ommuir if z 110 üB.
i. ETT CR " r ROM TH L UIL LS •
'/[> the F titar of the Iwwislown Gazette:
Having completed my labors incident to
this season <>f the year, such as Hiopping
wood. mending fences, and thrashing grain.
1 will again devote an occasional leisure
hour to thrashing the loeolocos, who are
becoming more hold and reckless in their
attacks on the old hero ol' I'ueua Vista and
our excellent Governor, in proportion as
thev are ousted Ironi the strongholds of of
fice, to which they have clung for the last
twenty years with a tenacity that seemed
to say " never let go" while a dollar re
mains in the treasury. Old Zaeh, asvour
readers will renieniher, when first spoken
of for the Presidency, was endorsed by
the locofoco papers in ali quarters as a
'•good democrat," and some of them even
went so far as to recommend him in county j
conventions as a proper person to be nom
inated by their national convention, nltho'
it was well known at the time that he was :
it whig, a democratic whig who was taught
in the Jefi'ersonian school—who was not
willing to preach one doctrine to-day and
practice another to-morrow. When he
told Santa Anna that if attacked he would
fight, no matter what the odds were against
him, he infant what he said ; and w hen :
he told the locofocos that he was a whig, ,
he also meant what he said, as they have j
been made to see and feel sinee he has '
been in office. Their love of place, how
ever, was so strong, that those who had
hold of the teats of the treasury, who had
so long been fed on public pap, could not
realize that some of them would have to
earn their bread by the sweat of their
brows, as honest people should do. Ro
tation in office was an excellent principle
to talk about to the masses who vote, es
pecially about election time, but when the
principle came tu be applied to them in
practice. " what a fall was there, my coun
trymen !" A pandemonium howl was
sent forth from these wide-mouthed patri
ots, these brawling advocates of '• equal
laws and equal rights," these pretended 1
friends of the poor man, that has not had
its equal since the days ot Pharaoh. Old (
Ritchie, the slanderer ol General Andrew
Jackson, but now 4 sole organ" of modern
democracy—Forney,of the Penns\ Iranian,
the rulHe-shirted dandv who can gliblv
prate to his country readers about '■ whig .
aristocracy," and at the same lime would
hardly cast a look at a laboring man, for j
fear lie might soil his gloved hands bv :
closer contact —together with the whole
train of inferior satellites revolving round
their leader, at once let loose all the venom
of their natures, and proclaimed in ad- i
vance that the administration of General
Taylor was to be opposed, right or wrong,
to the 44 bitter end." This, to all honest
people, no matter of w hat politics, will ac
counts for the unqualified condemnation the :
locofoco ;>apers bestow on all the doings !
of the old hero, and for the ribald abuse of '
fits mind, character, and person. This ac
count l>r their taking sides with the French
minister, whose ignorance was onlv equal- j
led by his impudence, and whom General ;
Taylor at once promptly dismissed. This, i
too, will account lor their anxiety to ern- i
broil us with foreign nations, contrary to
the practice hitherto pursued by our gov
verument. from the davs of M ashingten to
the present time, and in opposition to the
notes of warning laid down in his immor
tal Farewell Address to the American peo
ple.
Or' a piece with these systematic attacks
cm the Administration, is the attempt to
create an impression that the whips are
enemies, and the loeofoeos friends of the
poor! To further this vile movement,
paragraphs are given, purporting to he from
what they call whig papers, in which the
poor man is told that he ought not to vote,
and should have no say so in gov* rnment.
I have one of these paragraphs before me
now, followed by a long string of stulf al
leged to he whig sentiment, if true, I for
one would he willing to kick the writer
over to the loeofoeos at once—say to the
Virginia loeofoeos—for there he would
naturally belong, as TIIKI prut lire exactly
what HE preurhes ! But is it true ? there's
the rub. Nearly everybody knows in the
warfare now waged against (len. Taylor
and the whips, that the loeofoeos will ex
tract a paragraph from the New \ ork He
rald, Journal of Commerce, Boston Chro
motype, or even the Jjedger, and if it suits
their purpose, call either of litem a Wn'g
paper, while in nine cases out of ten those
papers ail take sides with the opposition.
