Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-02
ARMY REORGANIZATION.
Mr.. Hays Important Biii-hainte-
nance of National Guard.


Affairs, will tomorrow INTRODUCE a mos
important bill, which will interest JUS
now the regular and volunteer army an
the public generally. 1t provides for re
organization of the entire military estar
lishment of the country, and while con
forming to the present law as much
possible, makes some radical and bene
fetal changes. The bill will, Of course, b
referred to the Committee on Military Al
fairs, and will, no doubt, be reported Il
due time Following is the full tent
the proposed measure
Be it enacted by the Senate and Hous
| OF Representatives Of the United State
of America in Congress assembled, Tina
all able-bodied male citizens Of the United
States, and persons of foreign birth wh'
shall have declared their intention to be
come citizens Of the United States, under
! and in pursuance Of the laws thereof, be
! tween the ages of IS and 40 years, arr
| hereby declared to constitute the nationa
| forces, and with such exceptions and un
| der such conditions as may be prescribed
| by law, shall be liable to perform military
duty in the service of the United States.
Section 2. That the organized and ac'
| tive land forces Of the United States shall
consist OF the army Of the United States
| and of the militia Of the several States
when called into the service of the United
| States;
Provided, That in time OF war the army
| shall consist of two branches, which shall
be designated, respectively, as the regu-
| lar army and the volunteer army Of the
United States.
Section 3. That the regular army is the
permanent military establishment, which
is maintained both in peace and war, ac-
cording TO law.
Section 4. That the volunteer army shall
be maintained only upon a declaration of
war by Congress, or a declaration by Con-
gress that war exists, and shall be raised
and organized, as in this act provided,
only after Congress has or shall have au-
thoriZed the President TO raise such q
force or TO call into actual service of the
United States the militia of the several
States; provided, that all enlistments for
the volunteer army shall be for the war,
and that all officers and men composing
said army shall be discharged from the
service of the United States when the
purposes for which they were called into
service shall have been accomplished, or
on the conclusion Of hostiliues.
Section ). That when it becomes neces-
sary to raise a volunteer army, the Presi-
dent shall issue his proclamation stating
the number of men desired, within such
limits as may be fixed by law, and the
Secretary Of War shall prescribe such
rules and regulations, not inconsistent
with the terms of this act as may in his
judgment be necessary for the purpose of
examining, organizing, and receiving into
service the men called for; provided, that
II
teer army SHALL as far as possible, be
taken from the several States and Terri
tories and the District of Columbia and
the Indian Territory in proportion to their
population.
VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION.
Section 6. That the volunteer army and
the militia of the States, when called
into the service of the United States,
shall be organized under and shall be
subject to the laws, orders, and regula-
lions governing the regular army: pro-
Vided, that each regiment of the volun-
teer army shall have one surgeon, two
assistant surgeons, and one chaplain, and
that all the regimental and company otii-
GERS shall be appointed by the governors
of the States in which their respective
organizations are raised: provided, fur
ther, that in all States whose brigades
and divisions are enlisted under the call
of the President of the United States, the
mator-generals and brigader-generals
shall be appointed by the governors OF
the States TO furnishing brigades and
divisions, and that all staff officers shall
be appointed by the respective governors
of the States which are called upon for
troops enough to constitute brigades and
divisions. That when the members OF |
any company, troops, battery, battalion,
or regiment of the organized militia OF
any State shall enlist in the volunteer
army in a body as such company, troop, !
battalion, or regiment, the regi- |
mental company troop. battery, and bat
talon officers in service with the militia |
organization thus enlisting may be APP
pointed by the governors Of the States !
and Territories, and shall, when so APP |
pointed, be officers of corresponding |
grades in the same organization when II |
shall have been received into the service |
Of the United States as part Of the /
volunteer army.
Section Z. That all organizations OF the |
volunteer army shall conform in number
Of officers and enlisted men to the organi-
cations OF the regular army. and no or
ganization shall be accepted into the SER
vice of the United States unless they con-
form in the number OF officers and men
10 similar organizations OF the regular
army OF the United States.
Section s. That all returns and muster
rolls OF organizations OF the volunteer
army and of militia organizations while
n the service of the United States shall
De rendered TO the acknowledgement OF the
lrmy, and upon the disbandment of such
the records pertaining TO
hem shall be transferred to and filed in
he record and pension office OF the War
Department And regiment8l and all
,ther medical officers serving with volun-
eer troops in the field or elsewhere shall
leep a daily record OF all soldiers re-
ported sick or wounded, as shown by the
morning calls or reports. and shall de-
gpsit such reports with other reports pro-
aded for In this section with the record
md pension office, as provided herein,
or other reports, returns. and MUSTER
oils.
DIVISIONS. BRIGADES, CORPS.
Section .. That In time OF war the
roops in the service Of the United States,
whether belonging 10 the regular or the
olunteer army or 10 the militia. shall be
rgsnized into divisions of three brigades,
ach brigade to be composed OF three