Litchfield enquirer., 1862-05-15

cent, their deposits twenty per cent; and thei, specie fifty per cent, since the last annual re- port. teen million, nine hundred and eighty-three thousand nine hundred and ffty-nine dollars and forty four cents being an increase of six hun dred and six thousand, two hundred and eighty | nine dollars and twenty.six cents, during the year. The deposits in the Building Associations amount to one million. six hundred and ninety six thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven dollars and seventy-tw0 cents. r
 The occurrences of the past year are in them selves incontestable arguments to prove the ne cessity of devising a system for protecting the rights of our citizens against foreign or domestic intervention.
 | Such means of protection can be secured in no way so surely and economically, as bya legal ly organized system of militia.
 l will state briefly few principles, upon which in my judgment such system should be founded, refer to few provisions and defciences in our present law, and would respectfully request you to make such amendments or additions to it as our position and circumstances appear to de mand.
 The Government is establishhed for the ben eft and safety of the citizens. In an imperfect state of society this end can be attained, only by concentrating aud controlling so much of the physical power of the State, as may be necessa- " to protect the person, the property, and the liberty of each individual. The citizen, being a part of the State, is under obligations to perform Q part of that service, or furnish portion of that power which is required by the State for the protection of every other citizen. This tr tl,o h,,,l ,rd der service on the other, is mutual between the Government and the governed, and furnishes the necessity for mil tary system.
 A law, therefore, for the organization of such system should not merely invite but secure the requisite service. It may not be framed in ac cordance with the wishes of the individual, but like every other law should be in conformity with the aggregate views and just requirements of majority of the people. The citizen may regard the performance of military duty as burden, like taxation, but the government must, for selfpre- servation sec that the burden is borne.
 The demands of the law should be.addressed to physical ability. Wealth and poverty are not the only standards by which we can judge of the capacity of the State to defend her citizens. The one class should not be exonerated by a nominal pecuniary penalty, nor the other burdened with heavy expenditures by the requirements of law
 
 and harmonious that the whole force, or any DOT ton thereof, could rap dly be put in requisition.
 would further sug.et as important, if not essential, division of the militia into two classes according to age, the younger of which shoull be required to perform active service, and be first rendered to the General Government, on requisi- tiou by the President. And also, that the State be divided into military districts according to and Board of officers be appointed to examine the qualifications of all nominees for regi mental and line officers before they be com 
 The act relating to the militia on oHr Statute books differs in some respects from theprincipes suggested. It requires not only the enrolment of all persons liable to perform military duty. but the organ zation of an active force, to consist of not less than forty nor more than sixty four com panies, liable, at all times to be called into the service of the State, and in case of war or insur rection, to be turned into the service of the United States in compliance with any requsition made by the President.
 It provides that if volunteers do not offer in sufficient numbers to fill the active militia, the deficiency may be supplied by drafting.
 On the l4th of Jan. last, only thirteen compa- nies, embracing but six hundred and nineteen men, from an enrollmsnt of fifty four thousand three hundred and forty had volunteered to form 3 part of the active militia. To complete the or ganization contemplated, the Commandments Chief issued an order to the Selectmen of the sev eral towns which had not furnished their quota to designate by lot from the inactive militia one person to every eighty inhabitants and make re- turn of the enrolled to the Adjutant General!
 Many who were thus designated as a part of the active militia, paid ten dollars, as provided in the l2 section of the law, and their names were not enrolled.
 Although it was manifest that the Public Trea- sury might be largely benefited in this manner yet it was equally manifest that the mode of tax ation was unequal, and that proper subjects for military duty could defeat the contemplated or ganization
 Now drafts became necessary to supply the deficiency and new yacanes occurred by the pay ment of fues until it became evident that some towns would not furnish their quota without re. drafting those who claimed to be exonerated from service through compliance with the alternate provisions of the act. As these results were neither desired, nor anticipated by the framers of peared to require amendments before the burdens could be equitably distributed, and as hopes were that the active militia would be in- creased by other volunteers further action, under the order for drafting, was suspended.
 I trust you will direct the selectmen to refund to the parties who paid the fines, the money now held under strict compliance with the order
 You will judge as to the limit of expenditure in the purchase of arms and equipments for the State militia.
 It appears to me important that We should have enough to supply at least ten thousand infantry, and proportionate force of Artillery and Cav airy. Anticipating your action on this subject, have already given the Quartermaster-G General orders to purchase ordnance and equipments to complete five batteries of artillery, each to be composed of four 6-pound cannon and two l2- pound howitzers, and one battery of fq ' 2-pound the quality and standard last adopted by the War Department. ...... ....-.... 1.
 The heavy battery will be we'll adapted to aid in coast defence and should be located with refe- renee to that object. s.s
 An act to provide for the organization ard equipment of a Volunteer Militia, and to pro- vide for the public defence, approved May 9th, 1861, together with acts in addition thereunto approved June 27th, 1861, and Oct. 18th 1861, authorized the Executive to accept the services of an unlimited number of volunteers. and cause them to be enlisted and mustered into the ser vice of the State for the purpose of being turn ed over to the service of the United States, and conferred amble power to organize, officer and equip them, in such manner as he should or. der and direct. -@@'5 s5 as sa3 :1Hs s. ! Under this act there had been organized, mus tered, and turned over to the service of the United States, on the 18th dayof April thirteen Regiments of Infantry, embracing in officers and men. .... l2,9O4 One Battalion and one squadron of oav- s.
 airy. .,,.... ... 5lS One Battery of Light Artillery ....s. l56