Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-03-30
!, Congrss Of the United States
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
). TUESDAY, MARCH 20.
.-.t
DEBATE

> +, On the 6eldchWeHs "
4 The question having been s'a'Ss
Is Shall the bill pass"
Mr.. POTTER. This /" to ral'e Vo,un,
,.,s, and involuntary army of one hundred
,hna..nd men, and am opposed to 1t, be-
csn.. I,h;nk il calculated to do much inJu-
~ foT4cpst much meaey, and to do no pos
all. GOOD and should be pleased to be
Informed by the friends OF this army, wfle-
,ber5it;s for defence, offence, or II arms be
the object? If for defence, agalst whom :
Is there gentleman in this house that ex-
meets aninyasion of OUT. territory pre-
.,ne not. If for offensive war, Is tnere
ON. in This house who wishes such con-,
test? I hore not. II we were at th's hne
Ar war with all the world, we should not
want such. an army as this. Great 1tltan
has NO men to spare to send here to invade
on; tetr;tory; and If she had she would
Lrow better than to do it. And it France
was ever so much disposed TO sehc an army
into this.Soun,ry, it would be IN 'varn7shs
Gould. no, bend them. Wherefore there IS
no,the least prospect of'an invasion, and
IS n. government arenot disposed 70 de-
clare war. where is the necessity for this ar
NV But il Is said, that this is not stand-
inv army thatitis only an army OF vollp.
Yer, and detached militia. lhave always.
understood that volunteers. enter a., army
90 do certain .setvicts without signing an.
agreement for a certain TING, or receiving
any boua,y but that as soon a. a man signs
an enlistment for a certain time. andre.
rr;ve. his bounty, FROM; .has4ine he ceases
81 have anv will Of his own. until his TIME
expires, He becomesa regular soldier 70
ali ;n,erts and purposes, to De shot erhung
or otherwise punished, according to- martial
law. Il would seem by the fourth section
OF this act, that each volunteer mast sign
al rnravemens to serve tie Us. according
% the provisions of. this act; and as soon
"a he Is called into actual service, under the
authority of the u. S. he shah be subject
% ,he rules and oraersaof war and that he
. can be called into the service Of the u. ).
"a anv place out Of It's jurisdiction not 3D.,
yond sea and by the Subsection, that when
the return of such volunteer shall be'made
70 the department of war, each nou:coni-
m;ss;oned officer and private shall be fur
r,;shed by the u. S..with a musker, &c. In
complete order. Those two sections, pro-
y;dinr for the enlistment aud bounty, taken
bv themselves. the man having enlisted and
having received his gun as bounty, would
make complete regular soldier OF HIM,
and he would be obliged to serve his time
out. But when you examine the 9th sec.
ton which provides for the ten days annual
encamoment, if not called into actual SER
vice, YOU then 6nd the penalty for not obey
ing orders, which declares If any non-com-
missioned officer or private shall tail to at
tend and perform his duty, either ID the
camp or in actual service whenever called
upon, or shall TAIL to appear without being
uniformed according to orders, without
satisfactory excuse to the commanding ON.
Ger, his arms shall revert to the y. ). II
therefore one of those men, when called to
do camp duty, should appear without
uniform, whe& the law does not require u,
Nor furnish him with any cloathing, until
he - called into actual service, he is tor
feited his gun for not appearing in his uni
form before he is furnished with IT by the
u. S. or made his duty to furnish himself
with IL. BY the fourth section he is snti'
died. 20 receive his gun Immediately after
return is made Of his name If he should
refase 70 do this camp duty, you have no
,,ower 70 control his person the only pc.
ral.v is the reversion of the gun you
,h.rsfore dispessess yourselves Of the gun
.rd have no control over the person or the
a,,n..lyour only remedy for the Srms would
be by suit /; IL they should refuse to rs'de'
liver them, 70 recover their value: