Washington, Dec. 15. — The fourth
annual convention of National Guard
association of the United States met
i this afternoon. The association con
i sists of five delegates from Ifee militia
of tsch state. Eighteen stale* were
represented at the meeting. The
president. Geo W. Welgate, of New
York, called tke meeting to order,
and in the opening address he said
the object of the association had been
th warmed in '.he past by the objec
tion that it was the intention to de
prive the states of their authority
over the militia, and then on the
other hand that it was the desire to
make money out cf the treasury of
the genes! government for the
purpose of a state organization with
out permitting a proper suspension
by the war department But the
greatest obstacle they had to encoun
ter was apathy among the people,
the militia and in esngress in regard
to the entire question which the asso
ciation had at heart He thought
now that the situation was more fa
vorable and that the bills before con
gress would receive favorable consid
eration. General Taylor was elected
recording secretary in place of Gen.
Alexander of Des Moines, la., who was
unable to attend; Col. Chas. Bridge,
New York, corresponding secretary.
General Hartrough, of Pennsyl
vania, counseled caution to avoid
opposition, and said if congress would
give the desired |6tX),ooofor army and
ordinance stores they would ask for
nothing more. He moved that a com
mittee be appointed to prepare a bill
similar to one passed in the senate
appropriating this money, and that
the Slocum bill be referred to the
same committee. On motion it was
adopted, and a committee was ap
pointed as follows:
Ovn Snow-ilen. of IVnnsvivama.
