No. 8.

LEGISLATURE, 1855.

ADJUTANT OFFICE, }

DETROIT, December 1st, 1854.

To His Excellency, ANDREW PARSONS, Governor and Commander-in

Chief:

SIR-I have the honor to submit to your Excellency, in compliance with the provisions of the law, the Annual Reports from this Department, for the years 1853 and 1854, containing the abstract from the returns of the Commanding Officers of Divisions, Brigades, and Divisionary Corps of the Active Malitia, together with abstracts from the returns of the Clerks of the several cities and townships of the State, (as far as received,) exhibiting the numercial strength of the enrolled Militia; also, tabular statements of the amount of ordnance, ordnance stores, arms and accoutrements, &c., the property of the State, deposited in the United States Arsenal, at Dearborn, and in the State Armory in this City, under my care as Quarter-Master General.

I am gratified at being able to state, that the condition of the Active Militia of the State has been much improved within the past two years, and that there is a fair prospect (provided the Honorable, the Legislature will but grant the so oft required revision of the existing Militia Laws, and extend its fostering care over this branch of the public service,) that a few years more will find Michigan protected by a military organization equal to much older and larger populated States.

Even under the existing laws, if they could be rigidly enforced, in accordance with the true spirit, the present system would be less objectionable; but while a portion of the State does its duty, I regret to add, that in many localities there is a neglect of the law.

In most localities, Assessors, Supervisors and Township Clerks, have failed to do what the law requires of them.

This neglect of official duty on the part of the civil officers, arises partly from ignorance, partly from indifference, and partly from a wilful determination to defeat the laws for the government of the Militia system.

I deem it of the highest importance to the interests of the Militia system, that a revision of the existing law of 1846, with such alterations and amendments as may be deemed advisable, should take place, and to effect so desirable an object, that a number of competent commissioned officers, of the different grades, be appointed to lay before the 'Honorable the Legislature, such a revised code, for its approval, enactment and protection, as their practical experience as military men would recommend.

And I especially recommend that the duties of the persons charged with the enrollment be plainly and distinctly defined, and that for these services an adequate compensation be allowed, and that severe fines and penalties for neglect of such duties, be imposed.

If the Militia system is to be recognized as one of the institutions of the State, those who volunteer to be soldiers under it, have a right to demand of the legislative authority such laws as will insure a full, prompt and faithful execution of all the duties imposed upon civil as well as military officers.

That it must be so recognized, is indisputable and indispensable. The old system, by Congress, was established at a time when the population of the whole United States was no more than that of the State of New York is at present. Independence from Great Britian had just been achieved, the Indians among us were numerous, warlike and hostile to our people, and the militia system then prescribed by Congress, was doubtless the best for the country, which could have been devised at that day, and it is believed that it was for many years faithfully obeyed and executed by all the States, because they saw that their safety and security greatly depended upon it.

It required every able-bodied man, between the ages of 18 and 45, to be always armed and equipped at his own expense. But the very rapid and great increase of our population, wealth and strength within the thirty and forty years which followed the adoption of the system, made it apparent that the onerous tax on every man between t the ages of 18 and 45, of arming and equipping himself at his own expense, and devoting at least one day to useless parade, was a burden for which there was no compensation in return; the system was first neglected, then laughed at, and finally its usefulness was utterly destroyed. That our people should have a military organization, accompanied by drill, is admitted by all, for upon this is our last reliance for the preservation of order in opposition to combinations of bad people, who may infringe upon the rights of persons or property, or in any way use violence in opposition to the proper execution of our laws.

And in the event of a war with any foreign nation, it is of the highest importance that we should have at our command military capacity, and cultivation sufficient to guide and control the masses of volunteers, who will always be found ready and eager to flock to the standard of our country.

If the above views be correct, how much more is a well organized Militia force needed in this our frontier State, lying, as it does, adjacent to an important dependency of a great power?

These considerations induced the Legislature of our State, during the year 1816, to abandon a system which had become worse than useless, and adopt, (at a cost to the people of infinitely less time and money,) one which would ensure all the benefits contemplated by the old organization.

