Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-12-18

OF prescribing 10y law for the relief OF such of ~
the officers and volunteers, engaged In the lais W
aud other property duriD. said campaign
message was received f,om the presiden,
OF the United States. transmitting 10 the Se 4
nate copies OF IA Digest ot Commercial ReyuI, y
tons OF those nations with which the United
States have commercial intercourse preparsJ
and printed under the direction OF the Execn'
tive. III pursuance OF "a resolution of the Sc IS
nate, OF March 3, 1917 which message wa,
read.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
Mr. Hardin, from kentucky, appeared thi,
day, and TOOK his seat. II
Ii being aunornCcd TO the III suse thar tba ~
President had signed the Resolution declarin,
the admission Of the State OF Alabama into the
Union,
Mr.. Croreii, the Representative from the
State OF Alabama. .presehted himself wa,
qualified, and took his seat
The Speaker communicated 10 The House
the resignation of james Fieasabts, "A Member
OF this House from Virginia.
On motion of MIR. LOrndes. (in order to have
placed before this house the same informatio
relative TO this subject. as. bN "a resolve of the
Senate, will be laid before that house lit wa,
ResoiYed That the Secretary OF State be direct
ed 10 report 10 This hOuse what infOrma ion he
may be able 10 obtain as 10 the regulations and b
standards for weights and measures ill., the
several states, and as to the proceedings in
foreign countries Tor establishing uniformity l.
in the weights and measures together with
such plan toi fixing a standard for weight,
and measures for the United States, az he NAV
deem proper for their adoption.
MILITARY ENECUTIoNS, sc.
consideration the following resolution:
" Resoired. That The President of the UuiteJ
States be requested 10 cause TO he lard before
this house any Information he may possess,
respecting certain executions or other punish.
ments which may have been inflicted on ~.
army at the United States, since the year 1915.
contrary 10 the laws and reg ulations provided I
Tor the government of the same"
In Offering this resolution Mr.. Williams
took occasion Ia refer to the reports In % neral
circulation. on which his motion WAS founded
and particularly TO one case ,euorted as The
most aggravated. The report Gift, he said |
was to this effect: Coz King who was left Inv
Gen Jacksoni i'm command ofpenSacoIa, issued
an order, that ii any soldier deserted, and
was overtaken or apprehendcd he should be
put TO instant death. One soldier who bad
deserted, was overtahen, aud 40 put TO death
When unprecedented. lie exclaimed that as an
American citizen, he was entitled 10 a trial
according TO the laws of his country and
claimed his rights as such But, with cruelty
and prec'Pitance, his request was refused and
he vas PIT TO instant death Congress Mr.
W.said sat here guardians OF the rights of
The people. But IL was the weak more than
The strong, whose rights were the peculiar
care at ihIs house. tfhe facts he had stated
on the authority of common report were con-
hrmed just punishment ought 10 await the
Offenders Are the iights OF an officer IL vad-
tI, NdIN me dlbin Is -CuunC u tom end
OF the cOnutiN 10 the other: every feeling IA
reused III his dcicnCe And when the case of
the private soidIer. weak aud deencelrss in
ms own cause, rresents itself, should no one
be found TO stand w Tor him MIR W hoped,
hr SAID that there would b. thorough exami-
nation into IN, case, tia, II the off, or in ques-
lion had acted as reported, he might be eXem-
plarlly punished; AUD, II III report was not
tiue, 1t was due to Col kIue that The statement
should be dislrsvPd.
MIR. smith. OF Maynard said he hoped the
gentleman from North Carolina woud for the
present, let the resolution, lie on the table He
bad heard, he SAID that a Court Martial had
been ordered on Col King Oh Ihs veiy Point.
II so, he would be tried for III, alleged mis-
conduct by the proper tcst-the rues and ar
hcles OF war. Should he moi be punished for
misconduct. il any had been committed ia was
then time enough for tlii. house 10 take it up
So long as there were laws, Mr.. = said officers
and soldiers were alike amepable to them tor
misconduct. aud TO the laws he wOuld lraye
Them with respect to the prompt execution
OF deserter, he referred to ease which
occurred during the Reyolptionar, war, az
related at the last session of Congress nv one
OF his colleagues, (Col. Reed IL which a
similar order had been issued under the su-
thoriiy of General " sshipgto and which
order was carried into effect in at least one
case. SO thai the order now spoken of, If
given by Colonei King, was not without ex-
ample.
Mr.. Williams said, he would be willing thar
the resolution shopId lie on the table if anv
good purpose could be answered by its taking
That course. j, had been said, that Court
Martial had been ordered ip this case That
was part of the very information, Mr.. w.
said, which Ire wished 10 obtain from an au-
theptic source. Ifassured officially that snch
was the fact, Mr. w. SAID tie snould be willing
to stay all further proceedings on this case
But the report of thai fact was iunOr mere
~, vague ssrmse, and, for aught b knew nn-
founded conjecture. As to the order said In
have been issued by General Washington, it
had no analogy to the present case That
was adapted TO extreme cases, such as thar of
alarming deseTiiOn, when political existence
was at stake (: this was an occurrence in pro-
FOUND peace, when deseTtion, by thiEnine the
ranks OF the army, would, but for its moral
effect, have been perhaps beneficial rather
than otherwise-bN employing AT home the
labor which was otherwise lost 10 Tie couRtry.
Had Washing ton been in command AT Pensa-
cola he would have ievolted with adherence
from such transaction.
MIR. Smyth, of Virginia. expressed his hope
that this resolution would be permitted to lie
on the table. Colonel King was al this moment
under trial by Court Martial, on charges
connected with the reports winch had been
spoken of, and there wonld certainly he great
pTopriety III waiting the result OF HAT trial,
before this House took mp the subject.
Mr.. CObb, of Georgia expressed his opinion
that the resolution it Objectionable at all was
SO on The ground. that il did not 2 20 far enOngh
II he was not grossly deceived in the iuforma-
ton he had received, the case mentioned by
,ne BebttHlau IIom norm CdrOIlnd was not
the oUly one, Of The infection of puuishments
~ tile army contrary to law. 1t Uery Strict
enquiry was made into this subject. he be-
heved il would be discovered that, daily, the
rules and articles for the government Of the
army are violated. He had understood, from
a EentlemaD formerly an officer of the army,
OF high Tespectablity, that il was now the
daily practice IN the army, directly in the face
OF the law, TO punish soldiers COrpOraiiy for
offences. lie hoped the resolution would pass,
aud that the House would obtain information
on the subject.
M cy.of6or rs U;r.iu;. I'll l., a..