Chapter 48.
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CHAP. 48.— An act to provide certain arms, ammunition, and equipage to the State of Oregon for the militia thereof.January 16, 1889. Oregon militia. Preamble.Whereas, the militia organizations of the State of Oregon, already perfected, now embrace three regiments of infantry, with one unattached battery of light artillery, and one troop of cavalry, and these are in urgent need of arms and equipments by reason of the inadequate supply due the State through its regular annual quota provided by law; and Whereas, the population of Oregon, in view of its recent rapid growth, is now double that number required as the basis for representation in Congress, and therefore justly entitled to twice its present annual quota of arms and equipments; and Whereas, Oregon contains within its limits five Indian reservations. aggregating within them about four thousand Indians, and these reservations are located in widely variant sections of the State, throughout which there is but one United States military post, with but one company of infantry: and that along the three hundred miles of unguarded seacoast, as well as frontier of the State, there are many 647 exposed localities which may at any time experience the necessity of home defense against sudden raids; and Whereas, several Territories, including Alaska, are without militia organizations, and their quotas remain uncalled for, and the amounts are annually covered back into the Treasury, instead of being apportioned to those States having a deficiency of arms and equipments;
Therefore, *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,Arms, ammunition, etc., to be issued. That the Secretary of War be. and he is hereby directed to cause one thousand stand of improved Springfield rifles, caliber forty-five, model eighteen hundred and eighty-four; sixty Springfield cadet rifles, caliber forty-five; six hundred and sixty shell extractors; six hundred and sixty screwdrivers; six hundred and sixty wiping-rods; one hundred and thirty-two tumbler punches; thirty-three spring-vises; thirty-three arm-chests; six hundred and sixty bayonet-scabbards: six hundred and sixty cartridge-boxes; six hundred and sixty wrist-belts and plates; two thousand rifle ball-cartridges; four thousand rifle blank-cartridges; two Gatling guns, caliber forty-five; two carriages and timbers for Gatling guns (wood); two gun-covers; four handspikes; two sight-cases; two oilers; two hammers; two wrenches; to be forwarded to and placed at the disposal of the governor of the State of Oregon, at Salem, in said State, for distribution among the militia organizations of the State which may be deficient in the material herein provided for, and said property shall be receipted and accounted for the same as that embraced in requisitions on the regular annual quotas provided for by law; and when the regular-quotasAnnual quota. annually due said State shall be sufficient therefor, the said annual quotas shall be credited to the said State, until the advance of arms, ordnance, and stores hereby made shall be offset and balanced by said annual quotas.
Approved, January 16, 1889.