Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-12-31
The Ten Regiment Bill.


The false impression which has been sought to be
produced on the public mind BY the course of the
Richmond Enquirer and the Destruct'ves IN gen.
eral in regard to the action and designs OF the Con-
servatives in the General Assembly of this State,
demand at our hands full exposure of the facts
The ten regiment bill proposed by the Conserva-
,ves has been denounced most vehemently, and its
advocates charged with design to put this State
in an attitude of opposition to, Or conflict with the
Confederate government yet none of them have
dared, so far we have seen, to publish the bill
itself The Enquirer and others, have thus been
guilty o. war upon phantom of their own crea-
ton and have sought to raise a tempest over what
has no existence in fact. Intelligent Conservatives,
Of course have not been moved a jot by the imper-
tnent vaporings the Enquirer or its party.
Gov. Vance, in his,message, after fully explaining
fine necessities Of the case recommended the raising
Of ten volunteer reg mcnts of State reserves, to CO.
opcratc with the Confederate government in the de-
fence anu protection of Eastern North Carolina At
an early day bill was drawn mp in compliance with
the Governors suggestion, and presented to the
House of Commons and referred to the Committee
On Military Affairs. That Committee, as at first
to the bill before it. but from various causes, by res
;snaton, &c, the complexion of the Committee was
changed, and Mr.. Person, of New Hanover,
made Chairman From that time the Conservatives
exnected no av rablc conslderation of that bill AT
18th the Committee through its Chairman, Mr..
Person presented the following -shaped, uncon-
sutonal, and offensive bill as substitute for the
one before it. for the action of the House. Messrs.
Grissom and Cowes of the Committee, protested
against the bill presented and gave notice of their
intention to bring in minority report. The fol-
lowing is Mr. Persons bill, made in conformity to
the wishes of the Dcstructives of the Committee
We beg the special attention of the press and the
public to the provisions Of the bill:
A BILL TO ORGANIZE TUE STATE RESERVES.
SECTION Be it enac,ed By the GensraI Assen6V of the
STATE rt North Crna and is hereby enaced by the
thoy the same That the Governor De authorized and
required call out five thousand troops to be styled the
State Reserves from among the abebodied between
the ages of eighteen fort vve who not in
the of the Confederate States liable to be
called that service by virtue of the acts Of Congress
commonly known the Conscription and the act for Ex
en,pons supplemental thereto He shall first call out all
such able-bded men, between the ages of eighteen and
years. except such of them ouly shall BE- here
after specially exempted and them to be enrolled and
put camp camps of instruction.: and at The same
time, he shall cause all such persons between 4e ages OF
class shall not furnish five thousand men, then lie shall
cause the remainder be made up by draft Of the
cord subject TO the exemptions hereafter specified
and apporton The number lie drafted of each county
according to the ratio which the number enrolled iuthe
county bears to the whole number snroliei in the State
Sec BE 1t further enacted, That This force shall be
organized into companies and regiments Each company
shall consist of not less than seventy five, than
one hundred men besides its officers and each regiment
shall consist of companies. As sufficient
number IF men TO constitute Company in camp the
* Governor
President Of the Confederate States for l"cal defence
serve Only within the limits Of this State except in
where the Governor S deem ii advisable for the defence
of the State remove them into CONT gunus districts.
SEC 8 Be- it fGrfier enacted. That The Governor shall
appoint all the commissioned cicers both Of The line and
sa and commission them, either before after the
rolment of the men and he require them. well
the officers of the militia aid in enrolling and bringing
SEC Rs Il fu-ther eaocea That this force shall be
subject the rules and articles of of the Confederate
and a1J der in their seSee
and they shall three years during the war; unless
500 mr. discharged but tie be homes
any BY the order of the Governor subj be
our however, within that term, whenever and often
50 receive bounty Of fifty dollars each twenty five
dollars be paid when they mustered into service
and the remainder when they shall have performed six
3 months actual service.
SEC 5 BE it furthsr enactd, That there shall be ex-
empted from service under this the following and
mot inctde Justices of the Peacc) with their clerks
narsiais sherits ministers of the Gospel in charge of
parish congregations the officers and employ
cs of the insane and Deaf and Dumb ard Blind Asviums
with their inmates and pupils physicians who have been
habuay engaged in the practice Of their professions for
ten wears immediately before this ay; the president SUPER
inendent treasurer secretary and reasonable number of
n engineers, and mechanics of each railroad
\ ,anv the Colonel commanding officer Of each re,
inen of the Militia; the Captain commanhing officer
Of each company there be commissioned focer
fortv-fve Of but if there be he only shall
be exempted editor and the necessary number Of
compositions for each newspaper; the president and pro-
essos of colleges the principals and teachers of acade
mics w6" have been teachers for seven years
next before this day; the principal and reasonable
her of employees manufacturers of cotton and wGOn
Il goods iron leaher and s,es, who working under
I with the Confederate Stale government
who have brought themselves within the terms of the
Of Congress providing for exemptions by agreeing to take
and bv taking no more than seventy-ve per profit
mpnn their manuae,ures but in every case it Shall be made
appear the entire satisfaction of the enrolling officers.
and The Governor upon an apea to him from the decision
of the enrolling officer that Such contract agreement
Jona tide. and not entered into pretended merely
escape military duty and the Governor shall have power
III special and extraordinary cases to exempt any other
SEC s. Be it fu,t3a. ennctel That the Governor may
raise he whole or any part of the force herein provided
BY accepting volunteers BY companies by individuals
SIC Be Hftrther enactd That wherever special pro-
vision is not herein made for act thing
carry completely the purposes of this act same
/ shall be done under the general law.
SEC 3. Be ifurther enaced That this act shall be in
! force from and after its ratification.
The above bill was known to be so odious to the
people, that it could not have commanded a cor.
poraIs guard in its support No man in the State,
looking to future preferment would have dared to
touch it. In short time Messrs Grissom and
Cowles presented their minority report with the fol-
owing bill accompanying it. We beg careful! atten-
ltion to it:
! BILL TO RAISE VOLUNTEERS FOR THE
DEFENCE
SECTION l. BE enacted by the General AssenaJy Of the
N"te Of lo Garotiaa and as hereby enartsd by the
"ity IF tile same That the Governor be, and is hereby
authorized to accept the services of any number of
eers not exceeding in The whole thousand men, of any
ersons over the of eighteen years. who not
the actual service Of the Confederate States and
ganze Them into companies battaions regiments brig
aces divisions and to them into the service of
the State and to be subject to the command of the Gov
elnor the constitutional commander Of the military