Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 20.djvu/175

 150 roerrrirtrn ooivemiss. Sess. 11. on. 202.. 1878. S¢¢<>¤dli¤¤¢vMM— Sec. 3. That hereafter all vacancies in the grade of second lieutenant °'i“· shall be filled by appointment from the graduates of the Military Academy so long as any such remain in service unassigned; and any Vacancies, new vacancies thereafter  shall be filled by promotion of meritofilled. rious non-commissioned officers of the Army, recommended under the provisions of the next section of this act: Provided that all vacancies remaining, after exhausting the two classes named, may be iilled by appointment of persons in civil life. N<¤¤-¢v~¤*¤¤i8S€0#·¢d SECJ1. That to insure the selection of proper candidates for promo- °Z”‘(’f*· . tion from the grade of non-commissioned officers, company and battery 1mm0h0W0f commanders will report to their regimental commanders such as, in their opinion, by education, conduct, and services, seem Ito merit advancement, and who have served not less than two years in the Army, the reports to set forth a. description of the candidate, his length of service as noncommissioned officer and as private soldier, his character as to fidelity and sobriety, his physical qualifications and mental abilities, the extent to which his talents have been cultivated, and his fitness generally to discharge the duties of a commissioned officer. If recommended on account of meritorious services, the particular services referred to must be stated in detail. On receiving the reports of company or battery commanders, the regimental commander will forward the sameto the department commanders, with such recommendation of noncommissioned regimental staff as he may deem worthy of promotion; and the department commander shall annually assemble a board to consist of five officers of as high rank as the convenience of the service will admit, to make a preliminary examination into the claims and qualifications of such non commissioned officers. The board, constituted as above shall submit a full statement in the case of each candidate examined; and on the said statements, the department commander shall indorse his remarks and forward them to the Secretary of Y\’ar by the first da-y of June in each year. The Chief of Engineers and of other staff corps may make similar recommendations of the non—commissioned officers of their respective commands to the Secretary of War, who shall convene a board of officers for like purpose. Laundmm. Sec. 5. That hereafter women shall not be allowed to accompany troops as laundresses: Provided, That any such laundress, being the wife of a soldier as is now allowed to accompany troops, may, in the discretion of the regimental commander, be retained until the expira- · tion of such soldiers present term of enlistment. Military Mad- Sec. 6. That hereafter, in time of peace, all military headquarters, 9“""""*’· except Army headquarters, shall be established and maintained at points where the government own buildings or barracks, within the several departments and divisions, and in such buildings or barracks, and not otherwise, unless the Secretary of War shall by an order in writing otherwise direct. _ credusjgrzmigev- Sec. 7. That on and after the passage of this act, all officers of the W and mwmvni- Army of the United States who have served as officers in the volunteer forces during the war of the rebellion, or as enlisted men in the armies of the United States, regular or volunteer, shall be, and are hereby, credited with the full time they may have served as such officers and as such enlisted men in computing their service for longevity pay and re— Rgfirgdligy tirement. And the retired list shall hereafter be limited to four hundred in lieu of the number now iixed by law. Allowance offuel Sec. 8. Allowance of or commutation for fuel to commissioned offi- ¤¤dfomy¢· cers is hereby prohibited; but fuel may he furnished to the officers of the Army by the Quartermaster’s Department, for the actual use of such officers only, at the rateof three dollars per cord for standard oak wood, or at an equivalent rate for other kinds of fuel, according to the regulations now in existence; and forage in kind may be furnished to the officers of the Army, by the tguartermastens Department, only for - horses owned and actually kept by such officers in the performance of their oihcial military duties when on duty with troops in the field or at