t SENATE, MvY 10, JHOl. — Read fir^t and second times, and or- dered to be phu'ed up'Mi the c;vUMidar uiid printed. [By Mr. Bkow.n tVom the Committee on Naval Affairs.] A. BILL To amend An Act entitled "An Act to provide" an Invalid Corps,'' approved Hth February, 1864. 1 ■ 7%c Congress of tlvc Confederate States of America do enact, That 2 the act entitled "An act to provide an Invalid Corps,'" approved S February aeventech, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, be extended 4 to, and held to embrace, the ordinary seamen, landsmen and 5 boys of the navy, and the non-cotomissioned oflBcers, musicians, 6 .and privates of the marine corps ; and that assisgnmcnts to duty 7 of all otticers, men and boys of the navy and of the marine corps* -S under the fourth section of the said act shall be made by the 9 Secretary of the Navy. Adjutant and Inspkctok (jenlral's Office, ( Richmond, March 16, 1864. S GENERAL ORDERS,) No. 31. i I. The following act of Congress 'and orders arc published for the information of the army: An Act to provide an Invalid Corps. '* Tlie Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact. That all officers, non-commissioned officers, musicians, privates and seamen, who have .or shall become disabled "by wounds or other inju- ries received, or disease contracted in the service of the Confederate States, and in the line of duty, shall be retired or discharged from their respective positions, as hereinafter provided. But the rank, pay and emoluments of such officers, and the pay and, emoluments of such non-commissioned officers, musicians, privates and seamen shall continue to the end of the war, or ag long as they shall continue so retired or discharged. Sec 2. That all persons claiming the benefits of this act shall present themselves for examination to one of the medical examining boards now established by law. Upon the certificate of such board that such permanent disability exists, such persons shall be retired or discharged as aforesaid. Sec. 3. That. all persons retired or discharged as aforesaid, shall periodically, and at least once in six months, present themselves to one of said boards for further examination, uxder regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of War ; the result of which examina- tion shall be i-eported by such board to the said Secretary. And if any such person shall fail so to report himself to such board, whenever he shall be required so to do, he shall be dropped from said retired at discharged list, and become liable to conscription, undei* the terms of the law, ui^less such failure shall be caused by physical disability. Sec. i. That the Secretary of War may assign such officers, and order the detail of such non-conunissioned officers, musicians, privates and seamen for such duty us they shall be qualified to»perforra. If any such non-commissioned "ofiicers, musicians, privates and seamen shall be relieved from disability, they shall be restored to duty in their respective commflMs. Sfx. 6. That the S^Ptary of War shall make all needful rules and regulations for the action of the medical boards as aforesaid. Si:c. 6. That vacancies caused by the retireAent of officers under this act, shall be filled as in case of the death or resignation of such officers. Sec. 7, This act shall be in force from its passage. Approved February 17, 1864." II. Applications ■will be made by officers and soldiers who wish to be retired or discharged under this act, through their commanding officers, for authority to appt^ar before one of the medical examining boards now established by law. Commanding officers will endorse fully the facts connected with the alleged disability, and forward the application to the General (commanding, who will return it to the applicant, with his approval, or the reason why it is withheld. The endorsement will be the authority to the board, which will be composed*of three medical officers, for the examination of the applicant. III. if the application be approved by the commanding General, and the board find the soldier permanently disabled by wounds or other injuries received, 'or disease contracted in the service, it will retire the soldier, and forward to the Adjutant and Inspector General the original application and certificates; or, if the board find a soldier totally unfit for duty in any department of service, he may, if he prefer it, be discharged upon certificates of disability, under the regu- lations and usages of the service, as before the enactment of the law jjrovJding an invalid corps. If the application be disapproved, the board may nevertheless pro- .ceed with the examinatiofi. If they find the applicant permanently disabled, from either of the causes stated in the act, they will not retire him, but forAvard the original application and their certificate to the Surgeon General, for final action at this office. lY. A corresponding course will be pursued when the. applicants are officers, Except that the board will not retire, bu'- forward the certificates, through the Surgeon General, to tiii? uljatant and Inspector General " . v. If the board examining the officer or soldier find hiiu disabled for service I'n the field, but fit for duty in some department of service, the duty he can .best perform will be indicated in the certificate, ivhich will be forwarded toWhe Adjutant and Inspector (leneral. VI. Officer? recommended under the act to relievo t!ie army of dis- H^ualified, disabled or incompetent officers, approved October 13th, 1862, to be retired, because of wounds or other injurie.