Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-04-08
For the Spy.
Is May Training bOItshed!


MesSrs. Editors In your issue Of Wednesday
morning you say, 1.-The new act concerning the
militia, among other provisions, abolishes May
training. This is done by the repeating clause in
section s, which includes the first section Of
chapter 2lS Of the acts of lS49,' in the acts and
parts of acts repealed"
With great difidence. beg leave to differ from
you in regard to the effect of the new statute
concerning the military. Looking at the question
carefully, it seems me that the Legislature has
not abolished May training / will briefly give
my reasons for this opinion, and first. will recte
the..statute law upon this subject. The military
code of this Commonwealth may be found in the
Revised Statutes, chapter u. The 10th section
of that chapter provides tor May inspection, on
the first Tuesday in May annually, at l o'clock
in the afternoon. This is the first authority for
May training, as i2 is called The next statute
upon the subject is in chapter 80, section %, Of
the acts of 1910, providing that the inspection
shall be on the last Wednesday in May, annual
ly at o'clock in the forenoon. 70 this act
there is a repeating clause. Next, in lS43,
find in chapter ST, section ?, the hour is changed
to one o'clock in the afternoon " Next comes
the statute Of 1919, chapter 2lS, section l, pro
yding as follows:
ain lieu Of the duty heretofore prescribed by
law, to the volunteer companies of militia of this
Commonwealth, and in lien of the compensation
heretofore allowed by law for said duty he duty
prescribed, and the compensation allowed there
fore, shall be as follows, to wit On the last
Wednes day of May, in each year, at If the clock
OF the afternoon, each and every company of the
volunteer militia of this Common wealth shall be
paraded, for inspection ana discipline, by order Of
the commanding officer thereof
The remainder of section one merely provides
for the duty of the Commanding officer, in in
specting the men, not materially differing from
provisions Of former statutes. The compensation
is fixed IN section of the same statute, which is
not affected by the statute recently enacted.
Now to the point
What is repealed b. the recent statute, which
in any manner affects the annual May inspec
ton Section s provides. as you say. that " the
first section OF chapter 2lS Of the Of $40 is
hereby repealed" That is ALL Does that anol
lsh the annual May inspection | think not. 1t
merely repeats the LIST section CT us the effect
OF which Is to revive the preexisting law to wit
the law Of lo43, chapter 81, section 2, providing
for the annual May inspection the last We'd
nesday OF May, at one 0ci0ck in the afternoon.
The compensation is the same now as it has been
since lo49 as provided in chapter 2lS section I.
1t may he of Importance to mention that there is
no repeating clause in chapter 2lS of the statue
OF 1913, and also, that in the recent statute con.
corning the militia there is no other word or line
winch alludes to the May inspection, excepting |
that quoted BY you above, therefore the closing |
section Of the law of 1858, which declares all |
acts and parts of acts inconsistent with this act |
are hereby repealed" has no force upen pre- ex-
listing laws relating to May inspection. D.