government, and desiring to draw closer to them in the bonds of social feeling, the President or either of the Vice-Presidents of this Society shall be authorized to invite the attendance of any officer of the United States Army at any of our annual meetings." (Calls for question.) The President:-Gentlemen, there is no question before you. You have already adopted the report as amended; all the other motions have been withdrawn, and I understand that the report of your committee has been adopted and will go as the instructions of the Society to our next local committee. Surgeon Plummer:-Mr. President, I believe the report was not adopted. The amendment was adopted, but not the report. Before the report is acted upon, I desire to say a few words. The President:-I was in error; the amendment has been adopted, but the report has not yet been acted upon. Dr. Plummer desires to address the Society, and he will now be given an opportunity. Surgeon Plummer: MR. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN OF THE SOCIETY OF THE TEN NESSEE: I come to attend this reunion with a letter of invitation from the Mayor of the city of Rock Island and the President of the Board of Trade, asking the Society to hold their next reunion at Rock Island. Chicago is only one of the suburbs of Rock Island [laughter], but they generally come here pretty "full handed" and run things about the way they want to; they came here to get this next reunion there and you may go there, but I want to do my duty and present the claim of our city. We have a beautiful place, we have good hotel accommodations, we have some of the finest dwellings in the world, we have a good theatre, we have everything that makes a reunion pleasant; and I want to add to the invitation of the Mayor and the President of the Board of Trade, that our citizens would be glad to have the Society hold their next annual meeting at Rock Island. I would make the motion, Mr. President, that the report be amended by substituting Rock Island for Chicago. The President:-It is moved and seconded that the first paragraph of this report be amended so as to substitute the city of Rock Island, Illinois, for Chicago. Are you ready for the question? General Rusk:-Mr. President, I would like to inquire whether the Mayor of Rock Island is a member of this Society. It has been the custom to have the Mayor of the city and the Governor of the State welcome the Society. Now, I think this resolution shuts off every fellow that is not a member of the Army of the Tennessee, or of some kindred society. We will have to go without a cordial welcome from the city of Chicago if Harrison is Mayor, because I don't think he belongs to any kindred society; certainly we should have to go without in both places if he should happen to be elected Governor; but I anticipate there is no danger of that, for I think "Old Dick" will get away with him, [laughter and applause,] and I presume he could bid a cordial welcome,he belongs to the Army of the Tennessee, and every other army, I think, the Army of the Lord, and everything else. [Laughter and applause.] It has struck me that the territory here in this vicinity is available,—we have four States that the Army of the Tennessee has captured, of which it is in command,-Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Dakota. [Applause.] Anywhere in this territory, the Army of the Tennessee will be welcomed, and if any of its members should get into trouble,-certainly if any of them were in trouble in Wisconsin-they could get pardoned out. I would suggest that we look to these things; we may get into trouble and want some one to help us out. After listening to the speeches last night, I made up my mind that any member of the Army of the Tennessee that appeared in Wisconsin and got into trouble I should immediately pardon him out. [Laughter and applause.] The President:-The question before the Society is on the amendment to substitute Rock Island for Chicago. Are you ready for the vote? Those who favor the proposition will say aye, contrary nay. Dr. Plummer's motion to amend is lost. The President:-Now, if there be no farther amendments offered, the report of your committee will next be presented for your adoption or rejection. Are you ready for the question? You have heard the report once read by the chairman of the committee and twice by myself; there has been but one amendment thus far,—with reference to members of kindred societies. Those who favor the adoption of the report will please say aye, contrary nay. The report as amended is adopted. The President:-The next now is the naming of the orator; is the committee ready to report? General Chetlain reported as follows: MINNETONKA BEACH, August 14, 1884. Your committee appointed to name an orator for the eighteenth annual meeting of the Society, respectfully present the name of General Ulysses S. Grant of New York. A. L. CHETLAIN, On motion of General Sexton, the report was adopted. NOTE. The President advised General Grant of the selection and the Secretary gives the following correspondence bearing upon the matter: COLONEL L. M. DAYTON, Cincinnati, Ohio: DES MOINES, Iowa, August 20, 1884. DEAR DAYTON:-The enclosed dispatch is just received. If