Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-04-11


command Of Col. WILLIAM PARKIsoN.
HONCElVING it necessary that you should
Z understand and know the law to which
youare particularly amenable, andunder which
YOU are called to act and as the militia law of
this state is SO partially published, and not dis
tributed to every company by the Legislature
as it ought to be, as is the case i'll some of the
states, / presume many of you have not
had an opportunity of reading it and the
law being so unmethodically arranged, and
iumbled together, SO unintelligible, analogous,
contradictory, lame, and faulty, it is very diff
cult for any one to ascertain the duty assigned
him by i'll have, agreeabiy to the request of
several officers of the regiment, endeayored
to select such parts of the law as particularly
respects your duty, and arranged them in such
a manner as conceive to be more ineligible
and convenient.
As there is, no provision in the militia law
of this state for eecting officers after the first
Saturday of June last, recurrence must be had
to the constitution of the state and the Sd
section of the 5lh article of the constitution
directs that company officers shall be elected
by the persons composing their several COM
panies.
BY the law, no person is eligible to be elect
ed an officer, unless he be citizen of this
Istate, and has resided within the bounds Of his
company six months-Sect. 6.
Any officer declared duly elected, shall be
entitled to a certificate from the officer nert
highest in rank, who is to administer to the Off
Ger elected the necessary oaths, which are to
be indorsed on the certificate, which certificate
shall entitle him to act as an officer till COM
mission can be procured.-Sect. 9.
And as no mode is pointed out by the con-
stitution how the election for officers shall be
conducted, conceive that whcna captain is to
be elected ma or ought to preside, superin-
tend the election, give the certificate as the
officer next highest i'll rank, and administer the
oaths. And when aleutenant is to be elected,
captain to preside, give the certificate, &c.
When an officer SO elected receives his COM
mission, he is again to take the necessary oaths
within ten days after receiving his commission
and previous to his entering on the execution
of his office, a certificate Of which shall be en-
dorsed on the back of his commission by the
person administering the same, and within
twenty days thereafter give notice to the pro-
per officer, and send the date Of his commits
sion to the adjutAnt of the regiment, and on
failure thereof he shall be considered as rctus
ing to accept of the office.-lSect. 6.
Captains or commanding officers shall enrol
every free, white, male inhabitant within the
bounds Of their respective companies, Of the
age of eighteen years and under torty-five
years, Except those who are excepted by law
and those who, from time to time, arrive at the
age OF eighteen years, and those who come to
reside in the bounds of their respective COM
panies, and shall without delay notify such per-
son of such enrolment by a commissioned or
non-commissioned officer. Every person so
enrolled shall, within six months thereafter,
provide himself with good musk ct and bayo-
net, fuzee, or rifle, knapsack, blanket, cantaen,
two fiints, a cartridge box to contain not less
than twenty-four cartridges suited to the bore
OF his musket or fuzee, each cartridge to con-
tain proper quantity of powder and ball, or
pouch and powder horn with "a balls suited
to the bore Of his rifle, and quarter of
pound of powder, and being so provided, shall
so appear when called ON Except when called
on to exercise by company, battalion, or regi-
ment, at which they may appear without KNAPP
sack and blanket). and such arms and accou-
trements shall not be subject to any impress
ment suits, distress, execution, or sales, for
debt, damages, or the payment Of taxes.-- Sect.
l. Commandments of companies shall appoint
the place of holding their company muaers,
which shall be as central as circumstances will
admit.-Sect II.
Each and every company sha1 muster cn,
the first Saturdays Of .lbnl lime, .4xgust, and
October, in each and every year, and on any
other time the commandant of companies NAV
think the exigency Of the case may tsqure it;
and when met shall continue to- perform mill
tary evolutions and exercises agreeable to the
military discipline of the ARMIES of the United
States, and such other eyolutions as the com.
mandant may direct, from 10 O'Clock, A. NJ.
till 3 O'Clock, P. NJ. of the same day, and every
company officer who shall neglect to appear
at such company muster shall pay fine of
four doHars.-Sec. Is s. %.
Every officer and soldier shall appear at
their respective muster grounds armed and
equipped as the law directs, on the day appoint
ed at 10 O'Clock in the forenoon, and half an
hour thereafter the comnandant of the COM
pany shall direct sergeant to call the roll and
examine every person belonging to the COM
pany, and note all delinquencies, (of non-com-
missioned officers and privates,) and make
return thereofto the next court ofinqury and
assessment Of fines lin their own company; j
and at battalion musters make returns to the
commandments of the battalions and at regi-
mental muster to the commandant of the regi-
ment, of the full strength of his company, and
the number of arms and acaoutrements on pa
rade, agreeable to the forms prescribed and
annexed to the law.-ISect. 10 e 81.
Non-commissioned officers neglecting to
perform any of the duties of their Office, orthe
orders of his superior officer are liable to fine
not less than tzvo dollars nor more than trpenty
dollars, aprivate neglecting to attend compa-
ny muster the whole time the same is on pa
rade shall pay fine of one dollar, and for
battalion or regimental muster one dollar and
fifty cents, and non-commissioned officer or
private for attending any muster without a
sufficient rife, musket, or filzee, fjiy cents,
and without cartridge box, Or powder horn
and bullet pouch, truentyfue cents.-,Sect. 25.