Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1850-01-19
ADtUTiNT GEyERiL's REPORT.

! The Adiutant General regrets that the Ia,
/ Legislature did not adopt more Of the sueq-
/ tlons in regard TO Military affairs Whit
were made in his Report last year. The onii''
sion has caused great complaint, and has com.
/ PEELED him to supply the defects of the Iau IT,
/ :. Regulations of his own.
/ However incomplete the present law p,,v l.
it cannot be denied that by the abolition NJ -
parades of the ununiformed militia. il had day.,
more than was ever before effected for ourr,r.
tary affairs. He wished to correct sc,ir.
mistake into which those who condemn the l,y,
had fallen. 1t does not conflict with that mart r.
the constitution Of this State Art 9Th Ser 1|
/ which provides g that the Freemen Of this CO..
monweath shall be armed and disciplined f,r;,1
defence;" but the present law provides mat 49,.
Militia shall be uniformed and it keeps IN foroo
(2Ist Sec. p. NJ. Laws that part Of the o., ar
lS22, which relates to and regulates the c.lI;--
the military into the service Of the State or tt
United States. He then argues and sE,oy. ,ta,
the State has the power to require the Niui, -
uniform under the 9Th Sec. Of the Cousfirnt;
Of the United States
AS to the effects Of the law The demand e..
arms from August la5t-when the general "a
field officers were eiected-up to this ti,,n 49,
been unprecedented. The three Arsensls of ,Sa
State, Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Meatyilio
have been almost exhausted, and the Adiutar,
General has been conn elIed to anticipate bv an
arrangement with the War Department (tbropgb
the Governor) our quota Of arms for 1850. Ie
has already drawn 1900 percussion muskets from
/ the L. S. Ordnance Department. During the
past year about fifty new companies have hen
| organized, and more than 2000 small arms and
six pieces Of ordnance have been issued. excm.
! sye Of a battery Of light artillery Of three
/ pieces, with full apparatus.
The Commissioners of Counties are much
censured for their neglect and utter contempt Of
! duty IN not assessing and collecting the militia
! fine.
| He takes ground against the re-establisbmeot
/ OF the militia system recently repealed as II
"would be repugnant to the feelings of vas,
majority Of our citizens destructive to the mil
itary spirit Of our people, and most pernicious
/ to the honor and true interests Of Pennsylya-
MA
One important error in the present system
consists III the small number Of rank and file
thrty-sIx rank and file necessary to constitute
company. This system of . skeleton compa-
nies'' was attempted in the u. s. Army. and sig
nally failed. company should consist of at
least fifty rank and file.
In the city and county of Philadelphia com
panles should be required to parade at least sixty
four men, as the population there is dense. and
the men live near their armUries.
Another defect is, that the present law does
| not require an official bond from the Brigade
Inspector. The 18th section of the Act Of %
| April, 1929, requiring an official bond of 5000
with sufficient sureties should be re-enacted.
The present law also very imperfecty points
out the mode in which vacancies are to be sun
piled, (Sec. l5th.) This should be remedied
The expenses OF many corps in Philadelphia,
and in the larger towns and interior cities, are
burdensome to active members, and are COM
PEELED to have contributing members to assist in
/ paying expenses. !" Citizens who are within the
| muster roll, but desire to avoid the trouble and
! expense of active members of company ought
! to be exempt by paying the amount of the an
/ nual fine into the treasury Of some COMPANY"
/ The salaries of the Brigade Inspectors are en-
/ tirely inadequate. A fixed salary of $500, with
an allowance for expenses incurred in public
/ service should be given.
The present law establishes no rule for effect
| ing the organization of Battalions and Reg-
ments among adjacent Brigades. He recon
mends that the Major General of each Division,
and the Brigadiers Of the several Brgades should
/ be empowered to organize Battalions within the
limits of the Division 10 which they are attached
He calls the attention of the Legislature 10
| the necessity of numbering the Regiments in
| regular order throughout the State, and of as
signing TO each officer his regimental and lineal
! rank, and TO each General officer his rank in the
| line of the uniformed militia Of Pennsylvania
/ The Adiutant General should be empowered to
assign the precedence Of corps and rank of Off
GERS, being governed in his decisions by the laws
! of the State and the principles Of precedence
/ laid down in the &" Regulations Of the L. s.
! Army"
| The 18th section of the Militia Law Of 1899,
! requiring the AdJutant General to present annu.
ally detailed statement of the Militia is still
! In lorce, but by the 18th section of the revised
law, he Is required TO report only the strength
OF the uniformed militia. Here is a conflict OF
laws, both of which are positively declared by
the last act to be in force A sound rule Of
construction would totally repeal the first, but
this will produce great and immediate loss to the
! State, for the quota Of arms for this State de-
/ pends upon the number of militia in the State
! Some doubt is expressed by General officers
! Of the uniformed militia, whether, under the
/ present law, they entitled to staff officers.
! This should be ascertained by law.
! No system of reports and returns as TO the
real strength and discipline of the militia exists,
/ and the Adjutant General is denied the power to
! present detailed statement Of the militia such
as the law requires. Quarterly muster rolls
semi-annual reports and an annual return should
| be required of every company.
I During the past summer an arrangement was
concluded with Breyet Brigadier General H.
/ Stanton, Assistant Quartermaster General L s
! A., by which L. S. uniforms, both fatigue and
dress, were furnished to the uniformed militia at
the same price charged the regular soldier, with
the additional trifling cost of packing boxes and
( transportation. a law should be passed declar-
ing them TO be the dress Of the uniformed militia.
The superintendent Of the Philadelphia Arse
nal should be authorized and required to furnish
the fatigue or dress L. s. uniform to companies
upon their requisition direct to them. Until
such an arrangement be made, the Adjutant
General cannot meet many acquisitions for mill
tary clothing which have been made upon him.
Sales of old and useless arms and equipments,
camp equpage, &c, have been made At the Phil
adelphia, Harrisburg and Meadville Arsenals.
That at Philadelphia Arsenal amounted to 564O
10; that at Harrisburg SS4l 64 No return
from Meadvile. This money excluding ex-
pensesl has been paid into the State Treasury
A part (s494 I5l of the appropriation for re-
pairing the Arsenals has been expended.
The Legislature should authorize the Adiutant
! General to inspect personally the arms, &c, Is
sued throughout the State, or allow him to ap-
point some one to discharge the duties for him
/ The State Is suffering serious loss by neglect
/ inc to give To tbs Ahiltnnt Eannr.l IL onu.cr