And how stand the facts : To elucidate
truth, the best evidence is generally found
at or near home, Let us then empanel a
jury and try these friends of the poor man
here. Let us see what evidence they cart
procure to substantiate their claims. Who
lor instance controls the public works ?
Why the loeofoeos. Well, one would na
turally suppose that here would be a fine
opportunity to exhibit their love and
friendship for the poor, but who ever heard
of that class being befriended when work
was to be done ? How many poor men
have ever been employed in any other ca
pacity than the hardest kind of labor ? A
few of them afe considered good enough
to stand iii mud and water, risking life and
health for a dollar or so a day, but how
rnanv have ever been appointed to fill a
Loss-ship, or any cither situation with little
labor and good pay, when some hot-headed
partizan, with house and home of his own
and perhaps means enough to live comfort
ably, wanted a place ? If the re has been
any such, let the public know it, fyr it will
make one sin less the party has to answer
for.
And so too in the private relations of lif ( >.
Show mc; a loeoloco who in reality be
friends the poor man, and my word for it
a wing, d not two of them, will be at hand.
So fur as profession goes, 1 acknowledge
that we are no match for our opponents ;
ihe pub is :.!! on their side, but u hen it
comet to the practice, it is a good deal like !
! the Mexican war, wherein they could shake
the Town Hall with their blood and tliun
■ der when it came to shoul
j tiering a musket, and enduring the hard
ships and privations of a campaign in that
country, the aristocratic whigs and the ;
| honest portion of the democracy were j
| good enough for that.
TILE GAZETTE,
PA.
BATUSBAY, JANUARY IS, 1819.
TERMS:
OAK DOLL Alt IJEIt AAAUAI,
IX ADVANCE.
For six months, 75 cents.
fCf'All NEW subscriptions must be paid in
advance. If the paper is continued, and not ;
paid within the first month, #1.23 will be charg- ,
ed ; if not paid in three months, #1.50; if not 1
paid in six months, #1.75; and if not paid in i
nine months, $2.00.
Nuticfi of AdrtrtiMMiH.
The Cumberland Valley Mutual Protection
Company of Dickinson township, give notice !
of an assessment of fi percent, on the premium
notes. Col. Hamilton is the agent lor this
county.
The Applebaugh property, a very desirable
location, is offered tor rent.
Mr. Hall has five auditor's notices.
School Taxes.
For the information of taxpayers, we j
deem it proper to state that the duplicate ;
tor School Taxes for the present year w ill
remain in the hands of G. \V. Tirb.M.vs.
Esq., Treasurer, until Saturday next—at- j
ter which day it will be placed in the hands ;
of the constable for collection, with 5 per j
cent, added to the amount. Those desi-'
rous of sav ing the above per rentage, can
call on Mr. Thomas on or before the day I
named, or they will certainly be charged i
with the addition.
'More Flre-i.
Painful as is the conviction, there can .
no longer be a doubt of incendiarism being '
rife in our town. Life and property are
now at stake, and where all are so deeply
interested, the question mav well be mooted
whether it is not time to adopt some muni
cipal regulations by which our streets can
be purified from the scenes of drunkenness,
rioting, (Ac., apt precursors to the state of
tilings now existing, for which they have 1
for a year or two become so notorious.—
\ arious measures have been suggested to
; remedy the evil, but all of a temporary
I character. A permanent one, in ouropin
! ion. would be much better. To effect this,
it would not be necessary to incur an an
, nual expenditure of more limn S3UO or
! 100, which would secure at least two
good watchmen. Let proper persons be
selected—men who w ill do their dutv—
• and empowered with authority to arrest all
' disturbers of the peace, as well as all sus
! picious characters who may prowl about
t at unseasonable hours ; let no mistaken
S policy ho adopted of remitting tines, no i
matter who the parties are, whether big
bug* nr little btigx : hut let all know that
law and order shall and must he preserved,
and our word for it a f< w months will suf
fice to restore confidence. \ temporarv
measure, we are satisfied, will do no good, l
while a permanent one, even with the lim- \
ited force proposed, will gradually, but
surely, work, a thorough reform.
