The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-16

the same language. said sections being
! 1894, 1643 1G44, l64g, 1850, 1861, 1885 and
! 1886.
Section %, which provides for PEN
! sion benefits to officers and men, is
/ also covered by Sections 1899 and 1856
of the Compiled Statutes.
! (e) The remaining sections Of the
act relate to provisions for inspec-
( tions and reports on the discipline and
training of the militia, and the pro-
Viding Of rifles carbines and other mil
ltary property for the use of the
! troops, and other details i'm regard to
the issuance Of the same, upon the APP
plication of the Governors of the diff
ferent states, etc, and as to all of
these amphfications of existing laws,
we can only report, that they all tend
to the benefit of the military forces
throughout the states called militia.
and add to their efficiency, in training,
instruction and equipment.
we nave taken occasion to examine
also into the congressional proceed
lngs relating to this act, and we find
mat Congress seems to have been ami
mated by desire to put the militia of
the dlHerent states on a uniformly bet
Ter footing, and that the debates on
ana discussions of the measure were
not characterized by any sectional or
partisan feeling, but, on the contrary,
py that spirit of patriotism which
seems to pervade the American Con-
gress When anything pertaining to the
trmy and military forces is In uues-
tioGa.
Born of Harmony.
For example; In the last DAYS pro-
ceedings in regard to this bill. in the
senate, we find the discussion on the
same to have been entirely harmoni-
Gus the leaders of both parties seem
ing 70 nave no differences of opinion as
10 the constitutional provisions touch
ing the same and when all the amend
lnents We're disposed of and the bill
ready Tor its passage, Mr.. Bacon, the
senior Senator from Georgia took the
moor for the purpose of announcing his
position clearly, and stated as follows:
MI. president, as | have had some
thlng to say about the bin. and in or
der TO prevent any possible miscon-
struction as to my present attitude to-
wards 1t, l desire to say that i'm its
present shape l most heartily approve
of it, and ap satisfied that it is very
wise and eh&ient bin and viii result in
the great Improvement of the militia
ana make it a most efficient arm of
the government l hope the bin may
be passed unanimously"
And, thereuDon the question was
put, and the bill was passed.
~.
(a) We submit that before Jan. q.
1903, the date of the approval of this
act, this command. as wen as all 9th
er commands in Georgia, recognized
as parts of the state forces, were part
and parcel of the militia of the United
States so far as the constitution and
the statutes of Georgia could make
them, so declared by the statutes of
this state, and that the act of Congress
in question: approved on said last
named date, did nothing more. in this
regard, than to affirm for all of the
states, territories and District of Co
lLmbia, what was the existing military
plan provided for in Georgia.
Therefore, as a necessary and logical
sequence, whether the state of Georgia
formally accepts the benefits or not
under this act, in the way of payments
of money for military purposes, distri-
button of guns, military equipment,
stores, etc, it can make no difference
as to the point that the troops of this
state regularly organized, are now. as
they have been for many years past, a
portion of the militia of the United
States and subject to all of the laws