not too late please put in the record of proceedings the fact of General Grant's acceptance of the office of Orator next year. Yours in haste, (TELEGRAM.) W. T. SHERMAN. GENERAL W. T. SHERMAN: LONG BRANCH, N. J., August 8, 1884. Your letter received. I accept the invitation of Army of Tennessee for next year. U. S. GRANT. The President:-Gentlemen, the reports are all in, and now the only business before the Society is such other matters as may arise. If any gentleman has any matter of business to submit to us, the time has come. The Secretary:-I have been handed this piece of paper to read, for the action of the Society: "Major John C. Hamilton, formerly of the 178th Ohio Infantry, a member of our Society, died in February, 1882; his wife, Margaret Hamilton, desires that her oldest son, Charles H. Hamilton, be made a member of the Society, according to the rules and by-laws." Captain Barber moved that the Society comply with the request that Charles H. Hamilton be made a member of the Society according to the rules and by-laws. The motion was adopted. General Chetlain:-Mr. President, I desire to call attention to the fact that we enjoyed some very good music and a collation on the other side of the lake yesterday afternoon, and I move that the thanks of the Society be tendered therefor to the proprietor and manager of Lake Park Hotel. The motion was adopted. Colonel Oliver:-Mr. President, I am informed that yesterday, upon a motion of one of the comrades, the Secretary of the Society was limited to an expense of fifty dollars per annum for employing clerks in copying records, making receipts, and in sending reports, etc., to the members of the Society, and I think it is very unjust; and having full confidence in the Secretary, I move you, sir, that that portion of the report which limits the expense to fifty dollars be stricken out, and that we allow the Secretary to "play without limit." [Laughter.] The bills of course will be presented to this Society and audited by business men, and we know that they will be reasonable. I move you, therefore, that this clause be stricken out. The motion was then put by the President and unanimously adopted. Captain Beem:-Mr. President, I desire to make a motion. I rise to do something that I think we all want to do, and that is to make a motion to reconsider the action taken yesterday by the Society in refusing to vote the hundred dollars to the Bartholdi statue. I desire to make that motion, and I want to say something about it. The President:-The matter is open to debate. Colonel Oliver:-I hope, Mr. President, that this motion will not be put, as it was yesterday, without some of us being heard. The President:-I am perfectly willing; we have plenty of time and it is well to debate the question thoroughly. Colonel Oliver:-Mr. President, there is one question I desire to ask the gentleman-how did he vote yesterday? Captain Beem:-I voted in favor of it. Colonel Oliver:-Then the gentlemen cannot properly make the motion to reconsider. The President:-If any gentleman who voted against the proposition yesterday will make the motion to reconsider, it will bring the matter regularly before the Society. General M. Miller:-Mr. President, I was one of those who voted against the proposition; there was some complaint made that there was not a fair show had, and as I always like to have everything fair, I will therefore renew the motion of my friend, Captain Beem, to reconsider the action of the Society on yesterday, refusing to vote the one hundred dollars. I cannot say that I have changed my opinion, but I believe in having a fair fight. The President:-General Miller, who voted against the proposition, moves a reconsideration of the action of the Society on yesterday upon the matter of the Statue of Liberty. Is the motion seconded? The motion being seconded, those who are in favor of it will say aye, contrary will say no: the motion is carried and regularly before the Society, and we will now hear Captain Beem. Captain Beem:-Mr. President and members of the Society, I confess that yesterday when I voted in favor of this appropri ation of one hundred dollars, I did so hastily; I voted for it because I thought I caught from General McNulta's remarks the burden. and the drift of its purpose. I did intend changing my vote afterwards in order that I might anticipate the objection that Colonel Oliver has made, that I voted on the side of the affirmative, and therefore could not move a reconsideration; but I am now glad that I voted as I did, since I find that I can get it before this body. I was amazed at the argument made by the distinguished and liberal-hearted gentlemen who opposed the appropriation because, they said, it was not a part of the objects of this Society to build monuments. I submit that there is a higher purpose, a grander purpose for this Society than an annual meeting just simply for jollification-which is grand and good in its way; it serves its purpose; it helps us to unite and to renew the ties of years ago,— but there is a higher purpose still for which this Society was created, and that is, for the inculcation of every patriotic precept, either by our example or by our teaching, that we can possibly |