The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-11-03
the Chair announced as the bill relating to the

The bill amending the existing militia, aud
providing for an active organization Of fifty COM
panies of the militia was taken up as special or
der.
The pending question was upon the motion to
strike out section nine OF the bill, which provides
that every member of the reserve militia shall
pay an annual tax OF one dollar to support the &C
tive organization.
Mr.. Dorr spoke at some length in opposition
to this motion. The gentleman from Woodstock,
(Chandei) who made this motion, had urged that
all expense which can be avoided, should be. He
had favored also lessening Inc number of c1mpa-
MES. lie had in fact by his motion struck at an
important feature of the bill. 1t was important
that the organization proposed should be self-sus
tanning. If this feature was removed, of course
the next thing would be o save expense, and so
a vital part of the bill would be stricken from it,
and i; would be practically Inefficient.
Mr.. Chandler Of Woodstock stated that he had
made the motion IN good faith, and that be had
not intended to strike at that which was vital to
the bill. If this feature OF the bill was really vi
tai to it, he could not favor its passage But he
believed that this was not by any means the case,
and he believed his constituents and the people at
large desired the passage Of his bill but not with
the provision Of it to which be had objected. He
believed tie point under discussion would if re-
taineQ IN the Dill be an lDluslce.
MIR. Deane con urred in the main in the view
Of the gentleman from Woodstock. He would
prefer, however, an amendment which would re-
qure every tax payer, bot member of the re-
served militia, to pay fifty cents for The support of
organized militia. III re would be some justice
in This, and it would be- lar better than to rely
upon State tax, as favored By the gentleman
fiom Woods ock. Ii, how ever he had to choose
II u5tI as no
amended acc riding to the notion, he should vote
for the Amendment. LII reference to making the
org anization self sustaining, while it might be
somewhat important, be thought it still more SO
TO take some means to engage all the people,n it
In such way that they shall be Interested in its
success. The best way 10 accomplish this would
be to amend 80 as to requile each tax payer to
bear his part, as well as each of the reserved
militia.
Mr.. Bruce of Pomfret WAS opposed to the
amendment. He saw no injustice in the bill as it
stood. The men who were liable to do military
duty could afford to pay one dollar q year, while
excused from active service. The bill he believed
vas drafted by an able military man. He had
hesrd that it was drafted by Adjutant General
Washburn, the ablest military man in the State,
and he hoped it would not be amended as pro-
posed. t.. aHy lid"
Mr. Perrin OF Berlin, could not see the pro-
priety Of placing the tax upon part Of the tax
payers only as it would be ii the reserve militia
were taxed
MIR. Wilson Of Bakersfield, thought if the bill
became law, this provi ion OF the ninth section,
would be regarded as unjust by 'nine-tenths Of
the people Of Vermont. lie thought it would be
very hard for maj y of the poor men lisbleto mil
itary duty to pay the dollar. He could see no
justice in placing the expense of sustaining the
militia upon part of the taxpayers only.
On the question OF amending MIR. Dorr called
for the yeas and nays. Yeas 1879; nays 7, and
the amendment was adopted.
Mr.. Dorr moved to ameud section 90, so tina
if the bill shall pass, the c)mmauder-n-chief of
the forces Of the State shall urge upon the Gene
raj Government the expediency of making Yer
mont depository of five thousand stand Of arms,
or SO many az shall be needed to furnish the ac-
tive militia Of the State MIR. Dorr stated that
there was no doubt this grant from the General
Government could be Obtained.
Mr.. Woodward wished to know how much ex-
pense would be saved to the State by this grant
MIR. Dorr estimated the saving at forty-eieht
thousand dollars.
The House adopted the amendment
MIR. Chandler moved to strike out fifty VI
companies for the organization Of which the bill
provides and to insert " twenty -four" companies
MIR. Dorr opposed the amendment at length
Mr.. Chandler spoke In its support.
Mr.. Chandler asked leave to withdraw his
amendment; leave granted and amendment
Withdrawn.
Mr.. Chandler then moved to amenl by strk-
ing out fifty companies OF eighly-three men
each and inserting twenty companies of l0l
men each.
Mr.. Bruce of Pomfret opposed the amendment
and believed the bill should pass without amend
ment.
Mr.. Wilson moved to amend the proposed
amendment by changing twenty " to " thirty y"
and " 10l " to 49,"
MIR. Miller of Williston was opposed t. the
amendment now proposed. lie regarded the
amendment propo ed by the gentleman from
Woodstock as compromise. Hethought it bet
ter not to amend it. He was opposed to the &C
tive organization of the militia but if there was to
be such an organization he was in favor Of such
compromise as that proposed by the amendment
offered by the gentleman from Woodstock. /
Mr.. Fisher of Vergennes was opposed to the
amendment offered and spoke in favor of passing
the bill as reported by the Committee.
The amendment was amended BY vote of 81 |
to II.
The amendment of Mr.. Chandler thus amended
was rejected by vote of 90 to g..
MIR. Haskell of Wethersfeld moved to strike
out the provision providing tor obtaining uniforms
for the actively organized. militia. Striking out
this provision would save the State fifty thousand