J
CONGRESS. — The only matter of note
that has transpired in the House is the
election of Mr. Campbell, whig, as clerk,
over the " talented Forney'' of the Ponn
s\lranian—several southern locos having
fc> j
voted for Mr. to end the contest. A.
J. (llossbrenner, loco, one of the editors of
the York Oazotte, has been elected Door- !
keeper.
VIT We learn from the Huntingdon
Journal that §<2200 have been subscribed
by the citizens of that place to secure the
Depot, A.c., of the Railroad there.
A. W. BENEDICT, Esq.,of Huntingdon,
is an applicant for Reporter of the Su
preme Court, made vacant by the death of
R. M. BARK. Competent and deserving,
we hope our old friend who labored so
zealously with his pen years ago in the
political field, may meet with success.
FATAL ACCIDENT. — Wc learn by letter
that a sad accident occurred near Boals
burg, Centre county, on Saturday last.—
Mr. JOHN R. ANDREW was out on a hunt
ing excursion with a number of others,
and while rising from a log on which he
had been resting, the lock of his rifle caught
at a rock, causing its discharge, by which
he was instantly killed—the hall passing
through his heart. He was a member of
the J. ().<). F., the L'enn's Valley Cadets,
and Sons of Temperance-
On the 10th instant, the Legislature of
Mary land elected ex-Oovernor Pratt lJ . S.
Senator, for the unexpired term of the
lion. Rev rdy Johnson, and for six years,
commencing with the first session of the
tinny -second ('o tigress.
EDITORIAL CONVENTION. — The conven
tion of editors, held at Ilarrisburg on the
Ist insf., adopted a series of resolutions re
commending that papers should be allowed
to circulate free of postage within the con
! gressional districts in which they may be
; published, and urging upon the legislature
! the benefits which would accrue to the
, people, were the laws annually passed,
! published in all the papers of the State.
The resolution of the editorial convention
of V ermont, discountenancing personalities
in editorial intercourse, was adopted, and
, <
I measures taken to carry out the recom
mendations in regard to postage, and the
publication of the laws.
We regret to say that the petition for a
more general publication of t lie laws has
been summarily disposed of by the Sen
ate, that enlightened body hat ing deter
mined to continue paying SSOOO or SOOOO
a year for printing German pamphlet laws,
which nobody buys or reads, when that
sum, properly expended, would publish
the laws in every paper in the Suite,
English anil German.
EXPLANATORY.— W . 1?. HEALE, conduc
tor of the burthen train that came in con
tact with the passenger train week before
last, lias published a card, in which he al
leges that the accident was caused by a
difference of ten minutes time in their
watches. While passing Ilarrisburg he
took in two barrels of crackers, and not
being allowed to stop the train, he was
much hurried, and forgot to look at the
office time. Having set his watch the da)
previous, he depended on its being right,
and when about leaving Duncannon for
Bailey's station, he found that, by his
time, he had forty-two minutes to make
the distance—only eight miles —and ac
cordingly started. Subsequently, on com
pering watches, there was found to he a
difference of ten minutes between them.
Auditor (.eneral's Report.
Wo gather from this report lite following
: items of receipts relating to .Mi til in county :
I Centre and Kishacoquillas Turnpike Road
Company, tax on stock fc7B 45
i Nathaniel Fear, treasurer, tax, 11,716 29
j John C. Sigler, late treasurer, 62 25
! Hoover, former, 300 00
! Nathaniel Fear, tavern licenses, 150 16
" " retailers' "
44 " pamphlet laws, 332
14 44 militia fines, 275 32
I 7.. Rittenhouse,proth'y, tax on writs, &c. 339 73
j J. R. McDowell, late " 160 62
' J. Gibbony, former 44 1 17 6C
j I>. It. Reynolds, former 44 144 27
; D. \V. M'Cormiek, collector, toll, 12.237 27
\V. R. McCav, late 44 44 3,353 05
From First Regular Baptist Church <1
Lewistown, tax on enrolment of law, 10 00
From the Lev. islown I nion Hall Com
pany, tax on enrolment of law, 10 00
John Ro*s, supervisor, refunded cash 414 37
I ntier the head of expenditures ;md
' miscellaneous matters, are the following:
William If. Irwin, Adjutant General.