It is, of course, obvious to every person who has given the subject a thought, that the only object contemplated by any Militia organization, is to cultivate and diffuse among the people, that knowledge of military matters which, unfortunately, States often need; and I feel confident, had the law of this State, as approved the 18th of May, 1846, been fully tested, it would have appeared that the early repeal of the Sections, from 1 to 8, of Chapter 14, of said Act, by the act approved March 6th, 1848, entitled an Act for the repeal of the levying and collecting of the Annual Tax, for the support of the Volunteer Militia of this State, was premature; for instead of compelling every man between

the ages of 18 and 45 to do military duty, at a very considerable annual expense, all were relieved from the burden, on the payment of the small sum of twenty-five cents per annum, for the support of the Volunteer Militia of this State.

It is well known that many persons have no taste or liking for military drills, parades, &c.; on the other hand also, that many have. The Act of 1846 required no man to do military duty, except as a matter of choice, and this fact makes it certain, that those who volunteer to constitute a portion of uniformed Militia, will enter into the matter with spirit, and so far as the acquirement of military knowledge is concerned, will secure to the State far more valuable resources than could ever have been attained under the old law.

But many of those who volunteered to be members of our uniformed Militia, could not well afford to be at the expense required for the full observance of the Militia Laws; and, therefore, it was wisely and justly enacted, that all persons, who by law of the United States, are subject to military duty, but who, by our laws, are excused if they prefer it, shall contribute the small sum of twenty-five cents yearly, which was intended to apply towards a reasonable compensation to those who will provide themselves with uniforms, and who actually do duty drill, and are disciplined.

There certainly was nothing unreasonable in that provision, yet there were many, and some who knew better, who denounced the 25 cents commutation as a burden on those who were required to pay it, and so clamorous were they, that within a year after its enactment, and without due experiment of the working of the Act, the repeal of the above quoted Sections took place, and thereby not only destroyed the Volunteer or Uniformed Militia, but nearly dissolved the entire Militia organization.

In connection with this subject I beg leave to refer your Excellency to abstract A., hereunto annexed, to the proceedings of a Military Convention of the several volunteer corps in commission, convoked and held in this city on the 10th day of October last, in which Convention resolutions were adopted with reference to the above alluded to repealed sections of chapter 14, and also by soliciting the Honorable, the Legislature, for the entire revision of the existing Militia Code, and the reenacting of the repealed commutation tax, or for the adoption of any other, that, by the Honorable Body, may be deemed expedient, as the

only means of the possibility to sustain the volunteer system—as otherwise we shall have neither an active or volunteer, nor an enrolled Militia, and the acts of Congress relative to the Militia, as well as those of this State on that subject, will thereby be left unfulfilled, if not violated.

On account of the total neglect by the civil officers of sections 9 and 10 of chapter 14, of the existing Militia Laws, during this year, I was compelled to take the census for the year 1853, as my guide, and am indebted to the Secretary of State for the annexed abstract B., in the appendix; by which it will appear that the male inhabitants in the several counties of this State, as reported to the State Department under the Census Act of 1853, over the age of 21 and under 45 years, were 92,160-if therefore these delinquent civil officers, would duly make their returns to this office of all the white male inhabitants liable to do military duty, from the ages of 18 to 45 inclusive, how much larger would our numerical strength appear? and how many more arms and accoutrements would the State be entitled to draw from the General Government under the act of Congress of 1808, providing for arming and equipping the whole body of the Militia—where the aggregate of the numerical strength, is the criterion for the amount or quota allowed each State and Territory?

I have, during the current year, diligently endeavored to collect from the disbanded and other companies, all the flint lock muskets I could obtain, and with some companies in commission, effected exchanges for muskets with percussion locks—but as not only the collection and transportation from the interior of the State to this place, but also the shipment to any of the United States Arsenals, to which the said flint lock muskets may be sent for alteration with percussion locks, are subject to cash disbursements, no shipment as yet could be made-and I therefore again respectfully reiterate the request and the absolute necessity "for an appropriation," and thus to be enabled to send these at present useless and unfit for service flint lock muskets, the property of the State, to be altered by the General Government by charging the State for so doing, against and in lieu of the annual quota of arms to which the same is entitled. And it is with this view that but few arms and accoutrements have been drawn from the General Government on