Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-04-18
VIRGINIA ARGUS.
r 1 c III NJ o N ID,
TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1911.

March 3Oth, 1911.
SIR,
&-,-.l 0ss of the public arms,
which faFe been distributed, among
the several regiments of the militia of
the CoHmopwealtA has been so great,
according tokhe rdt urns, which have
been made, &s 10 excite the surprize
and CONCERN offhgExecutive.
The law directs, that the arms to be
distributed, shall be received bv the
Commandments of regiments, who shall
give receipts for them, to the Cover.
nor; that the commandments Of repi.
ments, shall deliver them to the com.
mandants of battalions, and they to the
copmandants of companies, and that
ths latter;Vshall put them in the hand
otsufk 4esRpnsible freeholders, or o.
tyre afkhe militia, as may be relied
ON fofthei safe-keeping, or be able
to Indemnify the Commonwealth for
their loss. If any person thus.posses.
sed OF arms, arrives at the age of for
ty-hve years, so as to be exempt from
militia duty, or embezzles, or disposes
OF them, or removes out of the limits of
his regiment, without delivering them
up, 1t is made the duty of the comman-
dant, OF the company, to which such
person belonged, to proceed, by war
rant to be obtained from any Justice of
the Pease, in the county, where such
arms are 20 regain the possession of
them. TITS also made, the duty, of
the officers, commanding companies.
to report the delinquencies, after every
muster, of the non-commissioned off,
GERS and privates, in their respective
companies, to the commandants of bat.
talions and of the commandments of
battaifons to report the delinquencies
Che 9opmapdants of companies to
fhe Tefnpmandapts of regiments, and of
the RtteE 70 report the delinqueucies of
the conimandahts of battalions. to the
proper courts of Enquiry. And to
secure the performance, of these sew
eral duties, high penalties are impo.
sed on the officers, of every grade.
who shall fail in the part assigned to
them, in the distribution of the said
arms, in their safe-kceping, or M the
recovery of them, when embezzied or
otherwise lost.
So anxious has the General Assem-.
bly, been Tor the safe-keeping of pub
lie arms, and for their preservation in
good order, that it is made the duty
OF the-commandants of regiments, to
attic d BATTALION musters, and of the
COMPARATIVELY of baitaions to attend
company mustSfs at least once in eve.
ry year, for the purpose reviewing,
the battalions Shd companies, inspect
ing heir arms, and reporting delin-
qnencies.
L have enumerated the duties, which
are imposed by law on the officers of
the militia, to whose care the arms are
committed, that they may be aware of
the great industry and vigilance, which
their country expects from them. in
performing those duties. 1t is proba-
| BILE, that many arms, which have been
supposed, hitherto, to be lost, NAV be
recovered, by new Inquiries and eyer
tons. Ii is exp cted that such inoui-
ries and exertions will be made. The
vast sums which the commonwe altb
has already expended in armine the
militia, * must yer expend. in the pro.
secution of the plan, afford a sufficient
| motive, to all those to whom the care
of the arms is intrusted, to see that go
just, and wise an effort of the General
Assembly, is not made in vain, The
ExscutiveA relies with confidence. ON
the ss1se oil, duty, and on the patriot
ISM of THE officers, of the militia. to
acqdit themselves in relation to this
Important object, according to the lust
expectations of their country.
1t is particularly important, that a
correct statement of the arms hereto
fore distributed, among the several re.
giments OF the militia, and of those
which now remain in the possession
OF those regiments, COMPRISING of
course, return of those, which have
been lost, should be laid before tbe
General Assembly at its next mertino.
For this purpose, l have to request.
that you will be attentive to the per,
Torrance ofthis duty, at the approach
ing musters, and see that an exact re.
turn be made of the arms which have
been received by your regiment of