Salary, S3OO 00
Disbursements, 371 Oil
D. Eiscnbisc, inspector, Ist brigade, 10th div'n.
Salary, S2BO 00
Disbursements, 400 83
Gs'J 83
Pensions and Gratuities in this county, 30 83
Common Schools, 1,418 14
Bank of Lewistown relief notes canc'd 2,700 oo
Damage*- oti the public works.
George W. Patton, Juniata Division, 110 13
Thomas M'Closkey, do. 150 00
Solomon Martz, do. 2 50
Patrick McClosbcjr, do. 375 00
David R. Porter, do. 700 00
Samuel Hopper, do. 100 00
Francis M'Coy, do. 181 53
George Jacobs, do. 10 00
David Alter, do. 10 00
A. Mayes, do. 131 25
John Brotherlinc, do. 600 00
Peter Shoenherger, do. 500 00
John M'Comber, do. 50 00
Green, Dorsey & Co. do. 270 00
Jacob Kickenbaugh, do. 25 00
Nathaniel Fear, abatement of state tax, 430 08
Stuck held by the State in the Millerstown
and l.ewistown turnpike 35,850 00
Do. Lewistown and Huntingdon 46,500 00
James Turner, supcryisor, per accounts settled.
For debts prior to Dec. 1848, $6,18(J 30
For repairs per act 7th Feb. 1849, 2,135 16
Do. after Ist Dec. 1848, 2,986 39
Do. per act 10th April, 1849, 3,121 94
Do. do (ordinary,) 13,284 81
For repairing bridges, do 253 66
Total, 27,962 26
John Ross, late supervisor, per accounts settled.
For check roll and bill creditors, $585 63
repairs after Ist l)t*c., 1848, 15,961 07
repairing bridges, 630 27
Total, 17,176 97
J. P Anderson, supervisor, per account settled.
For debts prior to Ist Dec., 1848, $25,520 32
repairs per act 7th Feb., 1849, 4,958 47
ordinary repairs, 18,925 81
Total, 49,404 63
Pay of Lock-keepers, per J. Turner, 2,016 00
Do. do. per J. P. Anderson, 5,407 00
i PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD ITTCENTS.—
No less than fifty cars were received m
one day last week, at the depot of Messrs.
Craig, Hellas Si Co., agents of the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company, with 152
| tons of produce, consisting of llour, butter,
eggs, poultry, ALC.
DROWNED.' —On Saturday last Miss
CAROLINE MILLER, aged about 17 years,
fell from the foot-log crossing Stone ('reek
at the Warm Springs, and was drowned.
There was no person with her, and she
was not missed for several hours after it is
supposed she fell into the raging stream.
Search was immediately made for her
body, but it was not found until Monday
afternoon, about two and a half miles be
low the place where the accident occurred.
—Huntingdon (Slobc.
Thomas (7. McDowell, late Consul to
Brazil, has hern elected State Librarian.
P'IRI-.S. — \ stable owned by Francis
M'Clure, Esq., on Water street, near the
stone bridge, was tired on Sunday morning
last, about 2 o'clock, and a horse belong
ing to an old gentleman named M'Alister,
on a visit to a relative, taken therefrom.—
'J'he fire was discovered by Christian
Smith, brewer, and with the aid ot his
hands, extinguished before much damage
was done. Thus far noting has been
heard of the horse.
At one o'clock on Tuesday morning, a
fire broke out in a new two story frame
building on Wayne street, opposite the
Pioneer Company's stables, which was
totally consumed. The building attached
to it, designed for a bowling alley, was
also partly burnt. They were erected by
Mr. THOMAS E. SIIULI., patent pump man
ufacturer, at a cost of about SIOOO, and at
the time of the fire were finished, with the
exception of painting. The engine and
hose were promptly on the spot, and ar
rested the progress of the tiautes, saving
fully one-half of the bowling alley. The
loss is estimated at from SIOO to SOOO. —
There was no insurance, though an appli
cation was pending at the time. The
shavings hating been removed from the
lower part of the building the day before
—being uninhabited—and no fire used
about the premises—there can be no doubt
whatever as to its origin ; it was designed
ly fired.
