Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-10-29

REMARKS OF Nh. DoRR or RUTLAND,
In the House of Representatives, /


this House that the act entitled an act relating
| to the organization, regulation and government
OF the militia of this state, approved December
| = 1867, as II empowers the COMMANDMENTS
Cniei 10 order into the service of the state,
sSeh numbers Of the enrolled militia as In his
Judgment any emergency may demand, is suffi
cient for any emergency which can ar Sc, and
that 1t is therefore inexpedent at this session OF
| the uener., assembly, to pass any act provid.
ing for any other or different organization OF
the militia Of the state,
Mr. Dorr said;
MR.. SPEAKER There is, perhaps, no subject
connected with the legislation ofth'-
wealth, which has 50 generally so unyers aGn,
occupied the minus and sssssr!s 81 the so,id men
of this state, for the past two vas.ss as the act
i've. organization OF hcf militia. The wisest
ana pest men ~ the Commonwealth, those
who haze nearesttheir hearts her honor and
| prosperity, her record of fame for the past
| and her untarnished name for the future, have
all revolved this subject in their minds, ponder
ed upon it's weighty. responsibilities, and tried to
arrive at such solution as the greatest the
highest and best interests of the state demand
ed. 1t is but just to say that these men, looking
at the subject from the same stand point, hay-
ing the same object in view, have yet honestly,
] have no doubt, arrived ut very different CON
illusions. While one portion have desired and
dem anded that an active organization of the
militia should be had - the other portion
riotic, are satisfied with the existing provisions
of the statutes on the subject. 1t Is not i'm
proper for me to say, and say it with all defer
ence to the Judgment and ability of former
legislatures, that the results of action between
the two Houses has been SO varying, that
while one branch OF the legislature were ready
to originate and establish an active militia, the
other were not and when, by changing events
and circumstances, the latter were ready the
former were not. What the one proposed the
other dissented from, and thus with varying
tides of public opinion, the convictions of Ao-
TIvITY and INACTIVITY have drifted about up-
on an unsettled sea of public opinion.
The resolution have introduced is intended
to amount to resolution of instruction to the
committee onimilitary affairs And wish to say
to you, sir, that upon the action of the House
will depend the course which the commits
tee will deem il best to pursue, 80 Y.A
have introduced this resolution for the ex-
press purpose Of ellciting discussion here, upon
theme which has been upon the minds and
tongues OF our people SO long and so often,
and may add, in the very hearts OF the con-
stiluences of the commonwealth we represent
1t may be said that the House has aireadyiak-
enaction in the premises, and as far as the re-
cards of the House are concerned. this is liter
ally true. have in my files resolution intro
duced by the gent eman from Cabot several
days ago, and which know was adopted by
the House. That resolutionis as follows:
Resotpcd, That the exigencies of the times
demand thorough organization of the en-
rolled militia OF TINS stare INTO companies. reg
| iments and brigades, thprovisions for arm
| ing the same--also for an effective drill of each
| company, and its comm ssioned officers, and al
SO OF each regiment with the field and staff of
| fcers OF the same-and also for annual en-
| eampments for the instruction of the entire mi
| li,ia by regiments and biigades.
was not within the bar of this House at the
time of its Introduction, nor on the question OF
| its adoption but am,info med that its intro
duction and ssage elected no word OF com
L ,nau frny a oinplp individual member of this
| House And even now, perhaps, but Tor the
| fact that call the attention OF gentlemen to It,
| it would hardly be remembered that resolu
ton involving, questions Of such moment te
| the freemen of the state, towering above all
| Others in magnitude and importance, as i be
| lieye they do, had been in any wise passed upor
| by this House II is not surprising that it is SO
because if recollect Alright, il was introduced
/ al an early period in the session. when the usl
1 ness of The House was not fairly inaugurated
i and when men knew that resolution was III
decisive in its results and could in no wise giv'
| permanent character to the legislation OF tn
| state. And sir, even now, but for the fact tina
| earnestly cali the attention of the members o
1 this House o the subject of this resolution, i
| might pass without ngie expression OF opln
| ion, and be soon quite overlooked and forgot
| ten f8&
| desire to say sir, in the outset of this discus
| sion-on the very threshold of this debate, tina
this resolution is not in any manner, by lmphea
tion b, inference or ortherwsec an expression 9
| the opinion Of the Committee on Military Affairs
While / seek fair, and candid, and deliberate es
preston of the sense OF the house on the qnestio
involved, ito wuld seem to me improper TO atteml
even by inference, to influence that expression .
any exposition Of the views opinions of th
Committee. do mot therefore wish e urge Q
enforce one ideasor another upon any member
In short sir, do not apper eithear asthe chan
| pion or opponent of the resolution otfer
There seems TO me however 70 be ssme neeess
ty and certainly no impro riety in NV stating |
the House, the grave arguments on the two side
| of this question as suggested to the committee,
| citizens and members all over the st te. Ger
, tlemen may then have an opportunity to we1g
the arguments upon the one side an j TIE othe
and then act in the premises IS their enhghtene
| judgments shall dictate, While the Commute
/. have deemed it improper 70 express their ow
| opinions, in asking that OF a collective hous
they have no desire to shun responshlat
which gheir position as msanbers oil tels house III
poses uYon them, Whatever my opinion may b
| am prepared to make re3ord OF my individu
action, and let il go before the people. l sha
try 10 represent the honest, intelligent. and P;
| triotic constituency who have honored me wit
! my pos ton here, and shall do 1T II, way tn;
, they cannot Ii saunders and the record.
Those who are opposed to any Measures heir
adopted this session for a different organization
the militia CAIN A
That the law now on the statute book, is a
sufficient to provide efiectually for state defenc
that we have suitable system Of snrolImen
and that in any emergency the Governor !
| Commander in Chief is fully invested with al
thority to call out the militia into autive servic
and incur all necessary expense at the state
I charge for its armament, subsistence and pay
| < That between now and the 9Th OF January u
State must meet the call OF the President for
quota OF the 800, 000 troops, that must go dow
once more from our beautiful hills and moul
tains and Wales, to meet the rrmed traitors of Il
/ Government and wipe out one and forever, tn
/ accursed rebellion, Therefore the Legislatu
! must close up its business speedily, and the mer
beers go home to pull off their coats and roll
their sleeves, a id aid in the accomplishment
this great work. s.
> It i further urged that If we undertake n o
, to organize the militia, which is of itself
great work to perform, we shall be emba
! raised by both things SO much that the OF
will defeat the other,-that the great, the par
ri mount, the important the overshadowir
: work Of the hour is to fill the wasted ranks
: a true, a tried, and an honorsd band, vi
| have taken in their hands only life, and ru
tared the tenderest and dearest ties that bour
them to earth, to 20 forth for the vindicatit
/, of the hoROr and integrity OF the government
& and the psrpetuity of the Union. This they II
is the work Immediately in hand,--the other
one that can be, and ought to be postponed.
1t is further urged that admitting that Il
| law is an insufficient, and an unsatisfacto
4 | one they claim thai the United Staies Go
/ eminent has taken this matter of raisil
troops for the national defence out of Il
: hands of states entirely; that dependence u
| on state au h0rties tor raising men has bad
embarra. smen, s, and in the hours of nation
3 peril has proved failure; that it has nc
/. left the Governors cut in the cold, y (and &C
:, tainly some of them have proved unpatrio'