The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-12-25

II 10 CIedi sulu ulSIllCL III us Stdbeeuls, gives
a very full history of the Bureau from the time
of its organization, and presents great deal
of well-arranged and valuable information.
The length of the document makes it i'm
possible to publish it entire in our columns;
but we extract the portions of most interes
and Importance. aes f.-f = s.,.-..
ABANDONED LANDS. - -
, WIN respect to abandoned lands, 1t was the
evuens mtention of the act of March to give the
con.rol solely tor the purpose of assigning,
was impracticabe, however. to divide and ASSIGN
them imme lately. great portion of the lanis as
already under lease, gwen BY the Treasury agents.
reau for which no appropriation had been made de-
manded that all should be made Immediately useful
and that none should remain unused and unproduc-
tive In addition to the leases made by the Teaaury
officials, others were made By the bureau which did
not conne itself, in It's choice OF tenants, to the
classes fJr whose relief the bureau was orsanized-
With respect to the abandOnea houses and tenements
turned over by the Treasury Department. the bureau
had CHOICE except to follow the course which the
law had marked out for that department, namely:
to take charge of and lease such property fur periods
not exceeding twelve m nths. In determining Its
sdered therefore not only the provisions of the act
of March which gave 1t existence, but OF such other
acts as have given agents Of the Treasury d Other
departments who have transferred property control
oyerit. These acts were regarded as giving the bu-
reau every right to andoned property which an
SALE 1t cannot convey fun and peiftct tile In fec
simple. But lis ngat, in every way, to control the
Is considered undenabe SO long as these acts remain
law. For all practical purposes, The enufe OF the
bureau upon abandoned property has been consider
subsequent that condition being The restoration of
the property by competent authority, to It's former
owner sr l-r lrut ,f lW
The General then gives an estimate of the
nature and amount OF this property, and
adds: .r5i-5fl r-o Z 20
shortly after the organization of the bureau par
ties whose property was held by II commenced to ap-
cy first adopted by the bureau to return e.tates
to those only who coull show constant loyalty, past
well present-a loyalty VIII ch could not be es-
tablished by the production of an oath Of ae-
glance amnesty. As the bureau held property by
the authority Of an act Of Congress for ceran den,
continue to exist until those purposes were accom-
pshcd, that property mus. be surrendered only when
| lied and improper. GA s4 ef t}T -...r
This course did not meet with the approval Of the
presldent VINO gave oraers inat RaraSn etner Dy
ciamaton, entitled the party pardoned to demand
and receive immediate restoration Of ali his properly
except such had been actually sold under decree
Of confiscaton. Shortly after thlsd csion made
KNOWN Circular 10, dated September Il, 1865 was Is
sued from the bureau and eInbodyng the provisions
Of the act Of Congress- establishing It, promulgated
for the first time definite rules regarding the restofa-
| ton of this property to former owners.
i Authority to restore vested in the assistant
| commissioners Of the bureau. They were directed
to turn over once al property held as Abandoned
upon its appearing, to their satisfaction that 1t did
not fall within the terms Of the definition laid down
in the act approved July 2, 1854 They also d.
to Il e. o ts @
trics In which it was situated accompanied BY proof
Of claimants title, and his pardon either BY special
Of May 49, 1866. 1t provided, however that land
cultivated by refugees freedmen should be retained
/ owner made fun Compensation for the labor expend-
| ell and its products t4 =
Under the provisions Of this circular, the work of
restoration has progressed vSry rapidly and 1t Is pro-
| bable that when tie year terminates, little or no
property will remain under control CT the bureau In
the city Of New Orleans property to the amount OF
$500 900 had been restored cose of September
IN North Carolina about one third OF ali In possession
In all cases of restoration It has been the plan Of
the bureau to protect in their possession lesees OF
property who lad held leases from any authorized
and accepted, in good fifth, by both parties. Con-
4 gress authorized the agents OF the government to
give them and its faith is pledged to their validity
under that auth Jrity, to maintain and make efficient
his acts done in compliance with it. Ii t. rest1ra-
restoration should be delayed until the leases Cd PRE-
1t has been inyariabe condition, IN all or es OF
restoration issued by this bureau that all such con-
/ tracts shall be respected.
As rule, in case Of restoration on the ground Of
pardon, rents subsequent to the pardon are allowed
Is restored upon proof that was not legally aban
don ID, fa restitution of the rent is made, SO tar as
1 practicable. e'
The uncertainty Of the tenure Of the bureau over
property which Is the immediate result Of tie ohcy
of restoration adopted has rendered the division and
assignme mt Of Land to refugees and freedmen imp ac-
tcable. Fortunately experience seems to have shown
that it is not necessity Difficulty has arisen from
disappointing the natural an well-founde1 expecta-
lions Of freedmen on this subject; but 1t has be n
oyere ,me with comparative ease. Much emb2rras :
ment and in some instances. actual suffering has re-
suited from the restoration of property In use rs
| offices, colonies of freedmen, AMI h1spi ais and
much more viii result from the curtailment of the
/ revenue of the bureau.
Then follows the report in reference to the
| Sea Island plantations embraced under Cen
eral Slherman's Fled Orders of January, Is,
1865, which is too long for insertion, but con-
cIudes as follows: 'ail1af --s GollaSiaa
It is exceedingly difficult to reconcile tbe conflict
ng interests Nv Arising .g with regard to lands that
as those along the coast Of South Caronia Georria
and Florida. ! would recommend that the attention
of Congress be called to the subject of this repor at
as early day possible, and that these lands or
part of them be purchased by the United States with
| men. islb4e .t4ai I II a11afll17 nl,f.-l
General Howard states that he claimed that
the condemned lands in Virginia, the sale of
which had been suspended, were already the
property of the government, but that his OBJ
| lection to the insertion OF the word "sold" in
the description of confscated property was
overruled, and the property restored. He pro-
poses now
1. That hereafter pardons of the President of the
United States, extended to those who have been
cepted, in his proclamation of May 29, 1885, having
by specific stipulation in each individual case that
the land owner agree to set apart and grant title, In
fee SIMPLE To each head of family OF his former slaves
n hnmestaad VarvinO in extent from ten
to be secured against alienation during the lifetime Of
the lrantec The locat precise extent and other
details to be determined by three referees, two to be
chosen by the interested parties each selecting one,
AMI the two third. 81 q Y q..--s. .. 4
ed accoI ling to their several Giro by equiv
alent or pr Jper stipulation, t. be determine Dy
committee Of three appointed by the President
That portion Of the report relating to
schools and to the amount of aid furni5hed to
Freedmen is very interesting, but we are COM
PEELED to exclude it. The General also gives
an account of the Courts established by The
Bureau. These Courts took cognizance, of all
cases affecting the rights of Freedmen, and
have afforded them their only chance OF JUS
tice. The experiment of committing some OF
the CAGES to civil tribunals admitting negro
testimony, was tried with tolerable degree of
success. The General deems it essential that
national jurisdiction should continue to ex-
| tend over freedmen. and suggests that Freed
mems United States Courts should be estab-
lished for term of years, to relieve the blacks
from the injustice they viii otherwise suffer
arising out of the ignorance, prejudice and
hostility of a white population that fought
against Emancipation.
In conclusion he expresses the conviction
that free labor win prove successful, but that
it may speedily prove so, every effort should be
made ON the part Of the Government to es-
tablish confidence between the class of en-
ployers and employed. Complaints that free
labor will not answer in the South he deems