The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-09-09
Saturday Morning, Sept, 9. 1865.
CoNF1sCATED LANDS.
New Order from General Howard


New Order from General Howard.
The following is the text of General How
ards recent order establishing regulations for
the settlement of confiscated lands in the
southern states. 7 a els i
'WAR DEPARTMENT, BUREAU OF REFUGEES,
FREEDMEN AND ABANDONED LANDS.
WASHINGTON, ID. o., sept. 4, 1866.
"Clrcular No. 13, OF July 28, 1865, from this
bureau i rescinded, and the following ruies
and regulations are adopted for the purpose
OF establishing definite and uniform poiicy
relative TO abandoned lands, or real proper
ty and lands, or real propertv to which the
Umted States shall have acquired title by con-
hscatlon or sale, or otherwise, which now or
may hereafter come under the control of this
bureau, by virtue Of TIE act of Congress ap-
proved March 3, 1865. establishing and by or
-ders OF the President, to wit: General Orders
NO. llO, War Department, June, Z, 1865
Abandoned lands referred to in the law, and
regulations governing this bureau are defined
according to section two of an act OF Congress,
approved July 2, 1864, as follows, viz: Propes-l
ty, reai or persona, shall be regarded as abaln-
dOned when the lawful owner thereof shall be
voluntarily absent therefrom and engaged
either in arms or otherwise in aiding or en-
couraging the rebellion.
Second-Property will not be regarded as
contiscated until after the Decree of the Unit
ed states Court for the district in which the
property may be found has been made, by
which the property is condemned as enemy.s
property, and becomes the property of the Uni
ted Stages. sT i7tt sf7,ada8laltg
"Tnird-Al abandoned land OF real proper-
ty, and ali land and real property to which the
United States shall have acquired title nv CON
h.catlon or sale or otherwise, that now is or
may hereafter come under the control OF the
bureau of kefu gees, Freadms IN ami Abandon
ed Lands by virtue of said act and order Of
the President, is and shall be set apart for use
of loyal refugees and freedmen, and so much
as may be nece j5ary a Isl gned to them as prc-
vided in section fourth OF the act establishing
the bureau, viz: TO every male citizen, wheth-
er refugee or freedman, as aforesaid there
shall be assigned not more than forty acres of
sucn land, and the person to whom it is SO as
signed shall be projected in the use and enioy-
ment OF the land for the term of three years.
at an annual rent not exceeding six per CEN
tum upon the value of said land as it was
appraised by the state authorities in the wear
1861, for the purpose of taxation, and in case
no such appraisal can be found, then the rem
tai shall be basel upon the estimated vaue of
the land in said year, to be ascertained in such
manner as the Commissioner may by regula-
tion prosecute. At tlie end of said term, OF
any time uuring said term, the occupants of
any parcels SO assigned may purchase the land
AMI receive Sucl title taereS9 az the United
States can convey, upon paying therefor the
value OF the Land as aScertained and fixed for
the purpose OF determining the annual rent
aforesaid
"rourth-All lands or other real properly
within the several states, viz: Virginia North
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida,
Alaoarna, Mississippi, Tennesses, kentucky,
Missouri, Maryland. Arkansas, Louisiana and
Texas, to which the United States has aequir-
Ell, or shall acquire title by confscation or
sac, or other abandoned property in those
states, provided said property, whether confis-
Gated or abandoned, remaining unsold or 9TH
erwise disposed OF, shall have been been prop!
erly translerredeto the bureau upon requisi-
ton of the Commissioner or Assistant Com
missioner, shall be considered as under the
control of the Commissioner of REFUGEES.
Freedmen and AbandoneJ Lands, for the BUR
pose herein before set forth ana rlthe time
authorized by the act establishing the bureau,
and no part or parcel of said confScated or
abandoned property shall be surrendered or re-
stored to its former owners or other claimants
except such surrender or restoration be au-
thorized by said Commissioner.
Filth Assistant Commissioners viii as
rapidly as possible cause accurate descriptions
of ali confscated and abandoned real pro per-
ty that is now or may hereafter come under
their control, to be made, and besiae5 kseDing
record OF such themselves, will forward
monthly to the Commissioner of the Bureau
copies of sucn descriptions in the manner pre-
sclibcd " circular No. 10, of July IL, 1855.
fro this bureau. They will, with as little de-
lay as possible, select and set apart such con-
fscated or abandoned properly as may be
deemed necessary for the Immediate uje of
refugees and freedmen, the specific division of
OF which into lots and the rental or sale there-
OF, according to the law establishing the bu-
reaa viii be completed as soon as practicable,
II 10 H. -
selection and setting apart of such lands and
property, care viii be used to take that about
WAicn tnere is the least doubt that this bureau
should nave custody and control OF. u x-as
oAxtn-Whe henever aly land, or other real
property that shall come into the possession
OF tnis bureau as sabandoned,' does not fall
under the definition of abandoned, as set
loFtn IN section two of the act of Congress ap-
proved July z, 1864, herein before mentioned
1t will be formally surrendered by the Assist.
ant commissioner Of the bureau Tor the state
Wisnln Wlicn such real estate is situated. upon
Its appear ng tnat the claimant did not aba1i-
oon tne property in the sense defined in said !
section and act
oeventn-Former owners of property held I
Dy eniS oetreau as abandoned, who claim its |
reStorauon on the ground of having received I
the pardon OF the President. will as far. as /
pracucaDie, forward their applications to the
Com missioner OF the Bureau thror u, tl7o
efindents and assistant commissioners IF tbo
districts and states in which the propertv ia il
situated, Each application must he sceo,S,, -
MED by: 1st. A c2py OF special pardoo of lns
President of the United States, or of the oatI
under mis- amnesty proclamation when tbay S.o - 4
not embraced in any of the exceptions ths3ra;,,
enumerated I'd. Proof Of title Sd, Eyidanoa
that the property has not been conf seated or 1
ioeiled in any United States court, or. if
lbeileJ, that proceedings against it have been
discontinuel Officers Of the bureau thrugh
whose hands sucn applications may pass viii
endorse thereon sucn facts as may assist the
Commissioner in his decision, stating especially
theuseto which the property is put blythe bu-
reau. e sQss q t3G3s.
o. o. HOWARD, Major General sas
commissioner Of Refugees, Freedmen and
abandoned Lands. a = j5s
Approved September 1885. -sl9s-
lHref tAn,lroxu TnLncant