The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1866-08-22

ney mas Deen squandered IN LOUISIANA than
in any other three Southern States. The
expenses OF the bureau, Jas accounted for
for The fiscal year ending the lst Of June,
1866, were over three hu ndred thousand
dollars. To meet this expenditure there
were collected in taxes and rents the fol-
lowing amounts
For school purposes, s96,3s7 sc
From rents, II 41 92,43i 90
Frem poll tax. ef8 i4D,a56tIl
From Corps d. Antique tax, $4,000 90 !
From lines, 673 10 S.
Total. $5a3 AS AZ
Leaving a. defcit Of s60.95 IS to be
paid Out OF the national treasury. These
expenses are IN addition 10 the lranspprta.
lion, rations and quartermsster's supplies
furnished by the government. II is diff
cult 10 determinate TO what use the vast
amount Of property held BY the bureau has
been applied. Attne very lowest estimate.
the property taken possession Of as confs-
Gated or abandoned amounted 10 value TO
len millions of dollars. aud the rents re.
turned IS above mentioned are less than one
per cent. on the entire value.
The expenditures Of the bureau, under
The present administration, for agents, ci-
william clerks and employees about its
headquarters alone. amount to not less
than $40. .236 year. exclusive Of The pay
Of staf officers aud oIdcrlits in tue militia
~ service.
A large proportion Of the money sxpend-
cd ON Tie iret dmen schools, under the ad-
.ninIstration oi the Rev. L. w. Conway.
the late .sistant commissioner, we are ss-
tlshed was squandered. Mr.. Matthew
Whllden, formerly chief clerk in the school
department--ln evidence before us--stated
that in September. 1865. Captain Pease.
the school superintendent, reported off. J.
cIally that there were forty schools IN ope-
ration aud IN a fiourshing condition. when.
10 TACT. there were but two.
From the sworn testimony il will be seen
that Captain Morse. appointed provost
marshal vi the bureau BY Mr.. Conway.
made the provost marshall's office slave
pcu. arresting ileeimen aud selling them
TO planters IL ,e!dolIars head, and shar-
Iny the proceeds wllh his special police.
men MhO made the arrests. This officer
further collected large AMOUNT Of money
irom ir.edmen and white persons arrested
by him for various offences. and his books
only show receipts from thlsso amount
ing TO s675,l0.
The bureau is culti,ating large planta-
ZION 10 this State. for which.it pays zen TO
iiltren thousand dollars year as rent. W.
can scarcely imagine the excuse for renting
land on account Of the United States, when
The government. through each Congress, Is
giving away mllliuns Of acres OF public
lands 10 corporations.
TExAs--EACH AGENT Az ABSOLUTE MONARCH.
All the bureau agents IN Texas exercise
judicial powers IN both civil aud criminal
cases. aud in the discharge Of these arbitra.
~ aud dangerous functions, frequently ar.
rest aud imprison respectable cIfizens up.
on mere runor.
Ten of the thirty 1--we cents in this State
are citizen planters. One OF them, Col.
McCvnnaghe. agent in rhorntsn county.
was iornrrly Colonel IN the rebel army, ,
aud was appointed al agent u the bureau
b. General Gregory. then assistant com.
Inlssiuner lor the State, while still unpar.
dUned.
SO lar a. W. saw, or were able TO get in.
formations IN Texas, the freedmen were
working we'll aud the crops were promis-
ing. The wages pald-all The payments
being made in specle--wcre better than in
any other department.
SUMMARY.
10 pursuing this investigation. which has
now extended over four months, We have
found extreme difficulty in comply Ing with
that port OF our instructions which re.
quires us TO report upon the operations %
the bureau and It's mode Of administration.
The bercau has no settled mode Of admin
istralion. There is an entire sbsence o.