ARRESTS. —Three young men were ar
rested on Tuesday evening, on suspicion
of having fired ShuH's bowling alley, and
after an examination before a Justice of
the Peace committed lor trial. One has
been released on bail, and the others are
now in jail, but whether they intend to re
main in that rickety concern until the
April Court we cannot tell. The evi
dence against thern i> circumstantial but
strong, and unless they can show their
whereabouts at the time by good testimony,
it may go hard with them. We forbear
giving names for the present, as we cannot
call them guilty of so heinous an offence
until com icted.
An Irishman was arrested at Freedom
Forge the other day, where lie was em
ployed, for secretly appropriating to his
own use and benefit a few hundred dollars
worth of store goods. When brought to
the jail from the Justice's office on Wed
nesday evening, he gave the constable leg
bail just as they reached the jail door, and
the constable falling on the ice as he at
t< mptcd to strike or grab him, Pat was in
a fair way of escaping, w hen another per
son pursued the luckless wight and caught
him in a stable near the aqueduct.
PITTS nrßcu ELECTION. —The election
fir municipal officers in Pittsburgh last
week, resulted in the choice of JOSEPH
HARKLR, the street preacher, who was re
cently imprisoned In Judge Shaler for ut
tering some strong language against the
Catholic priesthood. A large number of
tiie Citizens seemed to think that persecu
tion was at the bottom of the matter, and
accordingly selected him to office although
at the time in prison. (ov. Johnston
subsequently pardoned him, and he is now
at large. The vote stood for McCutcheon,
Whig, 982 : Guthrie, lnd., 1,575 ; Park
er, Anti-Catholic, 1,818. The select
council consists of 0 Whigs and 1 Locos ;
the common council, 21 Whigs and 1)
1 JOCOS.
From the following paragraph it would
appear that Parker will prove a trouble
some customer to some:
lie entered on his duties, on Saturday
last, and during the morning disposed of a
number of eases of rowdyism, Are. A
tavern keeper made complaint to him of a
drunken man having broken his windows,
after getting drunk in his house. As it
was the man's first offence, he lined him
('<7 cents and costs, and let linn go, and lie
warned the doggery-keeper to beware how
he conducted his house in future, as he
was determined on punishing as well the
men who made the drunkards as those
who got drunk. He also gave his officers
instructions to return the names of all
proprietors of drinking, gambling and
other establishments, who had violated the
law in keeping open houses on the Sab
bat If day.
, LKCISLATI RK. — \Y v, see nothing in the
proceedings of the Legislature at Harris
burgh that would interest our readers. A
large number of resolutions of inquiry are
daily oHe red, bills read in place &t\, but
it will take a week or two more before
they will be brought to maturity.
In the Senate, Mr. Cunningham presented
a petition from Brown tp., MitlJm county, for
a change of place of holding their elections.
Air. Fraily reported as committed, the bill
| to incorporate the Cemetery of the Methodist
i Episcopal Church ut Lewistown ; which was
( taken up and passed through Committeeot the
Whole, McCaalin in the chair.
Mr. Myers read m place a bill to protect
fruit and ornamental Trees.
Mr. Trone, a bill to extend the jurisdiction
ot Justices of the Peace in certain civil and
j criminal cases, and to autlioiizo juries before
| them.
Mr. Laird, a bill to amend the school law, so
as to allow persona over '2l yoarsot age to at
tend common schools.
Items of News.
_
An official census shows the population
of Zanesville, Ohio, to be 7302.
A store was recently set on fire at St.
Louis, by rats gnawing lucifer matches.
.Miss Bremer, who is still in Boston, has
a new novel in the hands of Mary Howitt.
llipe strawberries, grown in the open
| air, were exhibited at New Orleans on the
29th tilt.
