Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1865-10-17
Abandoned and COnfiscated Lands.

large amount Ct valuable property ii
New Orleans which had been takel
possession Of by the Government
under the abandonment" plea and
in some instances, we believe, held al
confscated property, has been re
turned to its several owners; the
latter having been duly pardoned by
the President. Followingthis action
we find that arrangements are about
to be entered into by Gen. HOWARD
the head of the Freedmen's Bureau
at Washington for a general restora-
ton throughout the South of property
now held as abandoned and confis-
Gated, said restoration to be made
with scrupulous exactness in regard
to the title and ownership Of said de-
scription of property. g
A circular just issued by the Wash
fngton Bureau, which we here annex,
corroborates the statement above:
"Assistant Commissioners are directed
in their reports Of abandoned or confs-
Gated lands to arrange the n James of former
owners of such lands in each county, dis
trict or parish in alphabetical order. The
number Of acres herein required to be
stated will always be given IS nearly as
the same can be ascertained. Copies of all
orders returning property to former own
ers will be forwarded to this Bureau as
soon as issued, IN compliance with special
instructions from the head of the Bureau,
and the papers in snch cases will be re-
turned with copies of the orders.''
These measures Of relief will be
hailed with pleasure and satisfaction
by the friends of the General Gov
eminent everywhere. 1t is another
evidence of that generous policy by
which the Administration of Presi,
dent johnson is recommending itself
to the appreciation and good viii of
the people.
A highly important case is re-
ported in the Jackson (Miss.) News
Of the 18th, wherein the War De-
partment is made to appear in a light
at once honorable, just and humane.
On the 25th of August last, says
the News, Mr.. G. w. Wood, through
Hon. T. G. Upper, applied to Gen.
Howard, Commissioner of the Blu
reau of Refugees, Freedmen and
Abandoned Lands, for relief upon
this state of the case: An agent of
the bureau claimed that the property
of Mr.. Wood was liable to confsca-
ton, upon the ground that he was
worth over $4,000, and that it ws@
his duty to seize and take possession
of the same, and thereupon said
agent took possession of horse and
buggy and a lot Of cotton; and stated
that he would take possession of Mr..
Woods residence, unless he would
pay rent for the same, monthly, in
which he Wood agreed to do
Thereupon Mr.. Wood applied to
Commissioner Howard, claiming that
these proceedings were unauthorized
and illegal, asked for the restoration
of his property-whereupon the fol-
lowing order was made in the case:
WAR DEPARTMENT BUREAU r., F. AND A. L.,
Washington, August 25th, 1865. {
Respectfully referred TO Col. Samuel
Thomas, Assistant Commissioner State of
Mississippi. '.r 4
There is no authority for such proceed
ing as is herein reported. You cannot
take personal property Of any description
for the use of the Bureau. and only such
real estate as is abandoned or duly contis-
Gated and turned over to you by the Uni
ted States District Court. Several com
plants of such seizures in Mississippi have
been reported. They are illegal and I'M
Circular No. 10, from this
Bureau, does not contemplate such pro-
ceedings. You will therefore cause the
real and pc sonal property Of Mr.. Wood,
az herein indicated, to be restored to him,
and take similar action in all like cases,
without delay.
By order Of Major Cen. Howard.