The Portland daily press., 1862-07-12
The Militia Law of 1862.


1t may be interesting to the readers Of the
Press to know, more definitely than perhaps
they now do, the precise features of the Militia
Law enacted at the last session of the Legisla-
ture. A very long bill was reported by the
Military Committee, but owing to its glaring
defects and its failure to meet the practical
demands likely to be made upon the people. 1t
was all rejected, except the first ten sections
which provide simply for an enrolment of those
liable to perform military duty. This was done
near the close of the session, when ii was too
late to digest and prepare substitute for the
rejected portion that would be any more ac-
ceptable to the people or efficient in operation.
Below we give a brief digest of the bill as it
was approved by the Governor.
sEcrIoNl Every able-bodied white male citizen
resident within this State, of the age of eighteen wears
and under the age of fortyse years excepting per-
sons hereinafter exempted shall be enrolled In the
militia; and in cases Of doubt respecting the age of
any person enrolled, the burden Of proof shall be up-
ON such person.
Section simply provides that selectmen of
towns and aldermen of cities, shall annually
deposit with their respective clerks, wrts of
persons residing in their respective limits, liza
BILE to enrolment.
Section requires hotel and clearinghouse
keepers, &c, to furnish lists of those residing
with them, liable to enrolment, or give the ne
cessary information to persons authorized TO
call for it, and provides penalties for refusal of
any person to give his name, age or other in
formation needfnl to be known by the enroll
ing officers.
Section requires the clerks of cities and
towns to transmit certified copies of the lists
provided for in Section 2, one TO the Adjutant
General, and one TO the Major General of the
division, and provides penalties for neglect
Section requires the Major Generals to de-
signate proper persons to act as orderly ser
geants and to make enrollments, and gives
general instructions to such officers.
Section @ provides for returns to be made by
such orderly officers, to the Adjutant Generals
office, with the necessary youches to be made
to the towns and cities to entitle them to their
pay for the service rendered
Section Z provides that upon the receipt of
the required vouchers, Their Treasures of the
towns and cities shall pay to such orderly SER
geants, within their respective limits five cents
for each and every persons name contained on
their respective rolls, taking receipts therefor.
Section requires commanding officers of
companies, assisted by the clerks thereof, to
enroll persons liable to do military duty, with
in their respective limits, so soon as such liza
bity shall come to their knowledge.
The remaining sections we give in full:
SECTIONS, Whenever it shall appear TO the CON-
handing officer of a regiment, that any company
within his command is without a commissioned Off
GER he shall order the clerk of such company TO en-
roll all persons liable TO do military duty therein and
to return certified copy of the roll thereof to him
forthwith. II there be no clerk. such commanding
officer may require in writing, the aldermen of cities
the selectmen of towns and the assessors of panta-
tions in which said company is situated TO return TO
them within ten days the list required in section 2
and thereupon he shall appoint sergeant in such
company who shall enroll said company and make the
same returns as mentioned in section g. If such
such clerks, aldermen fail to comply with
any of the provisions of this eprecedng sections
they shall forfeit and pay not less than twenty nor
more than hundred dollars, 10 be recovered in an
action of debt, by any person whatever one-half to
the use of the State, and the remainder to the of
the prosecutor.
EXEMPTIONS
SECTION 10. In addition TO the following persons
absolutely exempted from enrolment in the militia
by the laws of the United States viz the vice presj
dent of the United states the officers judicial and
executive, of the United States the members of both
their respective officers:
tom house officers and their clerks inspectors of ex
ports pilots and mariners employed in the sea SER
vice of any citizen or merchant within the United
States post masters assistant post masters and their
clerks post officers, post riders and stage drivers in
the care and conveyance of the mail of the United
States ierrymen employed at any ferry on the post
road artifeers and worknen in United States arsen-
ais; the persons hereinafter shall be absolutely ex-
empted from military duty, viz: persons of the de-
nominations of quakers and shakers justices of the
supreme Judicial court, ministers of the gospel regu-
larry ordained according to the nsages Of their de
nominations so long such relation continues aud
officers of the militia who have been honoraby dis
charged
lApproved March 10, 1851