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That the Militia laws are susceptible of improvement is not to be denied, but it may be said that there has been more faults in the complaints against them than in the system itself. There are now more than forty thousand men belonging to the Militia, divided into five hundred and seventy companies. The arms and stores in the Arsenal amount in value to at least one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, the number of arms having been recently increased by a large supply from the United States. The administration of a department thus important and extensive, while it might be less arduous with some further provision for clerical aid in the office of the Adjutant and Quarter Master General, would still be embarrassed by a difficulty which seriously affects the troops, the omission of a code of rules and regulations, settling questions of rank and a great multiplicity of other objects, agreeably to the mode pursued by the United States. The deficiency can either be supplied through the Legislature, or by Executive prerogative. It is believed that the valuable testimonial consisting in a commission of the State through the suffrages of the officers or soldiers, would be valued more highly in proportion as the responsibility of those thus commissioned shall be increased. In that proportion is the commission the ostensible evidence of the capacity and efficiency of him who holds it. I shall therefore venture to suggest, with great deference, the expediency of requiring, on sentence of conviction of some small classes of military offences [offenses], the liability to costs under the direction of the Court. It has been usual on occasions similar to this to advert to the character of our laws and to their practical results. A careful comparison of the laws of the other States, with our own, would have induced some comment on portions of our code, if the leading State question had not required a large draught upon your patience. It will,