Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-04-23
The Prcsidcn - plaa sor Cmp,.v,,r
Negroes.

f'sH rs "'S'ocs on aotnponeu pam
tauons. Gen, Thomas SAYS he wishes il
had been done month ca lier, then the
success would have been complete, but
even yet mu h may DO done:
FIRST The Government of the United
States, IN order to secure the SAFETY of
commerce and navigation ON the Mississin-
p', have determined To locate on or near It's
beach q loyal population, who will project
instead OF destroying is nlw dome
the freedom of commercial intercourse on
til great mlani sea. That this policy
may tho more 81 Cedily rcce We its imitation
George Is. Field, Captain A. Il. Shickle
and the Rev ID, S. I.ivermoro are hereby
appointed comm ssiOacrS, whose dutv II
sla ! be to superntcnd The letting OF plan
'atIons to persons of proper character and
qualifications, and to see that the mutual
obligations between the negroes and their
emp "ye;s or supcrinlendents shall lie
faithfully performed; TO attend i'm some
measure 10 their moral and intellectual
wants, and generally to carry out the noli
cy OF the Government regarding negroes
Thai are 20 be put to agricultural pursuits.
nsc0a6-lt be NC deemed the best noli-
cy rs far MS possible u make the employ
ment and subsistence Of negroes a matter
10 he left to private enterprise, plantations
will be paced in possession OF such persons
as commissioners shall deem Of good char
acter and pecunlary responsibility, and in
lieu OF rent a tax will DO collected upon
the product of the land payable to such
agents as the Treasury Department shall
designate. care being taken to secure as
far as possible the just fights of employees
and employed; in all cases the negroes
will be furnished with enough clothing for
comfort in advance of their earnings, in
consequence of their extreme restitution,
and in no case will negroes be subjected to
corporal punishment by the lash or other
cruel and unusual modes.
Jhiyd-Upon the occupancy of plsnta-
tons, inspectors will visit each plantation
and take an inventory of all the property
upon the estate. Crops vet ungathered
will be TUNED over to be gathered by the
lessee upon such terms as shall secure to
the Go ernment its fair share, while all
movable property, stock, grain, etc., will
be taken posses sion of by the government
or sold to the les ee, if he so desires, at
their appraised value, payable ont of the
proceeds Of the plantation IN the Fall the
appraisers to be appointed by the commits
sioners, uni SIS otherwise designated by the
Government.
FoUTtb-Alter the lessee shall have
taken posses sion of the plantation, as
many negroes Of average quail as he may
devise shall be turned over to him upon
the oder of the Commissioners, the lessee
entering into bonds to employ them until
the LIST OF February, 1854, and to feed,
clolhe, and treat humanity all the ne
groes thus turned over, the clothing to be
deducted from their wages, and to be fur
njshed at cost.
Fyh-lfit shall be found impractical.
BILE, in consequence of the late ess Of the
season, to lind ersons Of sufficient char
acter and responsibility to give employ
ment to al the negroes coming within the
line: of the army, the Commissioners may
appoint permteAdents, under whose su.
pervision the soil may be cultivated for the
exclusive benefit of the Governmental or NAV
have the Plantations worked upon such
terms as in their judgment shall be best
adapted to the welfare of the negroes, TAX
ing care that in all plans adopted the ne
groes shall be self sustaining, and not be-
come a charge upon the Government.
SiTth. The wages paid for labor shall
be as follows: For able-b bodied men owe.
10 years of age, So per month; for able
bodied women over Is years age, S. per
month for children between IL and Is
years of age, half price. Children under
IL years of age shall not be used as field
hands, and families must be kept together
when they so desire. The tax on the pro-
ducts of the plantation, IN lieu of rent,
shall be at the tie Of 50 per bale OF 400
pounds of cotton, and SC. per bushel for
corn and potatoes.
SsUenth. While military protection will
not be guaranteed for the safety of persons
engaged in cultivating the soil, yet all
troops will be required to give protection
where it can be done without injury to the
service, and it is confidently believed that
the military organization of the negroes
will afford all the protection necessary.
Eighth. Commanders of the Army will
render the Commissioners such military
assistance as may be necessary, without
injury TO the service, for the execution of
their duties. The Commissioners will re-
port their proceedings to the Secretary of
War every two weeks.
Given under my hand at Milliken's Bend;
Bend, La, April Is, 1863, by authori-
ty of instructions from the Secretary of
War.
L.. THOMAS, Adj't Gen.