( bickering, of Boston, the famous piano
forte maker, completed his ten thousandth
instrument on New Year's day.
A large number of counterfeit ten dollar
bills of the city bank of Columbus, Ohio,
are in circulation in the west.
The people of Madison county have
| presented Gov. Crittenden a fat ox. weigh
; ing 2.000 lbs.
It is reported that the treasurer of the
i Cherokee nation, .Mr. David Vann, is a
! defaulter to the amount of S7OOO.
The small pox is raging to an alarming
' extent in some of the small towns in Ken-
I tucky.
I A national christian anti-slaverv conven
tion is announced to be held in Cincinnati,
! on the 17th of April next.
Mrs. Thomas Elliott was burned to
j death at Harsimus, N. Y., on Tuesday
night, by leaving a lighted candle beside
her bed.
The dwelling of Mr. David A. Dickin
son, in Carroll county, Md., Mas totally
destroyed by fire on Saturday last. 'J lie
loss is estimated at about S2OOO.
The Senate has confirmed the appoint
ment of Alexander Irvin, as United States
Marshal for the Western District of Penn- .
svlvania.
-i i
A german girl named Mary Smaltz, !
committed suicide at Frankfort, Ky., on
the 3d inst., by drowning herself in the
j river.
The St. Louis papers of the sth instant
state that during the previous week sever
al cases of cholera had occurred in that
city, some of which terminated fatally. j
The Cincinnati Cazette says that the ;
i value of chewing tobacco sold in that mar
ket amounts to one and a half million of J
dollars annually.
The extensive soap and candie manu- j
factory of Messrs. Sawyer Co.. at Alle
gheny, Pa., was wholly destroyed by fire I
on Tuesday night last. Loss S6OOO, w liich
, is covered by insurance.
The London papers of December 14th .
announce the death ol Sir M. Brunei, the
\ celebrated engineer and constructor of the
Thames tunnel. He was a native of
France.
A young German druggist. Frederick i
Iliinmell, at Hobokcn, hung himself near '
tin- Elysian Fields last week—as is sup
posed, in a tit of despondency, having j
neither relatives nor means.
There are now building for the Anteri
-♦* x i
ican navy tour steamers; Powhattan,
Susquehanna, Saranac, and San Jacinto.
The first at Norfolk, the second at Phila- 1
delphia, the third at Portsmouth, N. 11., j
' and the last at New York.
' Millions of Pigeons have been filling the j
woods for miles around Franklin, Tennes
see, for several weeks past. They have
a roost several miles in extent in Hick
man countv, and with a torch and club
the people sally forth at night, and bring
| home their game by meal bags full.
FRF.K SCKKRAGE. —At the recent election
in Wisconsin, the question of free sutfrage
was voted upon, and decided in the affirm- ;
ative ; the vote showing 4090 for, 3003
| against it. This establishes the right of '
every male citizen, of whatever color, over i
1 the age of twenty-one years, to vote at all J
elections in the fState.
The first sale of precious stones, in New <
York, for five years past, consisting of i
diamonds, turquoises, topazes, garnets, !
rubles, chrvsalites, pearls, sapphires, aqua
marines, Oriental garnets, opals, amethysts, j
emeralds, Panama pearls, and rough dia- .
mond opals, took place on Friday morn
ing. The proceeds amounted to about
SB,OOO.
The old Brewery, a den of infamy in
the '• Five Points," New York, was
burned on Friday last, and although not
'entirely destroyed, was sutficientlv dam
aged to render its miserable inmates more
miserable for a time at least, during this
wintry weather. About twenty families,
| numbering about a hundred persons, were
driven out of doors by the flames.
No tic c s.
