The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-12-21
Gen. HoWard,s Renort.

NEW YORK, Dec. 20.@Gen. Howard
says that in taking charge OF the Blu
reau he separated 1t into four divisions,
and placed an officer in charge of each
Before the organization of the Bureau
1t was intrusted to the military, thereby
occasioning diversity of system in
different localities. A few assistant
commissioners were at once appointed
and sent to different States to organize
Bureaus and complete the work already
began, and settle the important ques-
ton of labor. Just as soon as the safety
of all would allow, the assistant COM
missioners procured citizen or mill
tary officer for each district, county or
parish. The evident hostility Of a
portion of the citizens, in the alb
sence OF troops and civil laws, to out
rage or take the life of an agent, hind
e srs the extend'ng Of operations, except
by occasional inspection by an officer
inconnection with patrol. The General
acknowledges the hearty support of
most of the department commanders
In organizing and carrying out the
plan of the Bureau. The tenure of the
Bureau upon abandoned property, is
regarded the same as that possessed by
an actual owner, except that said pro6-
erty may be restored by competent au-
authority to its former owner. A COM
parauvely insignificant amount of
property is used as quarters for teachers
and officers connected with the Bureau,
and as hospitals. With this exception
all property in the hands of the Bureau
Is held as means of revenue by order
of the President. The work of res
toration has progressed very rapidly land
it is probable that when the war termi-
mates, little Tor no property will remain
under the control of the Bureau. By
this policy of restoration, the expecta-
ton of the freedmen that land would
pointed, and difficulty has arisen
thereby, but it has been overcome with
comparative ease. Much embafrass-
ment and actual suffering has resulted
from the restoration of proDerty
In use, and as much more wifi result
trom the curtailment of the revenue
OF the Bureau. About one fiye-hun-
dredth only of the entire amount of
land in the insurrectionary districts
has ever been held, and had the plan of
assigning them to the freedmen been
carried out the Bureau would have been
unable to furnish an acre for a family.
Experience has shown that as general
rule it is better to leave the price of
labor to be regulated by the demand,
Schools have been established, but the
hostility of the white people to them is
undisguised. Congress, when it created
the the Bureau, made no appropriation
to defray its expenses; it has, however,
4llSSellnneOuS
sources to the amount of 1901, 1916. The
total amount expended is S47S, 56S. De-
Quoting the amount held as bounties.
Sis, 236, and the balance on hand, Oct.
3lst, 1855, available to meet liabilities.
is 1918, 1895. The amount held as claimed
bounties is merely held in trust for col |
ored soldiers or their families, The |
breaking up of the old plantation sys-
tenn has necessarily left the sick with |
little or no medical provision; but as |
soon as they earn money and become |
better versed than now in the ordinary |
means of self support they will doubt |
less secure necessary aid.
From information derived from Vari- |
BUS reports of military officers, inspect
OrS and assistant commissioners, GenT |
arrives at the general conclu-
sion that free labor, notwith-
the sudden Characterization
and the thousands of causes OF |
incident to the war, will
prove successful; that the FreeGmen's
Bureau or some substitute for it, of a |
national character, will have to be con-
5inued, and that the present organize
lion of the Bureau with the under
that 1t is not to be permanent,
IS as good aSany he could suggest. Ex-
cept as to the subject of FreednIen,s
court and the experiment of civil agen-
;ies, some general system for providing
Tor the aged and infirm is necessarv'
and 1t would be well to devote those
funds received during the war under
me treasury Department, for the bene-
ut of Freedmen in securing sites and
OulioingS Tor schools. 1t is estimated |
tnat the amount required for the expen-
ditures of the Bureau for the fiscal Yeor.
January, 1866, will be
81, 745. $50.