Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-10-21
LOCAL NEWS.
ADJUSTMENTS TONIGHT.

speare are to be treated with the presentation
bardn this eyening-"The Merchant of Ven.
ice" and "KathsriDe and Petruchio," In which
Booth appears in the former as "Shylock" and
in the latter as "Petruchio " 1t is a Ularge
bill" but we are confident all the Characters
will be well sus tanned.
growers THKATKR.-Mr. and Mrs. Bar
ney Williams are TO receive benefit this eve.
ming. and we trust ii will be q substantial one,
The bill prepared for the occasion comprises
three fine pieces-"Barney thu Barou,' the
fairy spectacle Of the "Lakes Of Killarney"
and "An Hour in Seville"-Mr. and Mrs, w,
appearing in sixteen different characters To-
morrow afternoon and evening these favorites
appear for the last time in this city for the
present.
THE DRAFT MEETING.-An adjourned
meeting of the citizens was held afShe City
Hall last evening to take measures In reference
to the approaching draft-Mayor Wallach in
The Mayor reported that the committee APP.
pointed at the last meeting to wait on the
Provost Marshal General. had enclosed to him
copy Of the resolutions adopted, and also ad-
dressed him letter, more fully setting forth
the object of the meeting, and had received the
following letter in answer to their communica.
ton
erals Office, Washington, October Is, 1S64.-
Hon. Richard Waltach, Mayor, Washington-Sir
! have the honor to acknowledge the receipt Of
your letter of October 18th, transmitting a copy
OF resolutions adopted at q public meeting of
the citizens OF Washington, held on the 14th
instant, the object of which seems to have
been to have the quota of the District Of TO-
lumbia under the present call for troops re-
duced and the District thus released "from
any further draft"
As your honor is aware, the subject of the
demand for troops made on this District by
the General Government has been equently
brought up In the last month or two by cor
respondence and through various committees.
thought it had been adjusted equitahly and
TO the satisfaction Of the people of the District
In your letter you ask two questions, as fol.
First If credit will be allowed to this "Dis.
trlct for all persons W no may have been drawn
during the present draft and have failed to re-
port"
Second "Ifsuch credit has ever been allowed
to any other district l'
To these questions answer as follows viz
To the first: Credit VIII be allowed only for
such men as are obtained" by the draft Per.
sons who are Drawn and fail to report are not
considered by the law officers of the Govern.
ment nor by this Bureau as obtained in the
meaning of the law: they will not, therefore,
be credited unless they shall be subsequently
arrested and held to service.
To the second question: The rule above given
applies to all districts without exception.
know OF no case in which "persons in the
employ of the General Government have been
enrolled as citizens of the District of Columbia
who are but temporarily resident in said Dis
trict, and who, being subject to military order,
have left the said District, and yet have been
deemed and regarded as its citizens, andNrhen
drafted, olCing TO such compulsory absence, hare
been considered deserters, and their places required
to be filed by said CITY, II .you will have the
names and circu mstances in any such case re.
ported to me, will give suitable orders to meet
them. In the mean time l will endeayor to as
certain if there are such cases, and if find any
will provide for them.
The statement in the resolution of the public
meeting that s.nearly one half OF those drafted
have been released on account of erroneous en-
rollment' is not correct. 1t is especially incor-
rect If we bear in mind the kind OF s'erroneous
enrolment" to which the resolution properly
relates, thatis non res'dence; But seventy-sev-
en- men have been exempted on TINS account.
The statement heretofore made to you that
the Government employees who have formed
themselves into volunteer military organiza-
lions are not mustered into the service as SOL
diers, nor are they on account OF their connec-
ton with these organizations exempt from
draft, is hereby confirmed.
The District OF Columbia is entitled to no
credit on the quota OF troops due from 1t for
any service which has been rendered by any
of these organizations in their performance OF
duty in this city or on railroads in its vicinity.
/ am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient
servant, JAMES B. Fry,
Provost Marshal General.
The Mayor explained that Government en-
ployees, teamsters, etc, who have been drafted
and have gone away, will, when the fact is
demonstrated to the authorities, be either re-
turned to the service, or, II the Government
chooses to retain them in its employ In their
present capacity, they will be credited to our
The Department clerks doing duty In the
departmental military organizations are, under
this ruling, held liable to the draft here the
same as any citizen.
Mr.. Fred. Myers said that the Government
wanted 500 more men here, and nothing but
the men, and the question was how to raise
them. In townships In the West some OF the
poorest voted tax on themselves to pay boun-
ties Of four or five hundred dollars to volun.
teers, and he thought that we in this District
should do as much. 1t might be said that the
city had no authority to levy war tax; but there
were two ways in which that object could be
reached-one by submitting ii to the people,
the other by gethng authority rom Congress,
the District taxing itself to half million. The
matter should not be left to the citizens, but
should be taxed on the property which the
adopted in most States, and he saw no reason
why il should not be done here. BY giving
in his opinion. could be raised. He did not
think the war near an end that another
draft would not be necessary.
Mr.. Davis thought the remarks of Mr.. Myers
very proper, but time would be needed to put
the plan into execution. Something more
speedy was needed, and he offered the follow
ing
ward be appointed by the Chair to wait on the
Provost Marshal and obtain from him a list Of
drafted ana have failed to rayort:iand tina, said
committee be authorized to visit the designated
places Of residence OF said drafted men who
have failed to report, and ascertain, il posi-
BILE, their whereabouts and that a reward of
$50 be paid for every such drafted man who
may be caught and held to service; and the
several wards are hereby requested to provide
for the payment Of the above reward.
Mr.. Walter asked what il drafted man
should be found at the front!
Mr.. Dayis.-We will get credit for him.
MIR. Walter.-But what IL he ran away!
Mr.. Davis.-The men must be found before
the money Is paid.
Mr.. Elliot as ked If any distinction is made
between men who ran away before reporting
and those who reported, We're accepted ana
ran away afterwards.
The chair replied that there could be but one
decision-all men who had been accepted
were ssobtained." The extension OF time was
the act Of the Government, and the men were