The act of enrolling and calling out the national forces, passed March 2, 1863, provides that any person failing to report after due service of notice shall be deemed a deserter and shall be arrested by the provost-marshal. Drafter men are considered in the service form the time of their notification, and it is made the duty of the provost-marshals to arrests all persons called into the service by conscription wherever they may be found.

The injustice of the course that has been adopted is manifest. The law gives the power of arrest to the U. S. officers, and expressly makes it their duty, and yet holds the sub-districts responsible for the appearance of the men.

If the provost-marshal can take another man in the place of him who has been permitted to go away, he will make but little effort to find the one who has absconded. If it is understood that here is to be no effort to find and arrest those who do not report, but few drafted men will appear. Men are thus encouraged to abscond.

I am told that in some district full one-half of the deficiency is caused by the failure to report of those originally drafted. It may be said that drafted men can at any time hereafter be arrested and treated as deserters or be made to serve in the Army; but in such case the Government will have two men for each one of the deficiency caused by not reporting.

I dislike to trouble you in reference to the details of the draft, but my attention has been called to the gross injustice of the rule now being enforced from so many quarters that I deem it my duty in behalf of the people of this State to bring the subject to your notice, to protest against the continuance of this course of proceeding, and to ask that the persons in this State held to supply a deficiency thus created shall be discharged. This can be done by holding, in the order in which their names were drawn, only a sufficient number to supply the deficiency arising from other causes.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOEL PARKER.

WAR DEPT., PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL'S OFFICE, July 27, 1864.

The GOVERNOR OF PENNSYLVANIA, Harrisburg, Pa.:

In application of an official application from you to raise new regiments, you are hereby authorized to commence raising ten regiments of volunteer infantry under conditions which will be sent you in written authority by mail to-day. If anything further is desired by you upon this subject, please inform me.

JAS. B. FRY,

Provost-Marshal-General.

SPRINGFIELD, ILL., July 28, 1864.

The GOVERNOR OF PENNSYLVANIA,

Harrisburg, Pa.:

In anticipation of an official application from you to raise new regiments, you are hereby authorized to commence raising ten regiments of volunteer infantry under condition which will be sent you in written authority by mail to-day. If anything further is desired by you upon this subject, please inform me.

JAS. B. FRY,

Provost-Marshal-General.

SPRINGFIELD, ILL., July 28, 1864.

General J. B FRY:

Will you credit the State of Illinois on her quota with her 100- days's men, as is published has been allowed to New York and Massachusetts?

RICHARD YATERS,

Governor.