Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-01-01

United States army. His report is
herewith submitted.
To maintain che present organization
of the Guard. costs the Commonwealth
$24. $50 81 annually andsi the pay be
and made equal to that of the
United States army-which. think. is
reasonable and lnst. If it is to be main
tanned uponsits present footing annu
al appropriation OF $28,779 will be re-.
quired. propose therefore a change in
the neutrality-suspicious.. which. if adopt
ed. will save this increase Of pay. add 10
the dignity of the corps. benefit it's off
GERS and priyates, and make it a more re-
liable police guard for the benefit Of this
city and the State. The present pay aud
allowances are sufficientte support an I'M
married man comfortably, but are made.
quate to maintain even very small fam
lily. Many Of the men now enlisted are
married. aud hence the necessity of an
increased pay il the present organization
be continued. But a sufficient number of
young men. Is years Of age. who have
received the rudiments Of instruction.
would gladly become members of the
guard. aud enlist for three, four or Eve
years. il when not on military duty they
could have the opportunities Of good
school. Of grade which their private
means do not allow them to attend.
Each State Senator. with the delegates
from his districs. might nominate one
member for enlistment. and this mode
would select fifty. The remaining mem
Der might be selected by the governor
and officers of the guard.
The officers now in commission, and as
sisted bY professor and tutor, could
give suitable instructions and perform ev.
eey duly now required Of them. The
present Superin endert is fully competent
to be professor Of mathematics and natu
raj philosophy. One of the Lieutenants
could be commandment, and instructor in
tactics, and the other could be detailed
TO perform the duties of commissary and
quarter master. An instructor in ma
chinery and gunnery. and the construc.
ton of arms, and in the elements Of chem.
istry. geolog; and mineralogy. and tu-
tor to teach natural history and the ele-
mentary branches OF education, should be
appointed By the Governor. and the
whole organization be under his supervi
sion. and control as military estabIish~
ment. -.T
Seventy Eve young men. from 10 to
% years OF age. can be- maintained for
IL. 900 dollars per annum. and 8. 900 dol>
lars will be enough to pay for the servi'
ces of the officers and instructors. There
would then be required q small sum to
purchase machinery and apparatus to
furnish good school of mechanism and
of art.
There is ample room at the Armory to
quarter one hundred young men, and
there are fine rooms which might be used
as lecture rooms. besides space enough
for machinery and worke shops.
Some such plan as this. if properly
guarded in its details. would add another
aud peculiarly valuable school Of instruc-
lion. elevate the moral grade of the
corps. enable its officers to live more
comfortably. prevent a necessary increase
Of expense. and be in all respects an i'm
portaInL reform. The men enlisted would
De deemed and held as soldiers in SER
vice as At present. But no service is
now required which any son Of the State
might not proudly perform, under this
school OF training.
TIE PUBLIC ARMS.
The Commonwealth has a large stand
OF arms for infantry and cavalry. and ord
'iuance for artillery both for embrasure
and the field. There are arms for 100.
600 men NJ momenL's warning. But
her mu"kets and pistols. though in good
order. are. except few. flint locks. Ev
cry consideration dem .nds that they
should be altered to percussion. and
threaded in the barrel so as 10 shoot thu
conlcal bull. and be made self>priming
TO Il. tits as it ought to be done. wouIr
require an appropriation Of about 10 OOC
dollars per annum for six years. W.
would be false to any force TO put it into
Il he field with alnt locks and round bull
let's against percussion guns and conica
balls. So disused are flint muskets tina
our volunteers object to mastering will
them; they cannot fire with them a repu
table salute; and, il war should come
there would be scarcity of fints, as
they are not made as formerly. there no.
being the same demand for them.
therefore. recommend an appropriation o.
| 10000 dollars for the alteration of arms
and refer to the accompanying report o.
the superintendent OF the Armory. whom
| detailed to make an examination Of the
cheapest and most approved plans.
And here | will take occasion to in.
form ytu that lately the Governor OIL
Maryland applied to me as chief execu
live Of Virginia. to lend to that Safe a
portion oil the public artns. for reasons
which he states in the accompanying let
ters. aud which appear in his accompa'
nying correspondence with the Mayor OF
Baltimore. His purpose was avowed &c
protect the freedom Of elections and the
peaceful exercise Of the elt Give franchise
in tha S1aIa whose laws he il hnunl To