The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-03-17
tn e New Enrolment LaW..SynOpsi
Of Its Provisions.

Provost Marshal General Fry has issued
an official order upon the new enrolment
law. The, following synopsis ofall its impor-
tant provisions was telegraphed to the
Chicago Times:
Section II declares that hereafter all persons
mustered into the military or naval service
whether as volunteers or substitutes, represen-
tatives or otherwise, shall be credited to the
States, and to the wards, towns precincts and
other enrolment sub-districts, where such per-
sons belong by actual residence within the
United States, where such persons were or shall
be enrolled.
The 18th section prescribes that in comput-
ing the quotas hereafter, credits shall be given
to the several States, districts and sub districts
for all men furnished by them respectively,
and not heretofore credited during the present
rebellion, for any period of service if not less
than three months, calculating the number of
days for which such service was furnished, and
reducing the same to years provided that
such credits shall not be applied to the call for
additional troops made by the President on the
first day of December, 1864.
The 10th section allows q man drafted for one
year to furnish substitute for three years.
The 18th, 18th, and 10th sections relate to
punishment for enlisting deserters, insane per-
sons, &C., DC.
Section 20 provides that in case any substi-
tute shall desert from the army, and it shall
appear by evidence satisfactory to the Secreta-
ry of War that the party furnishing suoh sub
stitute shall have in any way, directly or indi
rectly, aided or abetted such desertion, or have
been privy to any intention on the part of such
substitute to desert, then such person shall be
Immediately placed in the army and shall serve
for the period for which he was liable to the
draft such service to commence at the date of
the desertion OF the substitute.
Sections 20 and 81 relate to penalties for de
sertion.
Section 20 is in full as follows:
And be 1t further enacted. That any person or
persons enrolled in any sub-district may, after
notice of the draft, before the same shall have
taken place, cause to be mustered into the SER
vice of the United States such number of re-
cruits not subject to draft as they may deem
expedient, which recruits shall stand to the
credit of the person thus causing them to be
mustered in, and shall be taken as substitutes
for such persons, or as many of them as may
be drafted, to the extent of the number of such
recruits, and in the order designated by the
principals at the time such recruits are thus, as
aforesaid, mustered in.
If the law had been framed by General
Fry, it could not be otherwise than am
biguous, but as it came from the Congress
sional committee on military affairs, some
thing different was expected. As it now
stands, there must be an official interpre-
tation of the last section Before the public
ran take any action upon it. The Times
thinks the proper construction to be
nlaced upon it is this:
r,,.t ON association may furnish men in ad.
90 of the draft to be credited to the ward.
ssUb. district and that the association will
oI.o receive credit for the men furnished, in
nroportion to their snare OF the men to be
pRed. Thus, supposing an association mum.
ar 600 persons to have furnished 125
pelns; not more than that number of its
men, he drafted each member would have
E.n;shed substitute; If more than that num-
tu LUZ nS lite members be drafted the 125 enlisted
.snnId stand as substitutes TOR the first 125
W ou,S of the association that are drafted,
mem III levies would have to be made upon
shs members to clear the balance
The section in relation to credits is
.,,or Hereafter all mer mustered into
49, service must be credited to the dis
49,. vbere they were or shall be enrolled,
~ vbere they have an actual residence.
III. avstem is right and should have been
aortsd years ago. The subdistricts of
IVY eonntry have been depleted to fill the
'no o.os of wealthy and populous cities.