The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-16
GUARDS TO STAY IN
CORPS Will. REMAIN INTACT,
WITH FEW RESERVATIONS,
UNDER THE DICK BILL.
THIS ACTION ASSURED AT ROUS-
ING MEETING LAST NIGHT.


an Exhaustive Discussion of the
Operations OF the New Law, Com
mittee Concluded That the Dick
Bill Imposed no New obligations,
but Increased the ASsets-In Con-
cIusIon the Corps Is Advised to
tees Report in Full.
The Savannah Volunteer Guards will
subscribe to the conditions Of the Dick
bill.
AS result of meeting of the
corps, held last night in their armory.
at which time the report of the Ad-
visory Committee, appointed by the
corps to provide into the provisions Of
the bill, was read, it Is practically as
sured that the historic old command
will remain intact. and that few of the
members will apply for a discharge.
The Advisory Committee was COM
posed of Maj. w. W. Williamson. Col.
William Garrard, Capt. Henry C. Cum
ningham Mr.. w. w. Mackall. Capt.
H. f. Wilson, and Capt. w. B. Steph-
ems. With the exception OF the major
commanding. all of the committee are
prominent members of the bar. The
only dissenting opinion was rendered
by Capt. stephens, who stated that
while constrained to disagree with the
committee in many respects, he did
not desire that his views should de-
tract in any way from the advice and
recommendations made. Their opin-
ion, he said, should be accepted by the
corps.
At the conclusion of the meeting
there We're few who were not willing
to remain in under the Dick bill, and
a motion was made to the effect that
the battalion accept the conditions of
the bill. This motion was, however.
withdrawn upon request of a member
of the committee, who thought that,
in view of the fact that there were
some members whose minds were not
fully made up. no final action should
be taken by the corps. but that each
individual should be given an oppor-
tunity to judge for himself.
Practically Unanimous.
In accordance with this sentiment it
was determined to have the report of
of the Dick bill, sent TO every member
of the command. Companies A, c and
D were practically unanimously in ia
vor of abiding by the report of the
committee. but there were a few in
Company B who desired to consider
the matter longer.
The bill was discussed by the MEM
bers of the committee and by several
of the enlisted men. Col. Garrard said
that while ThpTa IfCnd n hh q 6iCfinO-
tion between the militia and the volun-
teer forces, that it had been abolished
by an act of the Legislature in 1883.
This bill he had drawn himself and he
was. therefore. thoroughly familiar
with its provisions. He said that
practically the same language was
used in this act of the Legislature as
is used in the Dick bill.
Capt. Cunningham said that at first
he was violently opposed to the bill,
but that Investigation had served 10
disabuse his mind of this prejudice.
He had concluded that his impression
that the bill conferred many additional
powers was erroneous, and that, as a
matter of fact the measure created no
new status of the National Guard. 1t
was all. he concluded, as clear as A,
B, c. Other speakers were Charles G.
Edwards, Esq, John L. Archer and
Stephen Harris.
Will Approve Discharge.
The committees report was conclu-
sively to the effect that the corps are
now under the Dick bill. since, under
the Constitution no state is allowed
10 maintain troops in time of peace,
except by consent of Congress. This.
however, they said, did not preclude
the right of any individual member to
apply for a discharge. Maj. William
son announced that he would approve
any discharge applied for
The report of the committee was con-
sidered by the officers and men very
able one. After going into the de-
tails of the measure, and discussing it
section by section, and comparing the
effect of its operations with those of
the old law, the committee concluded
that in regard to the obligations rest
ing upon the volunteer forces there was
practically no difference in the two
laws. The Dick bill, they said, merely
codified the laws and provided for the
better equipment of the National
Guard. AS one member of the COM
mittee expressed it, the assets, not the
obligations, were increased.
The Report in Full.
The report is a most comprehensive
and carefully prepared paper. In con-
Guiding it, the committee urge upon
the corps to remain in the service The
report is here given in FULL
The undersigned committee, appoint
ed by the corps in general meeting
to examine into the provisions of the
act of Congress, entitled, An Act to
Promote the Efficiency of the Militia
and for other purposes" and to report
10 the Corps thereon in an advisory
manner, beg leave to submit the fol-
lowing:
This act of Congress, covering much
ground and many points, mas naturally
arrested the attention and properly cx-
cited the curiosity of the officers and
men of the military commands of
Georgia, and it ought to be thoroughly
Investigated and generally understood.
(a) In examining it, we have en-
deavored to trace. as far as could be
done, every section of this act back
to its source. and we have found by a
close and critical analysis that this act
Of Congress, in the main. is a con-
densation OF existing law. and contains
no new features, except such as tend
TO further promote the efficiency OF
the militia and to make provision for
increased appropriations. such as sup
plies. etc.
IN the preamble of the act, and in
the Third Section, Congress proceeds
under a clause of the Constitution,
which permits 1t alone to provide for
the organization" of the militia
throughout the states. territories and
District Of Columbia and denominates
what constitutes the militia by stat
Ing the law. as IL was before and has
been since the beginning Of the govern
nent and makes only this distinction.
thai II distinguishes between the ac-