SARTAIN'S UNION MAGAZINE tbr February
is one of the richest in embellishments that has
yet been issued. West's First Effort in Art,
and Portrait of Mrs. Polk, both mezzotints by
] JSartain, are beautiful and life-like pictures,
highly finished. The Valentine, an illumina
ted print by Ackerman, the Winter Serenaders,
Jacques in Soliloquy, Ist, 2u', and 3d of the
| seven ages, Fashions, Music, sad some twenty
five or thirty other illustrations all grace this
, number. We have not had time to examine
1 its literary contents, hut we have no doubt its
talented editors continue to give it that high
l moral tone tor which it has been heretofore
noted. Those wishing to subscribe for this
excellent magazine are requested to call at the
i Gazette office —we furnish it at lower terms
j than it can be procured singly in any other way.
DIED.
Departed this life, on Thursday the 17th inst.,
j at LewUtown, Mrs. ISABELLA S., consort of
Lewis 1. Wattson, Esq., in the 36th year of her
| age. Mrs. \V. was long a sufferer with pulmo
i nary disease, and had anticipated the end, as
did all her friends, for many months. As a
member ol the Presbyterian church, a wife and
mother, and a member of this community, she
will he sincerely and greatly regretted. But
the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away.
She, died calling upon the nam® of hvr Saviour
| and rely ing upon his tnerits. J oi
AI>JI TIM CEIKB.tL'9 R£l'oHl.
The following abstract of Adj. General
IRWIN'S Report will be read with interest:
The Adjutant General regrets that the l a ,t
Legislature did not adopt more of tn.j
tions in regard to our Military affairs which
were made in his Report last year. The omis
sion has caused great complaint, and has
pel led him to supply the delects ol the law p.
'• Regulations" of his own.
However incomplete the present law may he
it cannot be denied that by the abolition of ti r.
parades of the ununiformed militia, it had don.-'
more than was ever before effected for our ■ n i
tary affairs. He wished to correct a sc ( i
mistake into which those who condemn the iavv
had fallen. It does not conflict with that part < f
the constitution of this State (Art. 6th, <.
which provides " that the Freemen of thisO'eni
inonw ealth shall be armed and disciplined fur its
defence;" but the present law provides that U •
Militia shall be uniformed, and it keeps in
(21st See. P. M. Laws) that part of the art of
1122, which relates to and regulates the cabin r
the military into the service of the State or'tl e
United States. He then argues and shows that
the State has the power to require the Miin u t
uniform under the 6th Sec. of the Cousin,
of the United States. Jn
As to the effects of the law :—The demand U T
arms from August last—when the general and
lield officers were elected—up to this tin,,. ,
been unprecedented. The three Arsenals of the
| State, Philadelphia, Ilarriaburg and Meadvilie'
have been almost exhausted, and the Adjutant
General has been compelled to anticipate by an
; arrangement with the War Department, (through
! the Governor) our quota of arms for J SSO. ]j e
lias already draw n 1200 percussion muskets from
the U. S. Ordnance Department. During the
past year about fifty new companies have bet n
organized, and more than 2000 small arms and
six pieces of ordnance have been issued, exclu
sive of a battery of light artillery of three
pieces, with full apparatus.
The Commissioners of Counties are much
censured for their neglect and utter contempt of
duty in not assessing and collecting the militia
fine.
He takes ground against the rc-establishment
of the militia system recently repealed, as it
" would be repugnant to the feelings of a vast
majority of our citizens, destructive to the mil
itary spirit of our people, and most pernicious
to the honor and true interests of Pennsylva
nia. "
One important error in the present system
consists iu the small number of rank and file
thirty-six rank and lite necessary to constitute a
company. This system of -'skeleton compa
nies" was attempted in the U. S. Army, and sig
nally failed. A company should consist of at
least fifty rank and file.
In the city and county of Philadelphia com
panies should be required to parade at least sixtv
four men, as the population there is dense, and
th® men live near their armories.
Another defect is, that the present law does
not require an official bond from the Brigade
Inspector. The 17th section of the Act of 2d
April, 1622, requiring an official bond of §SOOO,
with sufficient sureties, should be re-enacted.
The present law also very imperfectly points
out the mode in* which vacancies are to be sup
plied, (Sec. lath.) This should be remedied.
The expenses of many corps in Philadelphia,
and in the larger towns and interior cities, are
burdensome to active members, and are com
pelled to have contributing members to assist in
paying expenses. " Citizens who are within the
muster roll, but desire to avoid the trouble and
expense of active members of a company, ought
to be exempt by paying the amount of the an
nual fine into the treasury of some companv."
