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month, resulted in a tie-24 yeas, 24 nays. The Vice President voted in the affirmative, and so the amendment was adopted.] June 8. Mr. Houston. This appears to be one of the perversities of the Senator from Georgia. With his characteristic ability and fine understanding he occasionally gets into a kink, and I think this is one occasion when it has happened. While I regret ex- ceedingly to make any remarks on this subject, I really think he has tried to treat it with a degree of unfairness and levity that does not pertain to it. This measure is not against law; but it is intended to remedy a defect which now exists in the law. If it were in strict accordance with law, it would not be necessary. It is for the purpose of remedying defects that now exist in the law, by according an act of justice to the applicant here. I regret that the gentleman has misapprehended the position of General Gaines; and he appears, also to have taken a very cursory view of his claims to public confidence, public regard, and to national obligation. Sir, General Gaines won his rank. He won two brevets in Canada, in the face of the enemy; and for the brevet of major general, I think he suffered a siege of forty days at Erie, beleagered by a superior force, on which occasion he received a wound that inflicted disability upon him during his life. Yet such were his ardor and zeal and his soldierly devotion to his country, that he never permitted it, beyond the immediate suffering and injury received, to detain him from serv- ice for a single hour. He marched to· the Canadian border as a colonel. He there gained both his brevets. No officer stood higher in the Army, either for chivalry, capacity, or fidelity to the in- terests of his country. Exemplary in all his relations of life, he was unrivaled. He was in every respect a soldier and a gentle- man. Patriotism was his predominant feeling. In the campaign in Florida, he resumed his duties again as a major general, after having been on duty at various stations in time of peace; and during the war he experienced greater privations and difficulties than any other general in the field; and I would say nothing against the gallant gentlemen who were connected with that war. He there received another wound. He continued in service, dis- charging always the duties of a major general. He was entitled to the pay of a major general. His widow is now entitled to half pay of a major general, because he never performed services inferior to that rank. When General Macomb was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the United States, General
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