New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-24
TIE STATE MILITIA.
PROVISIONS OF THE PROPOSED CoDI

1
| PROVISIONS OF THE PROPOSED CODE.
| STATE UNIFORM ORDERED, BUT GAY DRESS PER-
MITTED-CoMMENTs DY OFFICERS.
1t Is thought by the National Guardsmen OF
tho State by their friends that tho lsbors OF three
years are about bear fruit in the adoption by the Leg
stature and the approval by the Governor OF the
Military Code which introduced In the Assembly on
February by w. Ii. Thompson. Of ROokland County,
chairman OF the Committee Militia. The BILL amondod
In few particulars by the committee, has been adopted
by the Assembly and is pending In tho 9tato Senate
Mr Thompson, who has 1t in charge, officer on
| General Dakin's staff, and ia practical man.
| The opposition OF guardsmon who put obataoles
IN the way Of revised former occasions, las
been overcome and Is said TINT Governor Cleveland
| will certainly sign tho bill II IL passed..
The code is virtually tho creation Of guardsmen.
After the drafted by the commission esta Oshed by
Adluant- General Townsend had failed IN 1882. 1t
taken up by the slate Association and referred
committee composed General Graves OthS Eighth Bril-
gade General Brownel Of the Fourth Brigade Colonel
| Clark OF the 7th Regiment; Colonel Scott OF the 9Th
| Regiment; Colonel McLeer, OF tho l4th Regiment
Lieute Colonel Palmer Of the list Regiment; and
| Captain Jarvis OF the 18th Separate Company. The
committee up all night and submitted code to the
| association the next morning which seemed salts
| factory to the Legislature. II passed
by both houses but was VETOED by Govornor Cornell.
At tho Janualy ol this ycor Of the State Ass0cia
ton subject again vigorously discussed, the old
committee reported. aud a new committee OF twelve,
embracing the larger portion o. the Old committee, again
considered the code IN an anignt session, which pro
| ducci the present bill
The greatest embarrassment in the way OF a saafac-
tory military ts OF late years has been
question Of state uniform. by adopting which the
| AdJu,ant-Generll believed tho civil sodlcry might
| be put something like army footing.
This ha, met with objection particularly In
New-York where display Is 80 potent an element ia
militia life 1t fearoi tina: by putting all the men
into state uniforms tho identity ~ the Organlza-
tons would be lost. In the code compromise GU
this point Ia. adopted. service fatigue uni
form prescribed, which to be provided by the State
| and worn at the annual Inspection at enclmpnents
| ordered by the Commanderin- Chief. and In active
service ia case finsurIociun invasion breaches Of
the peace bat each organization 10 permitted TO wear
at parade and reviews such fulldrcss uniform has
| met tho approval OF the Comma or-u-Chiek
Other important notifications of tho existing law
a, follows: No Is eligible election brgader-
general no has served at least years either
National Guard Ia the regular forces
OF the United States collectively At present there
no requirement OF this kind In the OF field officers
of mens aud battalons. three yelrs service OF
same kind Is required. First and quartcrmastor ser
geants TO be warranted by division and brigade
mandcrs upon tho written nomination Of the troop.
| battery company commanders. This Is
| looked upon as decided improvement
on the old law under which these officers elected
worsug man he has In hs company. and not simply the
man who has made himself toe most popular. The law
| stltuie the Inspector Gcaoral. the Division
| county, "A board arinory for an
organization entitled one the cost of arnOry and
the Expense of us maintenance TO be cye0 collected
| and PAID Ike any other county charge fna pay OF
guardsmn on duty Ia increased - cents day. making
II ~ 20 Tor prlvatcs' and ~ % Tor nOhcommssiOn'd
OH trrs, and for the purposo " defrayug necessary
military eKpenses each otganlzatlon to be allowed
sum equal IS for each OF Ia enlisted present for
duty. based upon tho percentage present Tor duty for
the year at the 1yo dayparddos Tho civil associations
oi the companies are LETT intact but tho commanding
officer i. made president oLOgicio.
Majir-Generi smaller Of ue First Division. when APP
piled to yes;eriaY declined to ekpress ~ option on tho
merits OF the lie said ha knew nothing about II
what lac had soon IN the nowspper aano1ncement
Of rs passage Ia tho Assembly Neither MUor-oonerAl
Joudal nor himself hal Oeon consulted regarding its
aSevsd cope. Of tho b lie taot hat very few
officers OF tie National Guard had been gwen OpppOr
tunity To express their views IA to tue needs OF the
guard out hoped tho wond have ono boorc he senate
Committee. He himself was particularly anxious tuat
suitable provisions should b. made Tor arnorc-. aud
thought thai the wbo tner freely to
the much entitled TO decent, ceanly and
OuinOdious pacesOi rendezvous n the police dremen
BngadcrGeneral BrOwnt Of the FOrdth Bri8a ic. VINO
wa, the commit that cOnSdool tno code at the
last meetings of the state Association, said ycster
lone thing is ACKNOWLEDGMENT National Guards
seemed To- uosiroa new code and about
the only difference OF opinion has been on the
1uesiion II uufru That IL now ended To the saiis-
faction OF all The new code Is long step n the rgut
Direction lustb al OF having young men fUrc tu ua-
expenses Of tue privilege or serving their state ns
soldiers. tho state VIII hereafter largely equip them II
then they desire to continue dlshctlse urcsa-uulOrm
there rs 10 objection
What are some OF tho improvements the present
lawP
The demand for duty has been made specific, that
a yOuLg entering tue National Guard VIII know
precisely what viii be expected OF HIM. Another very
Important mater mat under the cOdo man must be
enlisted ia the regular headquarters Of the company he
ION. This viii tend 10 ihfOW safeguard
around tho National Guard and elevate tho character OF
its membership by discUuragng Objectionable methods
II Recruiting. Tue code OOc1 u good thlng, too IN
the equipment Of an officer whom ho accepts !
"A commission. This encourages tho rank ana NE |
who heretofore have been prevented Tfom acCt ptnB
promotion by the personal expense involved some Ol
best officers have rom scrgOants. Ihe Dill |
Will not d more than So 900 the annual cost VI the
militia, aGd will make It much more effective
COlOnc Austen, or the 18TH Regiment, SAD:
ihe purpose OF the bill ~ 20 Simplify the mlltary |
code and place The National Guard on more practical
footing IL has occupied heretofore. Its operations
viii be exceedingly beneficial ut least from tho fact that
the guardsmen Will know dehniely unucr |
what regulations they going to serve. |
We have suffered greatly from INC uncetanty thai We
have lived under FOR several do not think there
any OppOst ton ~ the code from the gunrsmeI, hhd
though individual preferences have been disre-
garded occasionally, that could not De helped l,
for Instance, would have very much preferred
that the allowance DO made the basis
o! the annual master instead OF tho troublesome plan
that has been adopted. what we need To got rd OF n
multiplicity forms at headquarters, ana the great
number returns to btgtdes, dYlo0ns, ETC. under
worth whose administration OF the National Guaro, 80
far has gone much more satisfactory Than any
We have had Tor many years"