Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1862-02-25
The Military Exemption Bill.

the I'd section of chapter % OF the Code of Vir-
gina, respecting persons exempt from al Militia
ry duties and providing the mod. of exemption.
was passed by the General Assembly on the 1871
instant:
Be it enacted by the General Assembly, that
the I'd section of the 22d chapter OF the Code be
amended ard re- enacted so as to read as fol-
lows: - -
"The following persons only shall be exempt
from the pei formance of al military duties to
wit: the Vice President of the Confed tate
States :he ntficers judicial and executive, of the
Government OF the Confederate States !. the
Members OF both Houses OF Congress and the
Clerk of each house all Custom House officers !;
the Lieutenant Governor; all the Members OF
the General Assembly during the term for which
they were elected or appointed; the Secretary
OF the Commonwealth and his Clerks the Clerks
OF the House of Delegates and Senate the Judges
Of the Court of Appeals and Circuit Courts the
Clerk of each of said Courts, and of each County
aud Corporation Court; Judge of Hastings
Court; the Sheriff OF each county and the Ser
geant and Collector of Taxes of each corporation
having llustings Court, and lhe Commission
ers Of the Revenue; the Attorney General the
Treasurer; two Auditors; Register of the land
office; Superintendent OF the PeDitentiary and
Gospel licensed TO preach according to the ru!es
| OF his sect; Saperntendents of the public hos
plta,s; Lunatlc Asylums, and the regular nur-
ses and attendants therein; and the Teachers
employed in the Institution for the Deaf and
| Dumb and Blind one Physi.sn to every two
| Thousand population, to be elected by the Board
hereafter const tuted; the President, the Gen
tral Superintendent and two Local Superinten-
dents of the Southern Telegraph Companies, in
no case to exceed four persons; the President
an Superintendent of Transportation OF each
Railroad; the President, Secretary and OhieI
Collector of each Canal company. No one shall
be exempt from draft by reason of his being an
agent OF Conmissary or Assistant Cnmmissary,
or Qaartermaster, or Ass slant Quarter master,
whether said Commissary or Assistant Comn J.
sary, or Quarternaster, Assistant Quarter
master be in the service of the Confederate
States Or by reason of bis holding any Office or
commission in the Militia; ana whenever any
Militia officer is drafted for active service, his
commission shall be vacated. e.
| g.. If the constituted authorities of any city
shall, within twenty days after aay draft has
been made theretro,n, apply to the Governor for
the purpose, he shall exempt from actual military
service any drafted person who may be at the
time OF the draft officer of such city, or n its
service in connection with its gas works, or fire
duu POiiCS -aepdrtiueUi.. Auu III WltHlu twenty
days after any draft the President and Superin-
tendert OF any Railroad 'jansl. and Telegraph
Company shall certify, upon their honor, to the
Governor, that the service Of any drafted person,
who is an officer or employee of such company,
are necessary to the efficient operations of the
| said road, the Governor may, in his discretion,
exempt snch person from actual military SER
vice. a. soA
ANY person exempted under this section shall
be deemed to be detailed for duty on the post or
place he filed at the time he was drafted, with
cut pay as soldier, and in case be shaI leave
the service Of such city company, he shall al
once be relnanded to the military service for
which he was drafted. If any such person shall
tail Tor ten days after leaving such service to re-
port himself to the Governor, or to some military
officer for duty soldier, be shall te proceed
ed against as deserter. The Governor shall
promptly cause the places under tnis section to
1 be filled by further draft from the respective
counties, cities, and towns, from which such
persons were drafted. 1t shall be the duty OF
the President or Mayor Cf the city, or company,
rs the case may be, promptly to report to the
Governor, the name of any person so exempted
| who may have left the service for which be was
detailed.
3. Immediately after the passage of this act,
the Governor shall issue his proclamation, re
quiring the organization of board of exemptions
in each county and corporation to consist of the
presiding justice or recorder, and any two iusti.
ces whom such presiding Justice or recorder NAV
associate with him. In case the presiding JUS
tice or recorder cannot for any cause act. the
clerk OF the hustlngs Or county court shall sum-
mon any three Justices who shall constitute such
board. In case there be no such clerk present
and capable of acting, the clerk o. the circuit
court shall act; or the Governor may designate
any three justices of the county or corporation,
who shall constitute the board, and appoint their
own clerks.
4. The board have cognizance of all questions
of exemption, and shall adjudge the sufficiency
OF the excuse given by any person, who, by rea-
son of his failure to report his name for enroll
nent, as required by the act entitled an act for
asceriairing and enrolling the military force
of the Commonwealth, passed Febs uary Sth 49,
may have been enrolled among the drafted evies
as prescribed in said act. For Furnishing con-
teinpts aod compelling the attendance of witnes
ses, the board shall have the powers of a county
court.
5. In no case shall the board grant a dis
charge upon claim of exemption for bodily
infra:ity, unless at least two physicians of res
pectabls standing, being duly sworn, shall prove
before said board that I'll bodily iDtirlnty is OF
a permanent character, and is such as will dis
qHaiify the claimant for discharging the duties
of soldier.
6. Every claim for exemption or excuse shall
be filed with the clerk of the board, who snail
issue process for snch witnesses as the claimant
or enrolling officer may require and within five
days after draft is made, and on a day to e
designated by the board, the trial of cases of
exem tion and excuse shall commence !: and the
same shall be disposed OF in a summary manner
as speedily may be-. The clerk of the beard
shall promptly report to the adjutant general
the name ct each person exempted or excused
by the boa d. i.-.6I
7. For every failure TO discharge any duty
prescribed 10 this act, the members of the boa,
ard the clerk may each be fned not less than
ten nor more than one hundred dollars
s. al acts and ordinances inconsistent with
this act, are hereby repealed.
9. This act shall be in force from it's MASSAGE
The Roanoke Island Disaster.
For the disaster at Roanoke Island, deep re.
sponsibliity exists somewhere, aud it would be
as use ess to attempt to deny or Disguise this fact
as it would he wrong to do it even were its
accomplishment possible.
The defences of The position clearly bore no
proportion to the force likely to be ought |
against them nor We're they at all commensurate
wi h the real Importance of the posts or the
advantages which its maintainance would have
secured.
There was 10 hurry-there was no surprise. |
The authorities had full warning. The post
Lad not been recently occupied. The mighty
/ 4 - III Ill