Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1817-04-04

1.-The president and directors OF the LII
erary Fund.
The whole duty Of soldier on the
lield consists in FACING wheeling and
marching to the flank and 'front.'
thus accomplished, they are tit In
Istruments in the hands Of competent
lof1icers for the performance OF any
revolutions whatever. The manual
lexercise is more matter of military
Iparade, than use ; the fields and the
forests teach our people the use of fire
arms; and the recollections which
1--we all have of the sports ofour boy
hood, must satisfy us that it taught
the ordinary drill, at school, as holl-
iday exercise, we shall not forget it in
ipur manhood. We do not forget to
dance to skate or to run.
For the third object Mr.. Mercer
said he looked with earnest solici'
tude. to the congress of the United
States, who possessed sufficient re-
sources for its attainment. in the
|eommand of the revenues OF the
country. whether capable OF being
|extracted for public use, By direct
|or indirect taxation. Let tue off.
lcers be collected for a short peri
Tod of each year. in sufficient nun
|bers. in convenient camps and taught
Isll the military knowledge. that the
lseienee Of the nation can impart "a
Them. You will thus. also form 9
valuable staff for actual service and
IMr. Mercer added, that be presum
led il was unnecessary to inform the
Icommiitee. that nothing was more
wanting at present in the militia, or
more neees AIRY to the efficacy OF the
army, He had seen menrunnins abo1t
for several days, without kLowing
where to procure food for themselves
or horse. and known many days, in
deed several weeks to elapse, before
|the commanding officer off an army
lcfmilitia knew the number or actu.
al disposition ofthe force which he
commanded.
Relying unon the means which he
mad pointed out to attain all that was
'larac,icabIe in relation to the two
Hast objects of his present enquiry,
Mr.. NJ. begged leave 70 inbmit TO the
COMMITTEE such su amendment OF the
present militia laws Of the state, as
would leave the first TO be accom-
/ p.ished by retaining three only. ofthe
present musters. One company mus.
Tier, and the present battalion a re
Igimental musters. with the drill OF
1.-The officers. This amendment will
dispense with three company mHsters
land computing the whole number OF
1.-The militia Of the commonwealth at
80. 900 iaeu, will save to the peop e
$40, 900 days labor, with all the IN
eidental expepces attcndan, on the
company musters. As a measure oil
pulitieal economy, ii was recommend
ed by the soundest policy, as it would
augment the active and profitable in
dustry of the country. Ii was The
richest boon which the house couid
extend to the people, at the emf Of 4
long session and would be gratefully
received by them /; for there wa not
q man in the commonwealth, Wh0
could be Of opinion that any real
benefit had resulted from the COM
pany musters except ia particular
acses, for which the proposed d.
mendment contains u provision leav.
ling it to a majority Of the company
ito augment within certain limits the
number oftheir company musters.
While up, Mr.. Mercer said h.
would consume a few minutes more,
with tho indulgence Of the commit
tee. in stating his rcasons for offering
another amendment TO the bill, under
consideration, upon which he would
ask, however, that the sense OF the
COMMITTEE might be separately taken.
By this amendment he wished t. re-
store the former penalty imposed by
our militia laws for failure to obey
any draft upon the militia for actual
services. This penalty had been pre-.
scrihed by the laws Of the u. s. and
was pecuniary fine Of 80 dollars.
BY an act Of the general Assembly.
which passed at the close and in the
fervor Of the late war, this fine had
been supplan,ed by the penalty of
The history Of this sub