The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-03-20

VIA~CS, AnU 8pOtucC8IleS.
In remarkable contrast to the number
of persons relieved from military service
by the exemptions above mentioned. the
report of the Conscript Bureau exhibits
the fact that east of the Mississippi |
river, twenty-five thousand and thirty
five men have been detailed by Executive.
authority. In consequence of this abuse
of the power of detail, Congress, at its
present session, passed an act revoking |
all details and limiting the exercise of
that power in the future. The third
section Of this act, exempting skilled
artisans and mechanics from all military |
service, which is excepted to by the Pre-
sident, and which has since been re-
pealed, was originally adopted in conse~ |
quence Of suggestions contained in the |
report Of the Secretary Of War. In al
luding to the embarrassments encoun- |
tered by the administrative bureaus, the
Secretary says:
tin addition, they have been constrained, by the
stringent legislation of Congress, to renquish their
most active and experienced agents and employees,
and substitute them from more infrm and aged
classes.'
Again:
"Interferences of this kind are inevitably so pre-
judicial and disturbing that it is hoped q we'll
devised sand permanent system of providing and
retaining IN continuous employment a sufhclent
number Of artisans, experts and labOrers for all
essential operations, may be devised and estab-
| lishcd."
The truth is, that the bill originally
introduced into the Senate exempting
skilled artisans and mechanics was &C
tually prepared in one of the bureaus of
the War Department. Congress, there's
fore, had reason tosuppose that it would
meet the sanction Of the Executive.
To conscribe the ministers of religion,
and require them to obtain details to
preach the Gospel, would shock the re-
ligious sentiment of the country and
inhict greater injury on our cause than
can be described. The conscription of
editors and of the printers necessary to
the publication of newspapers would
destroy the independence of the press,
and subject it to the control of the Exc
cutive Department of the Government.
he railroad officers and employees are
as necessary to the prosecution Of the
war as soldiers in the field. Physicians
and apothecaries are essential to the
health Of the people, and no complaint
has reached Congress of abuses in this
class of exemptions. If the education
of youth be regarded as conducive to
the maintenance of society and the pre-
servation of liberty, it is not perceived
that the exemption Of professors Of col
leges and teachers of schools can be
Justly censured. The Senate passed a
bill containing section repeating the
exemption allowed to mail contractors
and drivers of post-coaches but, at a
subsequent stage of proceedings, and on
, the recommendation Of committee OF
conference, based ON the urgent remon~
strances of the Postmaster~G the
section alluded to was stricken out.
: The subject Of class exemptions was
called to the attention of Congress by
/; the Executive message Of November last.
It was carefully considered, and an act
r was passed expressive ,of the views of
.. the Legislative Department of the Go
yernment. The message under con-
. sideration recurs to the same subject. 1t
> is to be regretted that the views of the
legislative Department of the Govern
> ment have not met the favor of the
|, Executive, and that he should deem it
: both necessary and proper to express
q dissatisfaction with the matured opinion
= Of Congress.
ri It Is true that Congress has failed tc
! respond to the recommendation of the
I President to enact general militia law
. The subject was considered, and the
failure to act was the result of delibera
e tion. The conscription laws enacted by
!. Congress have placed in the military ser
- - vice of the country all its able-bodiec
~ citizens between the ages of seventeen
: and fifty. The whole military materia
:. Of the country, so far as legislation ii
"a concerned, is absorbed by the conscrip
10 10 t;on acts. There is none left on whicl
4 a militia law can operate except the ex
i !. empted classes, and the boys unde
:. seventeen, and the men over fifty year
of of are. 1t was deemed expehent t
allow this material to remain subject t
"A |the control of the State authorities fo
the purposes of local police, to aid il
80 the arrest Of deserters, and to enforc
the administration of State laws.
ed It is also true that the President ha
al recommended tho passage Of law sus
. pending the privilege of the writ OF II
er 6eas corpus. This recommendation vi
ng the subject of special message, in =
he cret session. 1t occupied the attentio
Of of Congress for four or Eve weeks
of After mature deliberation, the measul
on was laid aside IS unimportant and inc
en pedient. Spies can be arrested and tri'
las summarily without snspending the vi
= of ha6eas corpus. Conspiracies, tendi'
ck- in any manner to the injury Of our caus
rk- were provided for by . special act, pass