Litchfield enquirer., 1862-10-16
q, THURSDAY. OCT. l6, 1862.
aa1 s7f 5N s7STa ,7GG'f 7fT IT " An Extra Session of the Lcgisiatur

An Ext Extra Session of the Legislature Jai Newfoundland is possible that an extra ses -osioa of Legislature will be called by his ex dssllshey' the Geverhor at an early day There arE ~sevefapimportant reasons why the Legislature should be called together at this time, the first land perhaps the most important of which is, te eefscea; change thelaw relating to the raising the nsohsy on tbssate Loan. As it is at present ,seonstitused dhe State has right to call in the loan at the expiration of five years, and as this would not be sconsidefsd a permanent invest ,nent, hisloai would hardly be apt to be taken at par Hence no money has been borrowed under this loa4, and will not be until the Lesis -iature' has an opportunity to amend it.. It is EtheughSthat the saving to the State that may ,te'made by the amendment of this law, will fully .balanceFt the esbense of calling this session o ythe Legislature. H s'.- '>,
 The militia law also needs immediate amend ment, as. everybody knows. The fact that there are at present but three skeleton conpanies in the State, uudsr the present law isproof enough of it's effectiveness. Of course while bounties are being offered to volunteers for nine months service, but very few will enroll them. selves in the active militia, with the certain -ty that, if & draft becomes necessary hereafter, they will be the first that will be called into ser vice out of the State upon requisltlon ot the President. And we dc hope that 1.-the law is to be amended in this and other respects, it will be so. amended by somebody else than the hero of Rocky Hill, who has already exhibited his in genuty in manufacturing Militia law to the full satisfaction of the State.
 s' Something might also be done 10 advantage in amendment of the process Of drafting men to fill the town quotas which are deficient. The law. as at present constituted, is notoriously ire ficient, unequal and unjust. The powerls given to the selectmen of the various towns-to make pretty much such enrolment of their town as they see fit to make and in such towns where dratt becomes necessary, this method of enrolment is certainly open to objection and suspicion, To take an instance of town not d hundred miles from us, where the enrolment numbered less than 70 out of population of 769, and from which a draft of thirty four was made, but six 0 these remain to count upon the town quota three of them though substitutes, and three standing the draft; while the rest have returned home liauing been discharged on various pretences iy thebost surgeon CT some of his assistants al New Haven. Now either the surgeon or hit assistants are open to the suspicion of bribery TOT the,selectnen of the town to criminal favor itism in, putting those upon the roll who they knew, to be. disabled from military service, anc .omitting others who were able bodied from par tisan or other ,discredtable reasons or else th' town in question contains a sorry set of mil itary subjects and hospital for inyads should be erected at once within it's borders. lr any event it is evident too much discretion iE afforded the town authorities, an opportunity fol fraud is open winch may be taken advantage of as we have suggested for partisan or personal ia vofitisni: and when once the door for such favor tism or discretionary power isopened we cannot tOfetel Ftne results, or WneTesucH QlScTStiou VIII begin or end. It is better therefore, in our opin Ion, to make the whole male population between the'ages of eighteen and forty five the basis oi Sdraftg and then throw the responsibility of ac. cepting Or rejecting such as may be drafted fol military subjects upon those whose absolute duty itisto bear the burden and the responsibility For these and other weighty reasons, we arc glad to know that the Governor has it il comtemplationt call together the Legislature
 and We trust he wlldo it speedily, and the Stat' will thank him forso doing 5 ..-, ', ..e .