The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-08-14
The Frecimen,s Bureau.
Generals Steedfnan and Fullerton

the working of this institution, The
report. is long and very interesting.
giving q full account of the inspection
made in the States Of Georgia, Ala
bama. Mississippi, Louisiana and
Texas. We condense extracts from
the report:
a great reduction in the expenses
of the Bureau, and reform which
would render it far less Objectionable
thar; it is now, would be effected by
tue discontinuance OF all paid en-
ployees not in the military service of
the Government This would reduce
the expenses for clerks, contract sur
geons, hospital stewards, &C., the
following amounts: Georgia, $S4, ,5S4
per annu1n; Alabama, $S3, 312; Mis-
sissippi, $50, 27e; Louisiana. $55, 9s4;
Texas, $40, s95-making a total Of
1856, ,052 per annum.
r All the labor performed by.these
employees, except; perhaps, tue oc-,
casional services OF q contract sur
geon, might be discharged by details
from the troops. In previous reports
we have recommended the merging
of the duties of the Bureau and the
military. We would again respect
fully urge this amalgamation, and
TINT one set of officers should be re-,
quired to perform the joint duties,
thus avoiding the expense of main
tanning two establishments.
The Bureau in Georgia, under the
management of the present able and
efficient assistant commissioner, Dre-
vet Maior-G General Tilson, has been
honestly administered, and has ae-
complished all the good of which the
sisted by the Governor, the Judges
of the Supreme Court, by the civil
authorities, and to some extent by
the citizens. The amended laws of
Georgia are fully as liberal rs those
of any Northern State, and place the
negro in all respects on u perfect
equality with the white man rs to his
civil rights.
ALABAMA.-In this State, Major
General Swayne, the assistant COM
missioner, has pursued discreet and
enlightened policy in administering
the affairs of the Bureau, laboring on
all occasions to secure the co-opera-
tion of the civil authorities, and to
obtain from the judicial machinery of
the State Il recognition of the rights
essential to the security and we'll
being of the freed people. This po-
licy OF General Swayne has produced
much moro kindly feeling towards
the Bureau than exists where its
agents have assumed to exercise judi
cial powers.
Though the administration at head
quarters has been satisfactory, sub
ordinate agents have been guilty
of considerable irregularities. The
names of several engaged in planting
are given.
MISSISSIPPI. The control of the
freedmen's affairs in this State is in
the hands of Major General Wood.
With the exception of some localities,
the negroes are working gindustriously,
and rs rule are kindly treated and
doing we'll. In this, as in others we
have visited, the officers of the Bu-
reau formerly imposed and collected
fines, and many kept no records We
found marked instance of this kind
at Grenada, where former agent Of
VIC u1Sii'i, SuibfIdIH IlVCrnOre, OIu
/ a thriving business in the way of col
Letting fines, selling rations and Go
vernment horses and mules. This
| officer seems not only to have collect
ed fines ranging from fifty cents to
i've dollars from the freedmen for
marrying them, but also attempted
to exact fees from resilient white mi
! nisters for giving them permission to
marry freedmen.
! In cases where the negroes were
unable to pay the sum demanded OF
! them for approving their contracts or
marrying them, the Chaplain levied
on their personal property, in one
case seizing Il negro's empty wallet
and jack knife for balance of fifty
cents. This close driving is proba-
bly, to be accounted for by the fact
that Chaplain Livermore openly OK
pressed his intention to return to
Illinois with $4,000 in his pocket.
After he had been removed from his
post, he offered military officer $50
for his influence to retain him in his
position. Chaplain Livermore left
no official papers behind to show the
disposition he had made of the funds
received. \ large amount of money
was also collected by the first two
agents at Columbus, in the shape Of