The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1863-02-17
The NOW Conscription BIN.

Washington Correspondence N. Y. Eve. Post.
The Senate Military Committee have hit
upon Militia bill at la.t, which establishes
its own, regulations, leaving nothing to the
War Department. There was great complaint
when tho first bill was introduced by the, dis
position Of the Republican majority to hand
over all authority TO tho Secretary Of War,
aud the question was asked. 4" Why not enact
in single paragraph that the President may
make every regulation in all the departments
Of the Government that be may think neces.
sary aud in short, why should Congress leg
islate at alp But the bill which the Mill
tary Committee has agreed to is an elaborate
act establishing all the needful regulations 10
enforcing draft ard entirely overriding all
State laws upon the subject as it should do. ,
The popular feature Of the bill is that
everybody between the age of eighteen and
forty five, excepting only the courts and tho
President, is liable to be drafted The able
bodied population between those ages is divi
ded into two classes, tho first Including oil be.
tween eighteen and thirty, and the second
between thirty and forty five. The first draft
will be made from the first class, and if a
second is required it will be made from the
second class Y All persons who ars drafted
can, by paying the sum Of 5000 (ths sum is
likely 10 be increased TO $500 in the Sepate)
be released, the Government, as is the case in
France, procuring substitutes with this money,
as it can do much easier than tho ordinary
substitute brokers, as there will be no COM
petition and no "go between," who himself
takes one half the substitute money as a fee.
Such law, it is believed, will be made more
satisfactory than pernclous enactments, es.
pecially as it contains several humane prov-
sions protecting the only son of a widow, the
son upon whose industry parents are entirely
dependent for support, etc., etc. The bill
was prepared with immense research and
labor, some Of the best military and legal
gentleman in the country were consulted by
Senator Wilson, and their advice, wherever it
was practicable, was followed. 1t is thought
that this bill will pass. t 1e 80 nm
, Since writing the above / learn that the
Military Committee made several changes in
Military Committee made several changes in
the bill before introducing it into the Senate
this afternoon.1g As first drawn up, Con-
gressmen were not exempt, but it was after
wards concluded best to exclude them, with
the heads of TIE departments. So Of the
provisions permitting any drafted man to pay
a sum Of money to the Government, and thus
be excused-upon further deiberaton the
Government stuck it out, and simply permit
any drafted person to procure a substitute. f
The bill will probably be changed in com
mittee, and its fate in Congress is probemat
ica. The prominent feature OF the bill il
that it asserts the power Of Congress to raise
an army directly without recourse to State
Governors, ard the drafted men will be put
at once into tho existing regiments. The
Democratic leaders in Congress contend that
this feature of the bill renders in unconsttu
tional. 80 GcIa "a s4l.s yW 81