The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1864-04-15
Remarks Of Hon. A, z. Cofroth
Conservation Bill.

! our distinguished Representative in CONGRESS
] made in running debate in speeches limited a
FIVE minutes, on the Conscription bill.
! Mr.. COFFROrH'S amendments were ena;-
ncnty just fer they tend 10 relieve the people u
/ grsvous and unnecessary burdens and for his
| success in Migrating them on the bill. Inc will
receive the hearty thanks of his constituents The
eopscTipts hereafter will be indebted to his eiFort
/ tor having The examination held near home. MIR.
| COFFR0II was opposed to the whole Of this
| oppressive C0Gscription bill, but when he saw
that It's passage was foregone conclusion, he la
bored hard TO have it in as mild form as pos
sible
Mr.. CofFrorh. move to insert after the words
"lorty-iive, " in line len Of section eight, the
following:
That The AFFIDAVIT Jf Two respectable Witnesses
regularly sworn before person authorized to ad-
minister an oath will be conclusive upon the
board rs to the age of the drafted or enrolled
! man.
In the district Of Pennsylvania in which / re-
side grave difficulty occurred under The draft
in 1852. A man in Fulton county, over fartg-
five years Of age, was drafted lie went before
the board Of enrolment with evidence of the
fact. That evidence satisfied the commissioner
Tor the time being, and the man was discharged.
lie was subsequently arrested as deserter-
Mr. Morris, OF New Iork rise to q qtles-
lion of order. / am not quite sure what the
proposition is.
The Chairman. Thcgantleman from Pennsyl.
vania proposes to amend the text
Mr.. Morris, of New York Then the amend
ment proposed is not germane to the amendment
before the committee.
The Chairman. Ii Is not proposed as an a.
mendment to the amendment, 6u: as an amend
ment to the original text, which takes precedence
Of the amendment offered by the gentleman from
New York
Mr.. Coffroth. The person speak Of was ar
rested as deserer. He sued out his writ of
ha5eas corpus and went before the Judge of that
county. lie was discharged from custody on
the proof furnished that lac was over forty-fiv
years OF age. Subsequently the lieutenant in
charge OF party for arresting deserters in that
county, in disregard Of the action Of the court,
went TO this mans house to arrest him again for
desertion- In the at.ssnpi 70 DO 80 tue oli.oer
was shot The man surrendered himself for trial
and on fair hearing betar a jury Of his country
he was acquitted
The amendment which I offer is required to
meet such cases.
Here the hammer fell.
The thirteenth section was read as follows =
SEC. ID. Ind BE- 1t jart,iey euacte3. That sec
ton two OF the act for enrolling and calling out
the national forces and for other purposes, ap-
proved March ), 1868, shall be, and tie same is
hereby amended by striking OFT all OF said sec
ton after the word enacted, and inserting the
following 80 wit: thar the following persons be,
and they are hereby, excepted and exempted
from the provisions Of this act, and shall not be
a n I,tyv 81,
such as are rejected as physically or mentally
unfit for the service; the Vice President of the
United States, the heads of the various Lxecc-
tive Departments Of the Government. the Gov
ernors OF the several States and all persons ac-
tually in the military or naval service of the
United STATES at the time of draft, or who have
been in such service for the term of two years
during the present war, and been honorably
discharged therefrom; and no person but such
as are herein excepted shall be exempt.
Mr. Cotffoth. l move 10 amend section thir-
teen by striking out commencing in line ten, the
words. ''the Vice President of the L. States the
Judges uf the various courts of the United States
the heads Of tlo qarious Executive Departments
of the Government, the Governors Of the sew
crai States" understood the chairman Of the
Military Committee moment ago TO say that
wanted TO put down this rebellion, and that ex-
emPtlons should be restricted as far as possible
Well, sir, it is as much the duty of the Vice
President OF the United States, tie Judges of
| the various courts, the heads Of the Executive
departments, and the Governors of the sever
al States to aid in the work of suppressing the
rebellion as it is the duty of the private citizen
am opposed to the discrimination
Il n
not exmpted from the draft why is it that the
Vice President and these other officers are ex-
emPteI! They are holding high positions under
the Government, andtIey are as able to pay their
$500 for tho support of the armies of the Uni
ted States as any other set of men in the country
They receive their employment and pay from
the Federal Government, and why should they
not contribute to the putting down of the re-
beliion.
Now, sir, take different class Of society,"
Wien the farmers, the mechanics, the merchants
the lawyers, the physicians look over this law,
will they not have good cause TO complain that
these men holding high offices and receiving
large salaries are exempt? When look ever
this body sec that perhaps two thirds of the
members here are not exempt by reason OF age.
Here the hammer tell,
The sixteenth section was then read
Mr. Cotfroth. move te amend the section
by adding thereto the following:
Pr0rided, That the boards of examination OF
enrolled or drafted men are required to hold
their examination within each county in their
respective enrolment districts.
MIR. A. Myers l suggest to the gentleman
that he insert after the word "coHnty" the words
sat the county seat, where practicable"
Mr., Coffroth accept the modification de-