posted on Jun, 8 2013 @ 12:40 PM
For your viewing pleasure, the Militia Act of 1903 Jan. 21, 1903, ch. 196, 32 Stat. 775.
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CHAP. 196 .-An Act To promote the efficiency of the militia, and for other purposes .
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the militia shall consist of
every able-bodied male citizen of the respective States, Territories, and the District of Columbia, and every able; bodied male of foreign birth who
has declared his intention to become a citizen, who is more than eighteen and less than forty-five years of age, and shall be divided into two
classes-the organized militia, to be known as the National Guard. Guard of the State, Territory, or District of Columbia, or by such other
designations as may be given them by the laws of the respective States or Territories, and the remainder to be known as the Reserve Militia.
Sec. 2. That the Vice-President of the United States, the officers, judicial and executive, of the Government of the United States, the members and
officers of each House of Congress, persons in the military or naval service of the United States, all custom-house officers, with their clerks,
postmasters and persons employed by the United States in the transmission of the mail, ferrymen employed at any ferry on a post-road, artificers and
workmen employed in the armories and arsenals of the United States, pilots, mariners actually employed in
the sea service of any citizen or merchant within the United States, and all persons who are exempted by the laws of the respective States or
Territories shall be exempted from militia duty, without regard to
age: Provided, That nothing in this Act shall be construed to require or compel any member of any well-recognized religious sect or organization at
present organized and existing whose creed forbids its members to participate in war in any form, and whose religious convictions are against war or
participation therein, in accordance with the creed of said religious organization, to serve in the militia or any other armed or volunteer force
under the jurisdiction and authority of the United States.
Sec. 3 . That the regularly enlisted, organized, and uniformed active militia in the several States and Territories and the District of Columbia who
have heretofore participated or shall hereafter participate in the apportionment of the annual appropriation provided by section sixteen hundred and
sixty-one of the Revised Statutes of the United States, as amended, whether known and designated as National Guard, militia, or otherwise, shall
constitute the organized militia . The organization, armament, and discipline of the organized militia in the several States and Territories and in
the District of Columbia shall be the same as that which is now or may hereafter be prescribed for the Regular and Volunteer-Armies of the United
States, within five years from the date of the approval of this Act: Provided, That the President of the United States, in time of peace, may by order
fix the minimum number of enlisted men in each company, troop, battery, signal corps, engineer corps, and hospital corps: And provided further, That
any corps of artillery, cavalry and infantry existing in any of the States at the passage of the Act of May eighth, seventeen hundred and ninety-two,
which, by the laws, customs or usages of the said States have been in continuous existence since the passage of said Act under its provisions
and under the provisions of Section two hundred and thirty-two and Sections sixteen hundred and twenty-five to sixteen hundred and sixty both
inclusive, of Title sixteen of the Revised Statutes of the United
States relating to the Militia, shall be allowed to retain their accustomed privileges, subject, nevertheless, to all other duties required by law in
like manner as the other Militia.
Sec.4. That whenever the United States is invaded, or in danger of invasion from any foreign nation or of rebellion against the authority of the
Government of the United States, or the President is unable, with the other forces at his command, to execute the laws of the Union
in any part thereof, it shall be lawful for the President to call forth, for a period not exceeding nine months, such number of the militia of
the State or of the States or Territories or of the District of Columbia
as he may deem necessary to repel such invasion, suppress such rebellion, or to enable him to execute such laws, and to issue his orders for that
purpose to such officers of the militia as he may think proper.
Sec.5. That whenever the President calls forth the militia of any State or Territory or of the District of Columbia to be employed in the service of
the United States, be may specify in his-call the period for which such service is required, not exceeding nine months, and the militia so called
shall continue to serve during the term so specified, unless sooner discharged by order of the President.