The salaries of the Brigade Inspectors are en
tirely inadequate. A fixed salary of S2OO, with
an allow-ance for expenses incurred in public
service snould be given.
The present law establishes no rule for effect
ing the organization of Battalions and Regi
ments among adjacent Brigades. He recom
mends that the Major General of each Division,
and the Brigadiers of the several Brigades should
be empowered to orgauize Battalions within the
limits of the Division to which they are attached.
He calls the attention of the Legislature to
the necessity of numbering the Regiments in
regular order throughout the State, and of as
signing to each officer his regimental arid lineal
rank, and to each General officer his rank in the
line of the uniformed militia of Pennsylvania.
The Adjutant General should be empowered to
assign the precedence of corps and rank of offi
cers, being governed in his decisions by the laws
of the State and the principles of precedence
laid down in the •• Regulations of the I". S.
Army."
The 12th section of the Militia Law of 1622,
requiring the Adjutant General to present annu
ally a detailed statement of the Militia, is still
in force, but by the 12th section of the revised
law , he is required to report only the strength
of the uniformed militia. Here is a conflict of
laws, both of which are positively declared by
the last act to be in force ! A sound rule of
construction would totally repeal the first, but
this will produce great and immediate loss to the
State, for the quota of arms for this State de
pends upon the number of militia ID the State
Some doubt is expressed by General officers
of the uniformed militia, whether, under the
present law-, they 3re entitled to staff officers.
This should be ascertained by law.
No system of reports and returns as to the
real strength and discipline of the militia exists,
and the Adjutant Genera! is denied the power to
present a detailed statement of the militia such
as the law requires. Quarterly muster roils,
semi-annual reports and an annual return should
be required of every company.
During the past summer an arrangement was
concluded with Brevet Brigadier General H
Stanton, Assistant Quartermaster General I S
A., by which U. S. uniforms, both fatigue and
dress, were furnished to the uniformed militia at
the same price charged the regular soldier, with
the additional trifling cost of packing boxes and
transportation. A law should be passed declar
ing them to be the dress of the uniformed militia.
The superintendent of the Philadelphia Arse
i nal should be authorized and required to furnish
' the fatigue or dress U. S. uniform to companies
upon their requisition direct to them. Until
such an arrangement be made, the Adjutant
i General cannot meet many requisitions for miii
j tary clothing which have been made upon hire
Sales of old and useless arms and equipments,
camp equipage, A c., have been made at the Phil
adelphia, Harrisburg and Meadvilie Arsenals.
That at Philadelphia Arsenal amounted to jdHll
i 10; that at Harrisburg $641 64. No return
from Meadvilie. This money ex
penses! has been paid into t!e State Treasury.
A part (s4D4 15) of the appropriation for re
pairing the Arsenals has been expend?*!.
The Legislature should authorize the Adjutant
General to inspect personally the arms, Ac., is
sued throughout the State, or allow him to ap
point some one to discharge the duties for hiiu.
I he State is sufltring a serious loss by neglect
ing to give to the Adjutant General the power
to collect and sell damaged arms, JLc.; the cost
of transporUng arms to certain points being very
heavy and supply being at but a few places,
the market is soon glutted. It is unjust, also;
for the citizens of the whole State should ha't>
equal opportunities to purchase.
'1 he Adjutant General asks authority to ex
change several pieces of ordnance forniu-kcU,
as tlie extraordinary demand for musket* will
certainly exhaust our quota for lbolf, long before
the year expires. Artillery corps, except when
attached to a Battery, or organized into a Kegi
; incut, should not be encouraged, as they are ex
pensive to the State, and with a few exceptions,
give no attention to Artillery tactics or practice.
Every possible encouragement should begivt'U
to the formation of Batteries of Artillery,
, especially iu the First Divison.
A number of Carbines, in the Ilunisburg Ar
senal, which arc perfectly useless, thou K. t*
; gocd condition, and a number ot Pikes on a''U*