Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-08-01

islist sahstitstes q theif leisre, upsn
moderate terns; whereas when they arc
forced upon it by sudden emergencies,
aud the time limited, it Is actually setting
up soldiers to the highest bidders - =
evident from tho late Infamous practice Of
selling recruits: there will always De q
number of people, who wish for; exemP-
ton from personal service, whose eonstl-
tuition, education, and other circumstan-
, ces, render very unfit for IT.; and / am
sure the public would be gamer By getting
an able soldier for the war, instead OF a
drafted man for year or two: at present
this right is only given by the last draft
act, and it is presumed has ended with Its
completion.
while the exemption for experimenting
deserter is only used now and then, as
temporary expedient, it can have only a
temporary effect deserters are suffered
to remain unmolested. and perhaps con-
niyed at, in every neighborhood, until a
draft approaches; but if man who shall
a,prehend one at any time. was sure of
being exempted from the next draft. or
from his succeeding tour Of militia duty,
deserter would be apprehended imme-
diately whenever he appeared. there
would be no nest for the soal Of his foot,
aud desertion would, think, be more ef-
ftctually discouraged and prevented, by
this, than by any other method that can
be devised. 1t is uncomfortable, to any
man who has not attentively observed it,
how much the Virginia quota of troops
has been diminished by desertion.
A law in the nature Of vagrant act,
would at this time, send many hundred
able bodied men into the army, who, in
their present situation, are nuisance to
society; it would discourage vice and
idleness, promote industry. and if the
gentlemen gansesters will agree to have
such an act pro ,'erly drawn, might most
effectuaily destroy gambling.
1t may be necessary to revise our late
acts respecting de,ertion from the militia
called into actual service: the punish
nent of serving eight months in the regu-
lar troops GfI recollect right is only in.
flieted by the act Of the last session for
raising $500 militia to march to the as
sistance of South Carolina; if so, it falls
with the execution of the said act, and
ought to be revised in some standing law;
and militia substitutes, who receive an
other mans money Tor going in his stead.
should be subjected to double or treble
punishment for desertion.
TO encourage the importation Of salt,
by an act of the session before the last,
the importer was allowed, to export one
Eosshead of tobacco duty free, for every
three bushels of salt he imported: this hath
never brought bushe1 of salt into the
country, more than would have come
without it, as every man Of penetration
knew as we'll then, as he does now, but it
was the within Of the day. The duty Of
eight shillinss hard money, or Is pounds
paper, for every hosshead Of tobacco ex-
ported, is one of the principal funds for
redeeming the two millions Of paper mo-
ney issued by the act Of last session if
it is suffered to be defeated by the above
mentioned pretence, the funds of redemp.
ton will be totally inadequate, the public
faith betrayed, and the credit Of tho mo.
ney rained.
am told some proposals will be made
by congress to the present session Of as.
sembl,. respecting our western territory.
! ',elie'e every real friend to American in.
de tndence wishes this dispute amicably
and jus, settled. As have thought a
god IL .~,n the subject, l beg leave to
tr5ub.a 80 with an extract Of letter |
wrote Tanner to Alr. Jones, in which
mys ..,tits are so fully explained, that
the $50 lot auw be enlarged upon hav.
in, a,er received any answer fro.a Mr..
! JON. a.n ~. ,rehcnsive my letter (Which
W., -eat per lne post may have nlisear-
riesi.
AIieu. my dear sir, may health and
happiness a,tend you and be assured that
you have on ali occasions, AN affectioaate
iIIc nj III
G. MASON.