Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-07-07

The following bill, to continue IN
force the Bureau for the protection OF
freedmen and refugees, has just passed
the Senate:
SIC. 1. That the act to establish Bureau
| for the relief of freedmen and refugees, APP
proved March 3, 1865, shall continue for the
| term of two years from and after the passage
of this act. i.s. ...t
SEC. g. That the supervision and care oil
| said Bureau shall extend to all loyal refugees
and freedmen, SO far as the same shall be nee
| essary to enable them as speedily as praetica
BILE to become self-suppOrting citizens of the
United States, and to aid in making the free
dom conferred by the proclamation of the
Commander in Chief by emancipation under
the Laws of states and by the constitutional
amendment, available to them and beneficial
| to the republic. t1
SEC. 8. The President shall, by and with
| the consent of the Senate, appoint two assist
ant commissioners in addition to those author
| lied by the act to which this is an amendment,
and they shall be assigned to istricts by the
| commissioner with the approval of the Presi-
dent; and the commissioner shall appoint I'M
der the direc lion of the President, such agents
| or clerks as may be necessary. Military Off
GERS or enlisted men may be so employed, but
without increase ofemolument. The commits
siOner is required to give preference to men
| who have done faithful service in the army,
and all persons appointed to service under
this act, and the act to which this is an
amendment, shall be so fir de, med in the
service of the United States, as TO be under
the military jurisdiction and entitled to the
military protection of the Government while in
the discharge of the duties of the Office.
SE5 4. Officers of the veteran reserve corps
and volunteers may be retained in the Bureau
after their regiments have been mustered out.
SEQ. 5. The second section of the act OF
which this is an amendment shall be deemed
| to authorize the Secretary of War to issue
medical stores, supplies and transportation for
needful purposes. No person shall be deemed
destitute, suffering or dependant who is able
| to secure employment and support himself
SEC 6. WHEREAS, Bv the provision of an
| act approved Feb. 6, 1868, entitled an sct TO
amend an act entitled an act for the collection
of direct tax in insurrectionary districts with
in the United States, and for the purposes,
certain lands of the parishes of st. Helena and
| st. Luke, S. G.. were bid in by the United
States at public tax sales, and by the limita-
ton of said act, the time of the redemption of
said lands has expired; and e14-H4 t..r
WHEREAS, in accordance with instructions
| issued by President Lincoln on the 10th day
of September 1868, to the United States
District Tax Commissioners for South Caro-
lima, certain lands bid in by the United States
| in the parish OF st. Helena in said state were
sold by she said Tax Commissioners to heads
| of families of the African race in parcels of
more or less than twenty acres to each pur-
| chaser; and
WHEREAS, Under the said instructions the
| said Tax Commissioners did set apart certain
parcels of land in said parish, number on their
plats from one to thirty-three inclusive,
making an aggregate of 5000 acres more or
| less. ...-..
Therefore, be it further enacted, That the
| sales made to heads of families of the African
race under the instruction of President Lin
| coin TO the United States District tax COM
missiOners for South Carolina, of the date of
September 10th, 1853, are hereby confirmed,
and all leases which have been made to such
families by said tax commissioners shall be
changed into certificates of sales in all cases
wherein the lease provides for UGH substitu-
| ton, and all the lands now remaining unsold,
which come within the same designation, be-
ing 5000 acres more or less, shall be disposed
of according to said instructions.
SECT. That all other lands bid in by the Uni
ted States at the sales, being SO 900 acres more
or less, and now in the hands of the said tax
commissioners as the property OF the United
States in the parishes of st. Helena and st.
Luke, excepting the school farms as specified
| in the preceding section, and so much as may
be necessary for military or naval purposes at
Hilton head, Bay Point and Lands End, and
excepting also the City of Port Royal on ST.
Helena Island and the town of Beaufort, shall
be disposed of in parcels oftwenty acres each,
at one dollar and fifty cents per acre, to such
persons, and such only as have acquired, and
are now occupying lands under and agreeable
to the provisions of Gen, Sherman's special
field order, dated Savannah, Georgia, January
10th, 1864 and the remaining lands If any,
shall be disposed of in like manner, to persons
who acquire the lands agreeably to said order
of Gen. Sherman, but which have been dis
posed OFF by the restoration of the same to
the former owners. Provided that the lands
sold in compliance with the provisions of this
and The preceding section, shall not be alien
ated by their purchaser within six years from
and after the passage of this act.
SEC. 8. That the school farms in the par
ishes of st. Helena shall be sold subject to
any leases of the same by the said commits
siOners, at public aution on or before the
first day of January, 1867, at not less than
$40 per acre, and the lots in the city of Port
Royal, as laid down by the Tax Commission
ers, and the lots and the houses in the town
of Beaufort, which are still held in like man.
ner, shall be sold at public auction. and the
proceeds of said sales, after paying the ex-
penses of the survey and sales, shall be iii-
vested in United States bonds. the interest of
which shall be appropriated under the direc-
ton OF the Commissioner, to the support of
the schools, without distinction of color and
race, on the Island, and the parishes of st.
Helena and st. Luke.
SEC. 8. The Assistant Commissioners in
Georgia and South Carolina shall examine
claims made under General Sherman's order
and IN the case of each valid claim, grant a
warrant for twenty acres of land, which land
the direct Tax Commissioners for South Car
DINA, shall issue to the person presenting
such warrant, or to his or her heirs but in
no case to assign the warrant entirely to the
holder of the land for a term of six years, and
it may at any time be converted into certifi-
cate of sale, on payment OF $3.50 per acre.
= SEC. 10. The Direct Tax Commissioners of
South Carolina are required to survey the
lands designated, and lay them out in suit |
able tracts of 20 acres each.
SEC. III. After the completion of the trans |
fer OF said lands, in the manner specified, the !
PRESIDENT of the United States may restore to |
the former owners lands occupied by persons |
under Gen. Sherman's order, excepting such |
lands as have been sold for taxes, but such |
shall not be made until the crops |
of the present wear have been gathered, nor /
till a fair compensation shall have been paid /
to the occupants for improveme
SEC. IL. The Commissioners shall have |
power to seize, hold or sell lands and build
lngs formerly owned or claimed by the So
called Confederate States, and not heretofore
disposed of by the United States, the pro-