Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1863-03-05
The Conscription Bill.

ate, provides, as regards conscription, in sub
stance as follows All able bodied male cti
zens, and those who have declared their nIen
tions 10 become such, or have exercised tht
right CT suffrage, between the ages of TWEEN
ty and forty five years, constitute the Nation
al forces of the United States, and are liable
to perform Military duty when called out by
the President The exempts are those who
are lhys ally or.mtn q ly u ft,the Vice Pie
;dent, heads Of Executive DEPARTING nts Unit
ed States Judges, Governors of States, only
son of an INDECENT widow or infirm parent, OF
one such son, where there are two or more to
be selected by the parent also the only broth
er of orphan children under twelve years, also
the father of motherless children OF the same
age aud when two of a family are in service
| the remainder OF such family, not exceeding
two, shall be exempt. No person convicted
OF felony shall lie enrolled or permitted tc
serve The National forces not now in ser
vice is to be divided into two classes, the first
class embracing all between 20 and 25 years
of age. and all unmarried men between 81
and As years Of age. The second class EN-
braces all the others and will not be called in
to service until aften the first class For con.
venience Of enrolment, districts are made cot
responding with the Congressional districts, in
each of which the President appoints a pro-
vost guard with rank and pay of Captain of
cavalry, or he may detail an officer of similar
rauk who shall have a Bureau of the Wor
Department, and shall make the needfui rules
and regulation for carrying out the provision
Of this acs. These MarshalS are TO arrest de-
serterS, report treas0Dabe practices, detect
spies, &c. In each district there is to he a
board Of enrolment, consisting OF the Provost
Marshals au3 two other persons appointed BY
the President, one Of whom is to be phySl-
clan aud surgeon. This board shall divide
the district iuto convenient sutdistrcts and
perfect enrolment once in each year, each
class to be enrolled separately, Persons thus
enrolled are subject for two years to be called
into service to serve for three years or during
the war, on the present volunteers, advance
pay, bounty money, 60, included. When
necessary to make a draft, the President shall
indicate the number for each district, taking
into consideration the number already furnish
ed since the beginning of the war so as to fair
ly eQnaliZe the burden The enrolling officer
shall then make the draft with so per cent
addition, and within ten days serve notices up
on the drafted men. Substitutes may be fur
nsLcd or communication made hot to exceed
three hundred dollars, at the discretion of the
Secretary Of War. Any person drafted and
failing to report, Or furnish a substitute, or
pay his commuttion, shall be deemed a desert
er, and subject to immediate arrest The bill
provided for the proper surgical examination
of drafted men, and the punishment of sur.
geonS who receive bribes. When the draft is
finished, all those who are not taken are al
lowed travelling pay to their homes. Those
whe furnish substitutes are exempt for the
entire time Of the draft, and the substitute
has the same pay &c, as though originally
drafted
The bill also provides that volunteers now
in service who re enlist for one year shall have
a bounty of fifty dollars, one half paid down
those who enlist for two years receive $25
OF the regular 100 bounty. There are also
provisions for The consolidation of skeleton
regiments also that Generals in the field
may execute court martial sentence against
spies, deserterS, mutiueers, or mnrderers, with
out referance to the President !; coIrt mar
tial may reduced absentee officers TO The ranks;
clothing, arms, &c, shall not be sold, pledged
or given away and may be taken whenever
foand in illegal hands persons who entice
soldiers to desert, or harbor them, or buy
their arms or uniforms, and ship captains or
railroad conductors who knowingly convey
deserterS, may be fined $500 and imprSon.
ment from six months TO two years. ANY
person who resSts the draft or counses other
TO do so, or dissuades them from performing
N ltary duty, shall be summarily arrested,
|, cked up until after the draft is finished, then
be tried by civil court, and fined $500 or
Imprisoned two years, or both. The Presi-
dent, on the passage Of this act, shall issue
proclamation recalling abseutees from the ar
my. who may return without punishment with
in the time indicated, except the forfeiture of
pay for the time of absence. those who do rot
return will be deserters Officers absent with
leave, except for sickness or wounds, receive
half pay officers absent without leave, no
pay at ALL There are other provisions, but
chiefly of details not particularly important.