Page images
PDF
EPUB

ments to other sections of the bill, but none to the one quoted. It passed through both branches - the Senate and the House — in the regular course of business, without any opposition whatever, and became a law, by the approval of the President, on the first of July.

In the early part of June a bill was introduced into the House, entitled "An Act further to regulate and provide for the enrolling and calling out the national forces." Among other things the bill repealed the commutation clause, and provided that no money should be received in lieu of military service. Some of the provisions of the bill met with great opposition, and, after several long debates, Mr. Smithers, of Delaware, on the 27th of June, presented a substitute, the eight section of which was as follows: —

"All persons in the naval service of the United States, who have entered the service during the present rebellion, who have not been credited to the quota of any town, district, ward or State, by reason of their being in the service and not enrolled prior to February 24, 1864, are to be enrolled and credited to the quotas of the town, ward, district or State in which they respectively reside."

Mr. Smithers' bill was substituted, passed the House, and was sent to the Senate, where it was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. It was reported back on the following day (June 29), the committee recommending certain amendments to the sections relating to the enlistment of minors, furnishing substitutes and drafting, but the section relating to naval credits was not even mentioned by Gen. Wilson, in his analysis of the provisions of the bill.

The House being unable to agree to some of the amendments of the bill in the Senate, Conference Committees were appointed.

The Conference Committee, on the part of the House, in reporting the amendments which had been agreed upon by the two committees, state, in regard to the eighth section: -

[ocr errors]

"We found that loose in respect of this, that it did not say on what evidence, and we added, after the word shall, in the seventh line, ' on satisfactory proof of their residence made to the Secretary of War.""

The bill was then passed through both branches without further opposition, and approved by the President July 4, 1864.

1

[merged small][graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

IN BOARD OF ALDERMEN, May 20, 1872.

Laid on the table and ordered to be printed.

Attest:

S. F. MCCLEARY,

City Clerk.

« PreviousContinue »