ABSTRACT OF IMPORTANT CHANGES.

Section

2.

66

14.

15.

17.

22.

Omits telegraph-operators from list of exemptions. Prescribes generally the duties of inspector-general and his assistants, adding the inspection of armories once in each year.

Prescribes duties of surgeon-general.

Provides that staff-officers of the Governor, required to make annual reports, shall forward them to the adjutant-general by fifth of January.

20, 166. Reduces number of infantry companies to sixty at once. County apportionment omitted. Commander-in-chief is to have due regard to a proper distribution of the force through the Commonwealth.

21, 166.

23.

24.

Provides for gradual consolidation of the infantry into not more than six regiments of two or three battalions of four companies each.

Adds a provost-sergeant to the non-commissioned staff of brigades.

Provides additional majors, i.e., one for each battalion of a regiment; and abolishes commissary sergeants. 25. Abolishes commissary sergeants in artillery and cavalry battalions.

26.

Provides for the maximum and minimum of companies after consolidation, adding eleven to the infantry and seven to the artillery, and abolishes adjutants and quartermaster-sergeants of unattached companies of artillery and cavalry.

27, 158. Reduce rank of paymasters of cadet corps from captain to first lieutenant, after the present incumbents go out of commission.

43.

Quorum provided for at meetings for elections.

52, 53. Provide for the examination and qualification of all

elected and appointed officers, except medical officers and Governor's staff: before assuming the duties of their offices, present law permits them to do duty sixty days without examination.

68, 69. Provides that no soldier shall be discharged dishonorably, or under penalty, without trial.

70. Prescribes uniforms, which shall be substantially alike for each arm.

88. Requires towns to heat and light armories.

97. Gives selectmen of towns power to call out militia in

case of riot, &c., and takes away that power from courts of record and justices of such courts; provides, further, for immediate notice to the commander-inchief of such call,

Section 104. Provides for inspection by regiments in May or June, by the inspecting officers of the Governor's staff, allowing no bands, and horses only in the mounted arms, officers and men to be paid one dollar per diem each for the duty. This is in place of the old elementary drill.

แ

66

66

66

66

66

107. Provides that the detailed inspections in camp be by
brigade officers, with a general inspection by inspect-
ors of the Governor's staff.

112. Provides that line officers may be called together at regi-
mental headquarters for instruction six times each
year; transportation to be allowed, but no pay.
115. Increases the number of drills required, from one each
two months to two each month.

118.

119.

Provides for commanding officer preventing interference
of bystanders with his command when on duty.
Gives United-States troops and militia right of way in
certain cases and un ler certain restrictions.

126. Regulates pay and allowances, reducing general, field,
and staff officers from $1.80 to $1.00; company officers
from $2 80 to $2 50; non-commissioned staff-officers
from $2.40 to $2.00; bands from $5.00 to $1.00; draft
horses of artillery from $5.00 to $4.00.

127. Regulates allowance for transportation, giving two cents per mile when travelling in bodies, and four cents per mile when singly. Old rates were various, -eight, five, four, and two cents per mile.

130. Requires quartermaster-general to provide forage and subsistence when troops are on duty in cases of insurrection, invasion, &c.

"133, 144.

131. Makes allowance for postage, stationery, and office incidentals to the various headquarters and companies. Old law allowed unlimited postage to headquarters, but nothing to companies. Expense about the same. 132. Regulates pay and mileage of civil witnesses before military courts, $1.50 per day, and four cents per mile. Provides a system of courts-martial for officers and soldiers, following very closely United-States system; this in place of old system of trial before the judgeadvocate-general alone, with an appeal to the civil courts. These courts can inflict no punishment beyond dismissal from volunteer militia, with ineligibility to re-enter it.

"145, 146. Provides for regimental and company by-laws, and fines under them, instead of old system of fines under the

law, to be recovered in civil courts, which was entirely inoperative.

147. Authorizes the commander-in-chief to make regulations for the government of the militia.

Section

149. Exempts persons in militia service from jury duty, and gives life-exemption after nine years' continuous ser

vice. The life-exemption would not, probably, affect a hundred men per year.

151. Provides for relief, by the General Court, for soldiers, or their families, killed or disabled while doing duty in cases of invasion, insurrection, or disturbance of the peace.

157. Provides what officers may administer the oaths required by this act and by regulations, such as oaths of allegiance, witness-oaths in courts-martial, and oaths to returns, bills, &c.

The elementary drills provided by sect. 95, chap. 320, of the Acts of 1877, are omitted, and a May or June inspection is substituted. Also the limitation of five years in commissions.

SECTIONS OF THE PROPOSED LAW COMPARED WITH SECTIONS OF EXISTING STATUTES AS PARALLEL OR

SIMILAR.