaincy or lieu- 
 
 5 tenantcy of a company, who was not an officer in one of the 
 
 6 companies consolidated into it, or a field officer or adjutant of 
 
 7 one of the battalions or regiments to which said companies be- 
 S longed ; nor shall any one be eligible to the colonelcy, lieu- 
 9 tenant colonelcy or majority of a regiment or battalion, except 
 
 10 field officers of the commands consolidated into it. The offi- 
 
 11 cers thus elected shall forthwith assume their respective com- 
 
 12 mands, subject, however, to the approval of the President, who, 
 
 13 if he disapprove the election of any officer, may, with the advice 
 
 14 and consent of the Senate, appoint to the vacancy thus created, 
 
 15 any one who was originally eligible thereto. 
 
 Further amend, by adding the following section : 
 
 1 Sec. 6. The commissions of those officers who may be elected 
 
 2 to the same grade in a new organization, which they held in 
 
 3 an old, shall date from the day of their original appointment to 
 
 4 that grade. The conmiissions of all others shall date from the 
 
 5 day of their election or appointment to the new grade. 
 
 1 Sec. 7. Promotions to fill vacancies in the new commands 
 
 2 shall be made by the departmental commander, subject to the 
 
 3 approval of the President ; but except in cases of urgent neces- 
 
 4 sity, no vacancy shall be filled in any company, battalion or 
 
 5 regiment, the effective strength of which shall be less than half 
 
6 of its minimum strength, as required by law ; and this clause 
 
 7 shall be so construed as to include vacancies in the grade of 
 
 8 /non-commissioned officers. 
 
 1 Sec. 8. Prisoners of war, men detached from their companies 
 
 2 permanently, or for an indefinite time, by disability, detail, or 
 
 3 otherwise, men absent without leave, and deserters, shall not be 
 
 4 consolidated with the new companies ; but the officer consolidat- 
 
 5 ing their companies shall forward complete rolls of all such 
 
 6 men to the Secretary of War, who may, upon their return to 
 
 7 duty, transfer them to any company from their own State. 
 
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