Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1864-07-08
No coMMuTATfoN--cLosrNGU Up.

Congress succeeded, late on Saturday night. in
perfectlng the new Conscriphon bill Under this
act, drafts laas be made for one, two or three
years bounties OF SiH0, 5000, and 5000, are TO
he awarded 4oi one. two and three years service
respectively. Commutation is no more; but every
one drafted Inay serve In person or by substitute
and City days notice laust be giyen before enforc-
ing the draft. Zach State IS at liberty 60 obtain
substitutes M the States Id insurrection and have
them credited on hcr qi8tai Ne do not see how
the act could have been rendered more lenent, if
the paramount object of recruiting oIr armies is
to be kept IN view.
When the first Conscriptien Act was passed, we
heartily appro 7ed and sustained the Communication
therein embodied. So long as the Government
could find substitutes Tor SOC, it was wise and right
to accept that sum instead of personal service and
use it to obtain wiling instead Of an unwilling
soldier But times have changed compelling a
change IN the laws. The War Department, which
at first held the $780, full equivalent for person
al service, now reports vitality changed state of
facts Labor is scarce and wages high, so that
money is largely paid in rs Communication, and the
$500 each viii no longer procure recruits to the
extent required The Rebels have called out
every white male who can carry a musket; so that
our Generals now regard them across their very
last ditch Butgthe waste Of the campaign has
been very great; and we need replenshed ranks
to finish the work. To obtain them it is essen
tial that a call be now made which viii bring not
money but men, Hence the new law.
When the first act was passed, the $500 COM
mutation was made the chief ground of objection
to it. The Copperhead organs fairly howled at
the idea OF compelling the poor to serve and let
ting off those rich enough to pay $500 The
bloody and brutal JEFF Davis Riots in our city
last Summer were in good part evoked and kept
alive by clamor against the $500 exemption
But from the moment wherein Che War Depart
ment decided to ask for a repeal of the commu-
tation clause, every Copperhead in Congress has
fought against repeal and it has now been carried
over the votes Of them all. And the Opposition
Journals and grog7shops are now as clamorous
against the repeal as they were against tie enact
ment of this provision.
A Special War Tax was enacted by Congress
during Saturday 5 sitting. Five per cent. on all
incomes for 1868 is to be paid on the lst of Sep
tember next; and it is calculated that this item
viii put $50 000,000 into the Treasury, to be de-
voted to paying bounties to soldiers about to be
drafted. An attempt was made to include tax on
Liquors in hand; but this defeated the bill, and
it had to be passed without-too many members
having friends who are interested In whisky It
IS limited that u member from this city, who was
at first a conspicous champion of taxing Whisky,
has since seen tor felt) something that has turned
him completely topsy turvy, so that he now resists
this tax as zealously as he ever favored it. Queer
world this.
Congress has decided that none of the States
which have been formally declared in insurrection
shall vote for President till readmitted into the
Union. The States thus excluded from partieipa-
ting in the approaching Presidential contest are
as follows: