The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1866-02-07

system of measures, that has yet been de-
vised so far as the South is concerned. s...
The following are the provisions Of the Bill
as it passed: 49, =. ~. ~; .
That the act to establish Bureau for the
Relief of Freedmen and Refugees, approved
March g.. 1865, shall continue in force until
otherwise provided by law, and shall extend
to refugees and freedmen in all parts of the
United States, and the President may divide
the section of country containing such refu-
gees and freedmen into districts, each con-
tanning one or more States, not to exceed
twelve in number, and by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate, appoint an Assls-
tant Commissioner for each of the said dis
tricts, who shall give like bond, receive the
same compensation, and perform the same
duties prescribed by this act and the, act TO
which this is an amendment, or the said Bu-
reau may, in the discretion of the President,
be placed undera Commissioner and AsSls.
tant Commissioner, to be detailed from the
army. in which event such officers, so as
signed to duty, shall serve without increase
of pay or allowances. -
Sec. Q provides for the division of districts
into sub districts and the appointment OF
clerks, and authorizes the President OF the
United States to extend military jurisdiction
and protection over all employees, agents, and
other officers in the exercise of the duties au-
thorized or imposed upon them by this act. =
Sec. 8 authorizes the.Secretaryof War to
issue provisions, fuel, clothing, etc.5 for REID
gees and freedmen. Il, T.. r.. ~ - = y
Sec. authorizes the President TO- reserve
from sale or from settlement under the home
stead or pre-emption laws, end to set apart
for the use of freedmen and loyal refugees,
male or female, unoccupied public lands IN
Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and
Arkansas, not exceeding in all three millions
of acres of good land and the Commissioner,
unner the direction of the President, shall
cause the same from time to time to be allot-
ted and assigned in parcels not exceeding
Fifty acres each to the loyal refugees and freed
men, who shall be protected in the use and
enjoyment thereof, for such term of time and
at such annual rent as may be agreedeon De
tween theCommissioners and such refugees Or
freedmen. The rental shall be based upon The
valuation Of the land, to be ascertained IN such
manner as the Commissionermay under the di-
rection,ofthe President, byregulatioD prescribe.
At the end of such term, or sooner, ifthe Com
missioner shall assent thereto, the occupants
of any parcels so assigned may purchase the
frI1ra and receive a rfrfe
| ted STATES, in fee, upon paying therefor the
value. of the land ascertained as aforesaid. -:
Sec. 5. That the possessory titles granted
in pursuance of Major General Sherman S
spe ial field order, dated at Savannah, JAN
uary l6,s 1866, are hereby confirmed and made
valid for. the space of three years. :. 81
Sec. 6. That the commissioner shall, under
the direction of the President, procure IN the
name of the United States by grant or pur,
chase, such lands within the districts afore-
said as may be required for refugees OF freed
men dependent m the Government for sup7
port and he shall provide, or cause to be
built, suitable asyiums and schools. Bat no
such purchase shall be made nor compact for
the same entered into, nor other expences ar
CURED until after appropriation shal have
been provided by Congress for the general
purposes of this act, out Of which payment for
said lands shall be made; and the Commissions
er shall cause such lands, from time to time,
to he valued, allotted, assigned and sold IN
the same manner and form provided in the
fourth section of this act; provided always
that the said lands shall not be sold for less
than the cost thereoft to the United States. :
Section seven authorizes the President to
extend military protection to the freedmen IN
all cases Of laws making discrimination
against them on account Of color. - "a -
Section eight prescribes punishment toE
subiecting freedmen to slavery. - - - :
Section nine repeals all acts inconsistent
with the provisions of this. - = =. = -
Senator Salisbury declared, in q speech
against the Bill that it viii cost $3.50, 900, ,00e
to carry it out = 1t will involve a large IN
crease of the military establishment. It is
entirely hostile to the wiser policy sef Gene
raj Grant, which was to turn the Freedmen s
Bureau over to the military. Under this Bill
the two powers, military and civil, acting IN
concert, or independently, as it may happen,
can be used to oppress the people. -.
The 9TH Section extends the, possessing t.
tie of the negroes to the Sea Island planta-
tiens forsthree years. At the end ofthat time
they win undoubtedly receive a title in fee.
AS to these lands General LHo ward has late
" said, that If Congress should fail to pass
the Bill.giying them to the negroes, ne. .Tonid
restore them at once to the original owners.
The President has also contemplated and
even promised this. But it is taken for grant
ed that the President will approve of the Bill ;
and, if heEeto it, it is not certain tbat,a SUI
fcient NUMBER OF votes can be relied upon in
theSenate to sustain the veto. There must be
sixteen votes in the Senate to sustain veto.
At present, they could be got. Even some
who are friendly to the Presidents policy can
not bs relied upon to separate from their par
ty.
There are no signs of any breech in the Re-
publican party. 1t is so strong now in both
Houses that they defy veto. If the Presi-
dent should veto the Negro Suffrage Bill, and
other pet measures of Congress, the prospect
is that the measure will be carried over his
head. If he set up the constitutional barrier
against their arbitrary acts, they have the
power to impeach and remove him, and VIII
exert that power in the most relentless man
ncr. - .. >,'.&. e.
If the amendment to the Constitution re-
ported frcm the Reconstruction Committee
now under discussion in the House, meets
with any successful opposition, it will be BE-
cause a. more radical substitute can DC found
for it to wit an amendment requiring all tie
States to extend the unqualified right of suff-
rage to every class Of persons inhabiting the
state-negroes, coolies, aliens, &C. -.
General Buffers propositions for dividing
out the lands in the South among soldiers,
L ELL, nfoH