The New York herald., 1866-07-13
Testing the Civil Rights Bah I'm
Louisiana.
MORE EVILS OF THE CONTRACT SYSTEM.
"A Soldier Forbidden to Claim
His Wife.
COL. wHITTlEsEY TURNING UP AGAIN.
SATISFACTORY STATISTICS OF THE CROPS.
&c. &c. &c.

SATISFACTORY STATISTICS OF THE CROPS.
&c. &c. &c.
Our Louisiana Correspondence.
NEw ORLEANS Fourth Of July, 1868.
Tomorow Generals Steedman and Fullerton sail for
1axas and in that country of magnificent distances
may possibly be placed for several days in position far
1emoved from mail telegraphic communication, VIC.
1aie the Fourth by transmitting you few notes OF the
-seccnt proceedings of the Commissioners
THE LoUr1ANA CIVIL RIGHTS CASE
Hhappened that on board the boat which brought us
Nom vicksburg to this city were several gentlemen
whose names may possibly become historical in
sion with Of the first important (f not the
rst important case ltigated under the Civil Rights bill
se fact Of the arrest OF two magistrates Of Louisiana
Tor an infringement on the provisions Of this
Aas been already made known TO the readers OF the
HsRAID; but probably they not familiar with all the
circumstances Of the case learned them from the
parties interested both sides. The magistrates
travelled down with on the steamboat as prisoners
In the custody Of the United States Marshal for
Louisiana, and ! have since oonversed with MI.
+. Lockwood, the person Principally concerned ON the
other side Mr. Lockwood resigned the position Of Post
master at Milwaukee to come down South and plant cot
hon he settled in Concorda parish, Louisiana, few
weeks since. While he away In Cincinnati his
sverseer H. B. Barringer, took eighteen negroes,
who. is alleged, had entered into contracts with
neasrs l.. p and Henry Connor, neighborng planters
They applied TO the overseer 70 give up these men,
bot he refused do so On Mr. Lockwoods return he
waited Of the Messrs Connor, and told him he
did not approve Of the action Of his he
did not tink II to be neghbory thing for planter
70 engage the hands Of another he therefore offered
70 discharge the Mr. Connor replied that It was
de civil ooats Sure enough, in day or two IscK X
wood his overseer Barrnger, freedman in his employ
Wayne, were brought before Mr. G. W. Green and ar.
James Norman, two magistrates Of the county, under
salute Of Louisiana which makes It msdemcanor for
10 hire freedmen who have contracted 10 work
for another person Eighteen entered against
each one Of thm, making In all fftytwo suits When
the alleged between Messrs Connor and the
freedmen called 1t found 10 be contract
n all, but simply memorandum neither dated nor
signed The magistrate, however hedthat this sun
evidence OF the existence q contract and re-
Quired substantial bail 70 the extent Of Sl8 400 for the
appearance OF Mr. Lockwood and his employees to an.
sser the charge In the meantime in order 70 give the
contract legal effect before the Freedmen's
the district dated and signed The agent
Captain Brown, entered into this prosecution or
more properly persecution, OF Lockood with apparently
much cost have good reason to believe that the
duct OF this officer will shortly be made the subject Of
court martial, and therefore, will express further
spinion the matter. The arrest Of the freedman,
Rights bill, and under that enactment the magistrates
Is have already have been arrested and brought
- New Orleans for trial
CONTRACTS AGAIN.
