The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-12-18

A Duty Neglected by the Otsy Council.
Nearly month ago general order
was issued by the Adjutant General, with
a:yiew of obtaining lists of volunteers that
have been mustered into the service of
the United States, that each city and
town might receive its proper credit on
the ensuing draft of January 9Th. We
quote the substance of the order:
The Board of Supervisors of every town the
Common Council of each city. and the Alder
men of each Ward in any city desiring that
their respective districts may receive full credit
as above indicated, will forward by mail, or
other safe conveyance, to this department, a
full and complete list of the names of all vol.
unteers, who, being legal residents of such
town, city or ward, have enlisted or been APP
pointed into the United States service since the
making up of the returns in pursuance of Gen.
eral Orders No. AZ, series of 1862, from this
Department Such list must show explicitly,
as far as possible, the company and regiment
in which such volunteer enlisted or was APP
pointed, and contain an exposition of the num-
Der of those who enlisted in the LIST Regiment
Mounted Rangers previous to the making up
of the returns under General Orders AZ of last
year. 10 =, .ol.. ..
least one member of the Board of Supervisors,
Common Council or Alderman or some per-
son who acted under their direction; in which
latter case. the same must contain an addition
al verifcation by a member of such Board of
Supervisors, Common Council, or Aldermen,
to the effect that such person had been duly
appointed to act by the Board, and that he be.
lieves the list, as made out, to be true and cor
rect. -, .......... 4...
We learn, upon inquiry, that no list
from St. Paul or Ramsey county has yet
been handed in, pursuant to the above
order. A list was made out in the fall of
1852, which is now on file, and upon
which the estimate of the delinquency of
the county under former calls, to the num-
Der OF "a men, was based. Since that
time there have been some enlistments,
for which we should have credit. The ne
cessity of attending to this matter at once,
is obvious. The quota of each town is
now being made up, according to the re-
turns received under the order of 1862,
and that of 1868, which We have quoted.
Our exact quota will doubtless be authori-
tatively announced by the first of January,
when it will be too late to exact credits
that easily might have been obtained, but
for the negligence of those whose duty it
is to attend to this matter. ...
There is a prevalent impression in some
parts of the State, that St. Paul has credit
for many men who had no right to claim
a residence here, and in some localities
efforts are being made to change the rec
ord in this regard. We are informed that
towns are claiming credit for volunteers
whose families are now partially supported
by this city and county, on the ground
that the soldier had once been resident,
or had worked in the town for few
months. But we have said enough on
this question to remind our officials of
their duty. roe
Deserters and Runaways in Canada.
The Newburyport Herald says that from let
tiers from Canada and from men who have re-
Gently visited there, it has received information
that there are at least forty Thousand men in
the British Provinces who have served from six
months to year and half liz our armies.
Some were broken down in spirits and health
by the hardships of war; some suffered from
i'll treatment from drunken or brutal officers ;:
more of them, havingl sick furloughs or liberty
to visit their homes, overstayed their time and
feared to go back. Most of them would now
gladly return to their duty if they could be as
sured that they could do so without being ex-
posed to the terrors of court martial and pun
ishment. The Herald thinks proclamation
to this effect by the President would restore at
least twenty thousand of them to their reg-
ments before the first Of January.