Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1864-07-09
The New Conscription Act.

The National Force bill has been def.
nitely acted upon by the House of Repre-
sentatives, and the commutaton clause has
been stricken out of the act. AT first the
House refused to take this course, aud the
substitute offered by Mr. Smithers,o of Del
aware, was voted down but on Tuesday
the vote by which the substitute was de-
feaed was reconsidered, and the PROPOSE
ton OF Mr.. Smilhers decided afirmatvely.
BY the terms of this substitute the Pres
ident is authorized to call out at bis dis
cretion volunteers for one, two or three
years. The volunteers will be credited 10
the town or district from which they ent er
the service, and in case draft is imposed
the conscripts will also be so accredited. -
Accepted volunteers or drafted men are to
receive bounties varying according to the
duration of their service. A soldier serv-
ing one year will receive two hundred dol.
lars, unless sooner discharged. For two
years. service the bounty is three hundred
dollars, and for three years four hundred.
The money is to be paid at regular Pc
RODS, and soldier who receives dis
charge from service Oh account of wounds
will also receive the bounty according to
the term for which he was enlisted or draft
ed. In case of death the bounty will be
given the legal heirs.
All drafts, by the terms OF the act, are
ordered within fifty days after the assur-
ance of call for troops, unless the full
quotas are furnished voluntarily, and re.
cruts from ,eceded States may be accept
ed by the Executives of loyal Common
weallhs. The draft will reach all able
Doded persons between eighteen and for.
ty-fve, and all sailors or marine, enlisted
in the navy will be credited to their proper
districts. These are the features of the
new National Force bill but it goes fur
ther. 1t removes the commatation clause.
Il is expressly provided, in case of draft,
that no payment of money shall be &C.
cepted or received by the Government to
release any enrolled or drafted man from
military service" 1t would have decided
more definitely the price of a substitute.
had Congress affixed to the bill commu.
tation clause for stated sum. But there
Is now 10 noneyed exemption and if the
House substitute receive, as it probably
will, the concurrence of the Senate and
the approval Of the President, there will
be no way TO escape draft save by strong
ly-defned bodily ailments, or the presen.
tation of an able'bodied represe ntative to
shoulder a musket or march to the field in
the conscript'S stead.
This will increase the price of substi-
tutes. 1t will doubtless 9uire one thou
sand dollars TO procure suitable substi-
tute, and bounty brokers aud substitute
spectators will reap harvest from the
new act. There must be men at home -
All cannot enter the army, for we must
have producers at home to till our fields to
conduct our workshops, TO construct the
munitions of war, to guide the presses of
truth and to keep open the channels of
trade, commerce and manufactures, and
maintain the credit of home while the ar
mics defend the honor of the nation on the
distant batte-6elds. Some must remain,
and, if they are drafted, substitute will
be the only escape from the enforcement
Of the copseription.