^ received, or disease contracted in the service, will receive, upon their written application to the Adjutant and Inspt-cfor (general, authority to appear Uefore one of the medical examining hoards for retiring officers and privates, under the act above recited, approved February 17th, 1861. VII. Officers or soldiers retired under the provisions of this act, will present themselves once in six months to one of the boards of surgeons indicateil in paragraph II of th^ise Orders, for further exam- ination , the result of which will be certified a? flirectcd in paragraph III of these Orders. If prevented by physical disability from so pre- senting liiinself, the cause of such failure will be established by the certificate of a surgeon of the anny, or of a citizen physician a' ^ i'';'^' enrolling officer of the district in which the person may at t be residing, soldier vi VIll. Failure to appear periodically, as provided by the preceding ding. .\s soon as the physical disability is removed, t!ic oiticdi- ^ or soldier will appear before the board for rc-e'xaminatio'ii'. "^ ' • ' "'''' ''^'T paragraph, v.ill be reported by the medical examining board.and proper enrolling officer to the Adjutant and Inspector General. IX. Officers retired under the act of Congress above cited, are entitled to commutation of quarters and fuel only when assigned to duty (as provided in section fourth of said act,) at a station without troops, where public qiiarters cannot be furnished in kind. They will receive pay from- any post quartermaster, upon exhibiting evi- dence of their retirement from active service, and the certificate of _ last payment required by paragraph IV, General Orders No. 28, and paragraph 1, Genejj^l Orders No. 126, (1S63.) X. Soldiers retired from the service, as herein provided, will be -furnished with descriptive lists, which, in addition to the usual history given, will exhibit the fact that they have been placed on the retired list, and designate tue post at which they will be entitled to receive pay and allowances. They will report to the* commandant of such post — which will be nearest their places of residence — and deliver to liim their descriptive lists. XI. Post commanders aj*e required to take possession of descriptive lists of all soldiers reporting to them, and, from the data therein given, at the end of every two months, to prepare muster rolls, upon which these soldiers will receive pay from the post quartermaster or assistant quartermaster. They will append to each roll a certificate that it has been m^de out in accordance-with statements presented i& descriptive lists of the soldiers on file in his office. XII. Officers of the Quartermaster's Department will issue neces- sary clothing to retired soldiers upon requisitions made by the com- mandants of the posts at which they are stationed, takirtg their re- ceipts upon receipt rolls, form No. 53, Regulations for the Quarter- master's Department. • XIII. Retired soldiers will have their rations commuted at $1 2^ per day, to be paid by the commissary at the post design afed; under the orders of the commanding officer. XIV. When the soldier shall be returneJIo his command, his dis- ability for field service having been removed, the post commander will note upon his descriptive list the dates to which payment may have been made him, on account of pay and rations commuted, and the ar- ticles of clothing issued, and return it to him to be delivered to his company commander ; or, if ke btlongsto the non-commissioned staff, to the adjutant of his regiment or battalion XV. 'J'he followincc Forms will be observed : ARMY OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES. Medical Certificate to Retire Invalid Officer^ (Under Act of Congress approved February 17, 1864.) , of the regiment, V>rigade, having ap- peared before the board for examination. Ave do hereby certify — [Here state whether the officer is permanently disabled; and cannot perform duty in any branch of the military service, with a full de- scription of the wound, injury or disease, and the disabling effects, and that it vas deceived or contracted rn the service of the Confeder- ate States, in the line of duty. If it is a re-examination, made pe- riodically, state such fact. If the invalid, being disabled for service in the field, is tit for othev service, recommend him accordingly. Should HU invalid retired overcoino the disability, recommend him for such dutv an he can perform.] , Surgeon P. A. C. S., • , Surgeon P. A. C. S., '. , Surgeon P. A. C. S., Medial I Examining Board. ]Pla(;e,] Examining Board. |T>ATK.j (Duplicates.) * AK.MV or CONFEDERATE STATES. Certificate of Disability for Retiring Invalid Soldiers., (Under act of Congress approved February 17, 1864.) of Captain 's company ( — ,) of the reg- iment, 's brigade, enrolled or enlisted by , at on the day of , to serve — . He was born in * in the State of , is years of age, feet inches high, cotnplexion, eyes, hair, and by occupation, when enlisted, a ; and having appeared before this board for examination, we do hereby certify — [Here state whether the soldier is permanentl}'' disabled, and cannot perform duty in any branch of the military service, with a full de- scription of the wound, injury or disease, and the disabling effects, and that it was received or contracted in-the servicQ of the Confeder- ate States, in the line of duty. If it is a re-examination, made at periods of six months, state such fact. If the invalid, being disabled tor duty in the field, is fit for duty in some department of the military service, recommend him accordingly. Should an invalid discharged overcome the disability, recommend him for such duty as he can per- form.] • , Surgeon P. A. C. S., , Surgeon P. A. C. S., -, Surgeon P. A. C. S. [Place,] Examining Board. [Date.] (Du{)licates. Medical Examining Board. Form for retiring n Soldier., [Under the act to provide an Invalid Corps, approved Feb. 17, 1864.] 7o a/ 1 whom, it maxf concern : Know ye, that . a — — of Criptain corapany,