Litchfield enquirer., 1862-05-15

City of New York, has been. appointed Assist
 ant Quartermaster General, and has devote,
 much time and rendered highly important ser vice to the State, by securing from the Govern
 ment payment to disabled volunteers while-de
 tained in that city, and by. aiding in the trans
 portation of troops, and adding to their comfort
 whether on their way to the seat of war, or re
 turning sick or wounded to their friends. Hs has received only the amount expended by hin in the performance of his duties, his patriotism having led him to decline compensation for Ser I vices rendered.. ~ fr.-.,,, ,..,,..-- ....- T would refer you to the able and interesting report of the Adjutant General, which exhibits ln detail the organization of the several volun teer corps, the officers, and number of men in each, the resignations and promotions, the nun l Der killed and wounded in battle, and the mum Der of privates and officers from each town and city in the State twill be also seen that there are ten thousand three hundred and forty two priyates and non-commissioned officers, and two thousand nine hundred and thirty-two families entitled to pay from the State.
 The report presents the number of active and enrolled militia and valuable suggestions re. specting a more perfect militia system. ..... 1 John NJ. Hathaway was appointed Quarter in office until his resignation, August 3lst, 1861. Jonathan B. Bunce was commissioned as his successor, but resigned his post on the l6th day of January, when the vacancy was filled by the appointment of William A. Aiken. His report very clearly presents the present condition of his Department, with an inventory of property on hand purchased for the volunteers in the ser vice of the United States, as we'll as an invento " of arms, equipments, and other military ap pointments owned by the State, and specifies the places where they are deposited.
 William o. Irish, Paymaster. General, resign ed his position, on the 18th day of January 1862, and his place was filled by the appoint ment of William Fitch.
 Your attention is called to the law providing compensation foRthis officer which, in case oi death or resignation, is liable to more than one construction.
 Some idea of the increased labor and respon siblity of this Department, may be formed from the fact that 1t is subjec to over thirty thousand dollars per annum. from the present number of volunteers now in the service. That the duties of the officers in the other Military Departments have increased as largely, may be reason why the law regulating their compensation. should d. so be reviewed.
 It is my duty to acknowledge in this public manner, the receipt of a Steel Cannon, gift from the Hon. Henry s. Sanford, Minister of the United States to Belgium, which, for the caibre,
 
 other ordnance, prized, not only for its excel lence of workmanship, its superior finish and in trnsic value, but as an offering of loyal son of Connecticut, rendered, as a substitute for per sonal services, while detained abroad in the per tormance of official duties.
 On the twenty-seventh day of November, sent notice by mail to the Secretary of the Treas ury of the United States, that the General As sem5ly of this State had resolved to assume and pay her quota of the direct tax, laid by Congress- on or before the time required by the Statute.
 A communication was soon received from that officer, evidently written before the receipt of my letter, enquiring whether the State of Connecti- cut would assume and pay such tax, and also whether, in case of any change in the law, by which different and perhaps larger amount should be apportioned to the State, the authori- ties would probably pay it.
 On the fourth day of December, 1 sent that officer certified copy of the Resolution, passed by the General Assembly at its special session, by which our Senators and Representatives in Congress were instructed to use their efforts to procure the repeal of that part of the act of Congress, relating to a tax on incomes, approved August 5th, 1861, confirmed the notice previ- ously given of the intention of this State to as- sume and pay her own quota of the direct tax already imposed by Congress, and stated that we would assume and pay our quota of any specific tax which Congress might impose upon the sev- eral States, and also that "Connectcut has adopted a system of taxation in accordance with the views, usages and business interests of her citizens, a system altogether better for her peo- pie than any which may be adopted by the Gen eral Government, and she will ever prefer meet ing her pucuniary obligations to the Govern ment through her own officers rather than through assessors appointed by Federal authorities"
 The arrest of Mason and Sldell, bearers of despatches from the rebel confederaey, to for egn powers, by the captain of an armed United States ship, while they were -on board an English vessel, led the British Government to assume threatening attitude towards this nation, and make a demand for the immediate, and uncon- tional surrender of the prisoners.
 The event excited among our citizens some interest for the defense of the Southern part of our State, to which my attention was specially called by the authorities of the city of New Ha- ven.
 As the duty of providing defenses against common enemy, devolves upon the national gov ernment, brought the subject to the notice of the Secretary of War, and at an interview with that officer, represented the exposure of our ter ritory lying nearly one hundred miles on Long Island Sound, and the evident necessity of some action by the government. Assurance was giv- en, that the subject of national defence had been committed to Board of competent engineers, with instructions to examine and report some plan or system, for protecting the entire line, and that in that plan, the interests of Connecti- cut would be properly regarded. The subject is now before Congress, and through the influence of our Senators and Representatives, will un. doubtedly receive due attention.
 That such pressing demand as has been sta ted, connected with warlike preparations at home, and the gathering of large naval force upon our shores, unaccompanied by any lndica- ton that an amicable adjustment of questions at issue might be secured, or was even deslred should have been made by an enlightened, pow erful and magnanimous nation; at period in which all our energies were required to grapple successfully with most formidable and extend- ed rebellion; upon the suppression of which, depended not only the very existence of our na- tional government, but the highest. interests of civilization and human liberty; overwhelms us with grief and indignant astonishment.
 We shall learn valuable lesson from the oc- currence, if we rely less upon professions of am ity and philanthropy, and adopt more rigid our own skill, so as to develope our resources to the full production of whatever will make us in dependent of the clamor of foreign commerce, and fearless of the menaces of foreign power. Our National Constitution was founded upon the divine night of man to selfgovernment, and adopted by the people under a solemn pledge of submission and obedience to the will of the ma jority. '-- A denial of this principal, a'violation ofthese pledges by the minority, and the claim that ine superior and more intelligent class has lga', based upon the importance of more perfect development of our social condition, to the con