Daily union appeal. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1862-186?, 1862-08-27
Ths FrsHch syssem or Drartiag,

Under French law every birth in the empire
must be registered within forty-eight hours,
under pain OF severe penalties for any a.
tempted violation of the code. France is di-
vided into 10000 commanes, each of which
has mayer, holding lis appointment from
the Department Of the interior st Paris, which,
by the way, is in all respects the most i'm
portant branch of the French government.
It is in presence Of the mayer that births are
declared and formally placed upon record for
future reference and use. The law requires
that the child shall itself be brought before
the civic fuuctionary, the fall names of the
infant given, the na1nes and condition of both
parents, when known, given, also the sex of
the child declared, all the facts certified to by
two credible wi nesses, whose names, residen-
ces and occupations are also carefully recorded.
Is viii be seen at glance that the informs-
tlon thus obtained is of immense utility to the
Government in conducting the operations of
the conseription, whose mechanism may be
described IN very few words The Govern
ment calls for contingent, let US suppose, of
| 100000 recruits, for 1862. The Legislative
Body authorizes the levy TO be made. Each
/ department of the Empire, of which there are
now eighty-nine, is required to furnish quota,
based upon the amount of its population. The
mayors hold lists Of all individuals born in
their respective communes, and notifications
drafting age being twenty years. that he is to
present himself on such a day, at the marie,
TO take part n the drawing. This notification
is mere formaiity, as every young man knows
when be will be required to come forward, and
| it frequently happens that young Frenchmen,
residing abroad, return to their native land at
this period, for the special purpose Of fulfilling
duty, which, if they choose, might be readily
avoided, by simply remaining out of France
,.b, AZ
! takes place. we will suppose that particular
| commune is required to furnish 100 conseri pts
| the total number of eligible young men be-
! ing say 500. Five hundred bits ef paper are
/ placed in an urn, of which 400 are blanks, and
! the remainder, marked from one to one hun
! dred, oblge their holders to "fall inn The
| 400 who hsye escaped are now exempt from
military service, unless some extraordinary
/ eyent-such as an invasion of Fraace-should
demand the calling out of the entire arms
! bearing population.
be mode Of raising recruits, as has been
/ seen, is simple enough--all being afforded q
fair chance. AS regards exemptions, the
| French system is scarcely less simple. In the
fret place, the conscripts undergo rigid med
| zeal examination, and if any are found labor
ing under physical disability they are at once
| discharged. Next in order are the exemptions
of soastieHs de fInstIe, individuals with fami-
| lies dependent upon them. Thus the only son
of q widowed mother is exempted So also is
thu only brother of an orphan sister, Brothers
4 Of soldier still serving in the army are ex-
enpted until the latter's term shall expire,
only one of a family being drawn at one time.
\ wife cannot exempt her husband, even if
| there be children, as the law holds that young
men ought not TO marry until they have full
filed their military obligations to the State
fast class of exemptions has pecuniary
feature. In former years, that is to say, up to
| 1856, no conscript not exempt by physical
debility, or by other causes above enumerated
could escape service, except by producing a
substitute. This had given rise to degrading
species of trade or speculation, in which large
numbers of man sellers and buyers were en-.
gagged. But under the system referred to, the
conscript who bought substitute was respon.
sible for his substitute, and if the latter de
serted or died before the expiration of the
seven years term, was liable to be forced back
into the ranks.
This system was abolished in 1856 by order
of the Emperor, and the government itself &C
cepts pecuniary indemnity for the Withdrawal
of a conscript, and practically pays for hi
substitute by offering an ample bounty to vol
unteers. Ii is arranged that the sum received
and paid by government shall vary according
to the military exigencies of the country, bu
the present basis is rs follows: A conscript i
exempted for 2400 francs (S4s0,) and the gov
ernment pays bounty to volunteers amount
ing to 200 francs (S44o,) making profit o
200 francs by the exchange.