Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-07-26
CONSUMPTION ACT.
A Summary of all the Laws and Regu-
IatiOnS under il.

Our enrolment or conscriptiOn laws
now consist of three separate acts, dating
respectively March 3, 1868, February "a,
1864, and July 4, 1864. In order, there
fore, to get at the present state of the laws
on the subject of enrolment, drafting and
substitutes, these acts must be taken and
read together. For the advantage of the
public, who are all interested in the pres
ent call for five hundred thousand volun-
teers, and in the draft which will certainly
follow on the 9TH of September next,
wherever the Quota is not filled up, we
have prepared a concise statement of the
law as it now stands
The national forces consist of all the
able bodied citizens of the United States
and of all persons Of foreign b rth who
have legally declared their intentions to
become citizens, between the ages of twenty
and torty-tive years Of age. These terms
now include colored men, and aliens, who,
although not naturalized, may have voted
or held Office, as it frequently happens in
the new States of the west All of the
persons thus included in the "national
forces are liable 10 military duty upon a
call of the President at any time within
the period Of two years from the first day
of July succeeding the enrolment. By
instructions from the Provost-Marshal-
General at Washington, under the pro
visions OF the act of February 1864
the district prOvost-marshals have been
authorized to add to the rolls the names of
all those who have arrived at the age of
twenty years between the time of the en-
rollment and draft, and likewise to erase
the names Of those who shall have attain
ed the age eff forty-fve before the wheel is
set in motion. They are likewise to add
the names of all those exempted under the
act of March 3d, 1868, aud all persons who
have been discharged from the army or
navy unless they have served at least two
years.
The exempts are reduced to the follow
ing: Such persons as are physically or
mentally unfit for the service; all persons
actually in the military or naval service of
the United States at the time of the draft;
and all persons who have served in fhe
military or naval service two years during
the present war, and been honorably dis
charged. These are the only persons ex-
empt by law. The phrase which exempts
"all persons actually in the military
or naval service of the United States
at the time of the draft, y stands in the act
of February "a, 1864, without qualification.
We believe however, it is held to exclude
the 'one hundred days" men, and "emer-
gency" men, though upon what authority
we are not able TO say. In the case Of the
" hundred days men" from Ohio the exclu-
sion from exemption under the law was
upon direct agreement between the War
Department and the executive of that
state. How it will operate when there is
no such express agreement, is an open
/ question, we believe.
Communication money, in lieu of substi-
tute, is no longer permitted, except IN
case of members ofreligious denominations
who are prohibited from bearing arms by
the rules and articles of faith of such de-
nomination. These may be assigned to
hospital duty or the ca-e Of cOntrabands,
or may pay in each case the sum Of three
hundred dollars for the care of sick and
wounded soldiers.
Substitutes may be procured by persons
enrolled, before the draft, or by drafted
men after the draft. In the case of an
enrolled man who furnishes q substitute
before the draft, the substitute must be one
who is not liable to enrolment. That is
the substitute must be an alien, or he must
| have served at least two years in thearmy
or navy during this war, and been hon
orably discharged; or he must be an in
habitant of Virginia, North Carolina
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Miss
issippi or Texas or he must be q person
aol0 in the military or naval service of the
United States, who has served more than
one year, and whose term Of unexpired
service at the time of substitution shall not
exceed six months; or he must be a per
son over forty-fve or under twenty Ii
the War Department will accept such.
An accepted non-hable substitute from any
of the foregoing classes will exempt hi
principal for the whole term for which hi
t substitute is accepted. In the case of 1
} substitute offered after the draft for ;
r drafted man, the substitute may be elect
| ed from those who are not liable, Ia
when the substitute IS liable, the name o
: the principal is again entered on the roll
!, to be subject to future calls, but not unit
/ the present enrolment is exhausted
: Drafting only takes place in case tn
: requisition nf the President is not file,
D within 90 days after the requisition
made. The term of service for drafte