The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-02-25
YIRCINIA'S MILITARY LAWS.
Should The ?. .Wer TO DISblnd Regiment
b. Vested In The GOYiFnoT .?
TIE QUESTION FULLY DLCUsSED'
The House Coiumittee ON Mllitia pe''"es
That such Power should be Given 10 q
Court of fInauiry-Niews Of the
Military Onicers.

last evening at o'clock in room NO. !,
on the upper floor OF the Capitol building
with Mr. McRae in the chair. The hrsS
measure taken up was the b.ll introduced
/ BY General Hundley. OF Amelia. General
! Hundley explained that he did not kno"
anything about the controversies exist
/ ing among the military officers IN the
State lie had no fayOrs 20 confer, ana
/ did not care 20 take sides with any OF
them. Ills sole object was TO make the
military more efficient. lie thought
well-regulated militia was absolutely
/ essential TO the maintenance OF peace ana
/ g00d order IN this state, and especially
| m the c.ty OF Richmond. III quick WORK
? was needed a thoroughly eihcicnt reBl-
meut was required Tor the city OF tIeh-
| mOnd. He was informed that the FIRST
/ Regiment formerly the crack regiment,
/ was thoroughly inefficient and tnat the
: uisseus.Ons among its officers had Killed
/ IT'S efficiency. lie was informed tnat on
- Sunday some OF the companies, on
/ 1ne occasion Of Colonel Williams rem
! termcnt, turned out only eight or ten
/ men, he was informed that some OF the
! field officers were really hostile 90 eAch
! other Now. the question FOR the Leg sld-
! tsre was should such evil be corrected
| ~ had been said that the Governor had
| already too much power. but II ne WAS
! talnly have the power 20 dissolve a reSi-
| ment. 40 was claimed by some that such
! power was vested IN the Governor d!
| ready while others disputed TINS. Ills hill
| only provided that the coumandcr-lh-
4 chief should have the power 60 dissolve
| a regiment into its various companies,
/ which then SHOULD bee rcorganlled lntO
| a regiment. III man Was worthy 10 De
! invested with the command -in-chlel, ne
ought 10 Boo worthy 60 sustain &c. " he
I had thc power 20 muster in regiment,
! ne certainly should have the power 10
| dishand %.
Major Sands. In profacing his remarks,
| said that ho had kept alout ttom lne
| entire fight ia the Legislature. nut ne
/ appeared merely as civilian before the
| committee. While he did not desire IN
| any way 90 refer TO the present Governor,
| vet he des red TO state why ne thOuHut
! this bill soould not be recommended.
/ Major Sands then gave way to the ifiehas
| OF the bill -.......
COLONEL sTERN's VIEWS.
Colonel Jo Lane stern sald the pl,i pl
was an exact copy OF the law as it existed
! i'm the State 0f New York. lie Thought
! the present law contemplated su,h
/ power, which. however, was dehed ~
| others Colonel stern then read the hlll
10 the committee and explained the salle.
| He said the Governor had already power
| 10 alter regiments. as ne had done III
the case OF The Fourth hegimyh1 Wheh
| new companies were established lh NV
A
| into the Fourth Regiment after me bor,s,,
! mouth battalion had been organized anu
| "a transfer been made ot the l,l'lan,ul a,
| and NOttOway companies 10 ih' ~ IT,
| Regiment lie also cited sefefit ~
| stances where companies had hcen us
/ banded THE bill simply gives me
power" said Colonel stern, Iof us 10
/ DO what is being done iu inc i'bu.'
