Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1863-02-28
The Conscription Bill.

stance as follows
All able-bodied male citizens, and those
who have declared their intentions to be.
come such, or have cxero ised the right of
suffrage, between the ages Of 20 and as
years, constitute the National forces Of the
United States, and are liable to perform
duty when called out by tho
President. The ezempts are those who
are physically or mentally unfit, the Vice
President, heads Of Executive Departments
United States Judges, Governors of
States, only son of an INDECENT widow, or
infrm parent, or one such son, where
there are two or more, to be selected by
the parent, also the only brother of orphan
children under twelve years, also the
father of motherless children Of the same
age and where two of family are in
military services the remainder of such
family, not exceeding two, shall be exempt.
No person convicted Of felony shall be
enrolled or permitted 10 serve.
The National force not now in service
is to be divided into two classea, the first
class embracing all between 90 and 80
years of age, and all unmarried men be-
tween 80 and 45 years Of age. The Sec
ond class embraces all the others and will
not be called into service until after the
first class For convenience Of enrolment,
districts are made corresponding with the
Congressional districts in each Of which
the President shall appoint Captain Of
Cavalry, he may detail an officer of sim.
liar rank who shall have Bureau in the
War Department, and shall make the need
ful rules aud regulations for carrying out
the provisions Of that act. These Marsh.
ais are to arrest diser,ors, report treason
able practices, and detect spies, &c.
In each district there is to be Board
of Enrichment, consisting of the Provost
Marshal and two other persons, appointed
by the President, one of whom is to be a
physician and surgeon. This board hall
divide the district into convenient sub
districts and perfect an enrolment once in
each yer each cl ISIS to be eurtl ed separate.
y. Persons thus enrolled are subject f + 2
years TO be called into service to serve for
three years or during tho war, on the foot
ing with the present volunteers, advance
pay, bounty money, Sc, included.
When necessary to make draft, the
President shall indicate the number for
each district, taking into consideration
the number already furnished since the
beginning of the war, so as to fairly equa,-
lie the burden; the enrolling officers sh al
then make the draft with so per cent ad
di,on, aud within ten days serve notice
upon the drafted men.
Substitutes may be furnished, or cem-
mutation made not 70 exceed three hInd-
red dollars, at the discretion of the Secro
tary of War. Any person drafted and
failing TO report, or furnish substitute, or
pay his commutation, shall be deemed a
deserter, and subject to immediate arrest.
The bill provides for the proper surg.
cal examination of drafted men, and the
punishment Of surgeons who receive bribes
When the draft is finished, all those not
taken are allowed travelling pay to their
homes. Those who furnish substitutes
are exempted for the entire time Of draft,
and the substitute has the same pay, &c.,
as though originally drafted.
The bill also provides that volunteers
now in service who recElist for one year
shall have bounty of $50, one half paid
down. these who enlist for two years
receive s25 of the regular Sle) bounty.
There are also provisions for the con-
solidation Of skeleton regiment also that
General in the field may execute court
martial sentence against spies, descrtcrs
murd dercrs, without reference to the Presi-
dent; courts martial may reduce abenttoc
officers to the rank; clothing, arme, &c,
shall not be sold, ,pledpod or given away,
and may be taken wherever found iu i'll
egal hands; persons who ontice soldiers tc
desert, or harbor them. or buy their arms
or uniforms, and ship captains or rail-
road conductors who knowingly convey
dcserterS, may be fined $500 and impris-
oned from six months to two years.
Any person who resists u draft, or
counscls others to do 80, or dissuades them
from performing military duty, shall bt
oummariIy arrested, locked up until thu
draft is finished, then be tried by civil
court, aud fined $500 or imprisoned two
years, or both.
The President, on the passage Of thi