This case affords another illustration 10 be added to
mentioned
system and Of the injustice Of the legislation
which has followed the adoption and of that
ys.em by the Freedmens Buresu still more forcble
9ayed an hour or two our way down 10 New 0reans
In the district which Captain Pat the agent Of the
Burcan there has control the wife Of colored soldier
yas i:s.Sg her h. lsband, who away in the army
wrote Der not to hire herssf for than few
months ne expected to be back at the end OF that time
he accordingly attempted contract for nix months
but finding would take services for that Pc
nod finally contracted work for The customary year
In month or two fler husband returned and claimed his
wife, but her employer refused 10 let her CO. Captain
Yai feeling the hardship OF the case referred u TO head
quarters and received back the following remarkable
&or ement:-
.Inasmuch az the wife Of VIM Carter has made con.
the 1866, abe must observe It's require
meuts The Sub omm ssioner will inform VIM Carter
Chat Of The freed people regously observ
andivsduas and thai the power Of the Bureau will only
% used project them from manifest Injustice There
0sinG positive evidence Of such injustice In this
she Bureau has no Interference to make"
BY this endorsement the recognized principle OF law
4haf has right 70 claim his wife wherever he
md her u set at naught much IL when the
Rroos slaves and their belonged 70 their
ssn The planters contract Is ranked above the mar
xsage contract Arrests q freedmen for non fulnment
e contracts OF pretty frequent occurrence both in
louisiana In Misssspr; pat bad the civil codes
assued under sanction Of ,hc Bureau itself in North
-Caroioa ordering the inlson OF the chain gang for
CoscrmuSG ooroSu. wHrrrLKsEy
che late Assistant Commssioper Of this last named
Bsae further facts have recently bsen brought 70
. included 10 the charges led before the court martial
new in session At Raleigh, y The circumstance Of
had been convicted and sentcncedto work tho plan
safion OF Chaplain James the Burs~u agent who tried
snncs this freedman and the 'thnfty" mode OF pun
ashmcnt adopted, was not an isolated case. Mr. Per
kins a planter OF North Carolina, nav In Mississippi,
STATED TO General seedman the other ay that OF his
negrocs being convicted Of offence and sentenced
~ncs Colonel whesey, the Assistant nj commssioner %
and Chaplain James, his unpaid subordisate,
YRgxDsES's BUREAU
On Louisiana rs now uVnsierred 10 military control
MAJOR General A Baird, the State Commander being the
Assistant Commissioner Here ~ everywh else, bene
resulted from the change, though lhere is still
room for Improvement The former Commissioner, the
Rev Mr. Conway, 10 have possessed ina high de-
gree rose qualifications which reverend Bureau agents
have generally manifested and under bis admin
matters we're Just as had as they could possbybe Tho
swo thrown into antagonism, labor was
pended the Bureau centres were surrounded w thou
rands Idle negroes, waiting for the good hing which
ahey assured government had in store for them
md IN the general confusion of the subordinate
agents OF the Bureau cathered Their nests and ~
leved from dvty. There is much ol this still Exist
ing II becomes wearsomc TO chronicle the misoble
lhte and The ocntomptDc cxiortions prac.
slsed the freedmen under the old rcgms of cantng
philanthropy or might speak of Mobile school teach.
buying their pNraiis al few dollars hundred aad
retail ng them 90 The itc negroes At dolara piece
that the Gear cndrcr might have some nemcnio q The
friends who bad coms AL The way from Massachusetts, 10
tsa b them; might Instance men hsc Bryant, of the
suppressed Augusta loyal Georgian negro newspaper
and Calvin Pepper Of Norfolk, Va, who lived by Stir.
ring up strife among the reedman ~ letutug them
equal rights chargna the poor aeludcd hal starved
sreatures hty cents "a ar cach fo admission such
have been enough in Louisaua and ese.
where. prefer 70 let the Itst be bylone, aDi % look
forward t0 the future
rR0N~fNfs
On Louisiana are rather God notwithstanding the lam.
ngs done ~ overflow gesIrns fof the nrst lve
months of this year that there so 2s5 of
sugar in cultivation 80 900 acres ot cotton aud $1,000
acres of corn. These plantations give employment 90
81 700 freedmen, 20 psS women and f0of children and
shesc working hands are themselves supporting 10 0D
old people, and children too young az work. Several
districts have yet to be heard FROM wrh the returns,
which will increase considerably the otsls given above,
The freedmen. a. rule, working sdnsirously, al
r,nll d