! army. without requiring new statute
for il or the Legislature TO come tose n'f
/ la sDocial session. The Governor OF if-
| giuia will not cc i'm his Office longer lnaii
| twelve months when he VIII ma tilat
/ ne will have 20 Team sFouels upon ~
| military. During the past ten years ii'
| militia has been called ont oitcntf p"
! Virginia than in amy other state oil the
General Hundlcy desired to know
! whether there was any regiment ln tue
| et.ts that was not efficient, but Colonel
| Stern thought IL was not ~ ms ploNlilc'
10 answer that question. he tnen pro-
| efaled TO inform Mr.. Lewis, Ol N"ip'I'.,' .
| why cOurts-marti3l had been suspthueh.
| COMETS s-,,,aYfial bod been suspended about
| "a wear ago when special DodId WIS
| apuOlntel 10 establish regulations SUM-
| Gent for the guidance or tne ulttais :,
| Upon January 10th last an oidef h3u pcen
| issued pr0mulgating the new regulations
| which again provided Tor court -maruais
| General Anderson spoke on the ne"
regulations. and while DEE admitted me
! benefit of courts-martial, YET ne pollit,p
| ont that they would NOT tsacn 'tV's -,
| stance He thought the bill, Wnlch, 1T "a"
| estimation. was not aimed at one pnl
ticular organization, was sood ana
proper one. .,...,. 81, ,ho
| There was q great hesitancy on me
| mart of the military gentlemen present
/ and General Hundley said he was he-ll
| ous of getting at the facts 10 pc en-
! llghtcned on the subject, othefWiac ne
| would gladly withdraw his Dill -
! When questioned 10y Mr.. Williams OF
| cites both colonel Stern and General
Anderson stated that couft-martlal
could not remedy any lack oi harmony
| or efficiency. e,,,,,,.
VIEWS OF OTHERS.
| Colonel George Wayne Anderson SAID
he was I'm favor Of the bill. tie dld no,
| understand that it was necessarily alued
at his own regiment. he lhoush, .. s"C.'
power ought 20 DE vested in the holeihQi
| Ii he did not have IL ne Woulp ho. NC
| commander-.n-chief ~.
Major Cutchins. Of the Blues battalion,
| next took the floor. lie thought lt ine
| bill was 10 be passed, 1t should contain
| the provision that the Governor couiu nor
! only consolidate. but also detach or8am-
J zatiors lie spoke especially Of his cN-
| porience IN the Blues, Wnere courts III M :
/ tai were not needed lie did Hot Nih"
| that any court martial Wollh cur.
| seusiOnr n the commander lu-chlfi Na'
| NOT the mower 10 dishand now. he cef-
tainly should have H. lie SAID ne was
! in favor OF harmony and had been as
| friendly and courteous 10 all oilctr5 or
| other organizations as they permitted nm
| to be n he knew OF any ttoupie ih ai >
| other organizat.On, be certainly ~oult
| uof come before the committee ana l's
| IL unless he was ordered 10 10 go during
| an investigation lie thought the powers
| az the Governor ought 10 be defined lie
| sald no one would he prOuder tnan nm
| self to see hrst-class regiment OF siN
| or eight good companies.
Captain +. Leslie spence SAM ne was
heartily I'm favor of the b'll. but be would
| Ike TO ease The mind or Mr. Lewis, VINO
/ had said that courts martlel Mei. VIE
| lesf remedy for d.sObedicnce or ofnccrs.
! lla ala rot believe for Il moment mat
one officer could be found IN Virginia who
/ would disobey orders unless he was 4
very young one. . ,.,,,. ,rrr
Major Sands. who spoke in opqosi non
20 the bill. said it was most dansei~ us
one from the standpoint 0l clNllan. lor
| "a ulaced the entire power in the hands Of
Tho Governor n the bin was passed u
would give the Governor the power 70
! disband and reOrganize all military orEan-
! fzaticns In the State on the eve OF eiec-
| ton for political purposes.
Major Simons, OF NE frst l.dii :, !,
| Artillery. thought that Major Cutchlns'
] experience as 10 discipline in the Blues
| was not criterion. because his COM
| rnand WAS COMPOSED Of superior material
| than most Of the military organizations.
| He thought to-day the discipline in the
military OF Virginia was at lower ebb
! than ever before. IL had existed FOR some
| ilue past and discipline could not he
| kent up without proper court-mart'al
| lie thought the bill in question made the
| Governor military dictator. and deprived
| any man Of every right TO apply 10 fhe
| LEGISLATURE for remedy or existln
| rrhap nuee,ioneI bv Mr. lewis Major