The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1863-03-04
From the New York Tribune.
THE CONSUMPTION BILL.

From the New York Tribune. I,
y THE CONsCRIPTION BILL. s t.
Mr.. Wilson's bill, which passed the
Senate on Monday night, provides, as re-
CARDS conscription, in substance as fol- +
lows. All able bodied male citizens, and
those who have declared their intentions
to become such. or have exercised the
right of suffrage, between the ages of
twenty and forty five years, constitute the
National forces of the United States, are
liable to perform military duty when call
ed out by the President The exempts |
are those who are physically OR mentally
unfit, the Vice President, heads of E1-
ecutive Departments, United States Judges
Governors of States, only son of an indi-
gent widow, or inffrm parent, or one such
son, where there are two or mere, to be
selected by the parent, also the only
brother of orphan children under twelve
years; also the father of motherless chill
dren of the same age and where two of a
family are in military service the remain
der of such family, not exceeding two,
shall be exempt. No person convicted of
felony shall be enrolled or permitted to
serve The National force not now in
service is to be divided into two classes,
the first class embracing all between 20
and 35 years Of age, and all unmarried
men between 30 and 10 years Of age.
The second class embraces all the others,
and Will not be called into service until
after the first class.
| of
tricts are made corresponding with the
Congressional districts; in each of which
the Presidentappointsa a Provost Marshal,
with rank and pay of Captain of Cavalry,
or he may detail an officer of similar rank
who shall have Bureau in the War De-
naFtment, and shall make the needful
rules and regulations for carrying cut the
provisions of this act. These Marshals
are to arrest dcscrtccs, report treasonable
PRACTICES and detect spies, &c. in each
district there is to be a Board of Enroll
ment consisting OF the Provost Marshal
and two other persons, appointed by the
President, one of whom is to be physi-
clan and surgeon. This beard shall divide
the district into convenient sub-districts
and perfect an enrolment once in each
year, each class to be enrolled separately
Persons thusseurolled are subject for two
years to be called into service to serve fol
three years or during the war, on the
same footing with the present volunteers
advance pay, bounty money, &C., included
When necessary to make a draft, Tho
President shall indicate the number, fol-
each district, taking into consideration
{ the number already furnished since the
;beginnin of the war, so us to f:irly equal
ize the burden; the enrolling officers shall
then make the draft with fifty per cent
! addition, and within ten days serve notice.
upon the drafted men. Substitutes may
be furnished, or communication made Not tc
J, exceed three huadred dollars, at the dis
cretion of the Secretary of War. Any
person draftedjand stailing to report, OIL
furnish substitute, or pay his comma
I. tatiou, shall be deemed deserter, anc
subject to immediate arrest.
The bill provides for the proper sursica
discrimination of drafted men, and the pun
h,nent of surgeons who receive brides
When the draft is finished, all those mo-
taken are allowed travelling pay to theil
homes Those. who furnish substitute.
arc exempt for the entire time Of the
draft and the substitute has the samt
pay, &C., as though originally drafted.
The bill also provides that volunteers
now in service who re-enlist for one veal
shall have bounty of $50, one half pat
down; those who enlist for two years re-
ccive s25 of the regular 500 bounty
Thcreare alsossprovisions for the consoli
} aation of skeleton regiments; also tha
. Generals in the field may execute court
martial sentence against spies, deserters
mutineers or murderers, without reference
to the President. Court martials may
reduce absentee officers in the ranks
Clothing, arms, &c., shall not be sold
pledged or given away, and may be takei
wherever found in illegal hands; persons
who entice soldiers to desert, or harbol
them, or buy their arms or uniforms, anc
ship captains or railroad conductors wht
knowingly convey deserters, may be fuet
: $500 and imprisoned from six months tt
two years. Any person who resists a draf
or counsels others to do so, or dissuade:
them from performing military duty, shall
: be sumnarily arrested, locked up until ths
r draft is finished, then be tried by civi
court and fined $500, orimprisoned twt
Years or both. The President, on th'
L passage of this act, shall.issue procla
nation recalling absentees from the army
who may return without punishment with
in the time indicated, exceptthe forfeitur,
of pay for the time of absence; those who
do not return will be deserters. Officer
absent with leave, except for sickness o
) wounds receive half-pay; officers absen
: without leave, no pay at all There ar,
: other provisions but chiefly Of details no
particularly important.
LOUISVILLE, Feb. "a, Evening 9Th
exciting statements which have been made
here during the past two days, arose from
the fact that about eight hundred rebe
cavalry, under Leroy Clark, entered Rich