New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-08-10


Government AT the very lowest estimate the prort ,,s,x
possession of as conscaed abandoned Amounted in y,
10 $40 900 900 and the rents above ar,
less than per the entire value The expeudr,
Of the Bureau under the present administration for agents
civilian clerks and enployes about It's headquirter.
| alone amount TO not less than si0e)G a yssr
exclusive OF tho pay OF staff officers and orderes in
the military service. large proportion OF the money
expended the reedmen schools under the administration
the Rev W. Conway the late Assistant Commissioner
are satisfied squandered Mr. Matthew WhiideD. fo
merry in the School Department stated in September 1861
that Capt. Pease Superintendent reported officially Tiers
we're 10 schools operation and in ourhlng condition when
in fact there we're two and that the books and records
were destroyed Capt Peases Office and others substituted
We can see object the fabrication OF this false rspo
unless 10 account for payments made to persons who
were not engaged ia teaching. Capt. NOISE appointed
Provost Marshal By Mr. Conway made bis Office slave
arresng freedmen selling them planters at FIVE douar
head and sharing the proceeds with his special policemen
who made the arrests This officer collected 800 10 Tho
Bureau Is cultva,ng large Plantation for which pays
ten or fifteen thousand dollars year as rer MorGea
Absslom Baird is the Assntat Commissioner and Military
Commander OF the Department 10 improved upon the al
lanistsa.on OF Mr.. CONWAY
In Texas the facilities for travelling limited snl is
Kate 80 large that we found it impossible 70 make thorough
Investigation Of affairs in that department Tie headaar,ea
Of the Bureau are at Galveston few agents
accessible aud popuOgs parts Of the Stao o. the condition
affairs tic interior unaDle 70
intelligence either from the agents OF the Bureau OF from
other sources In Richmond and Houston met several OF
the agents from several districts At Richmond Capt Soia
the agent engaged in planting with his former clerk Capt.
Porter and an exoficer OF the Rebel army. Capt Mitchell
Capt Sloan denied uaier oath that lie was or ever
had been interested IN the plantation, but MsIof
Pearson Commandant Of the troops and DR. Beard Post
Surgeon sors that Capt Sloan had tod them repeatedly
that c interested the frm and had mentioned TO them
the amount be Intended to raise By t. Complaints arc uas
that Capt Sloan had employed the power o. the bareaG 70 taxa
negroes fon plantations and place them on bis OWL Lea
c. L. Uardenbrook Agent at Beaumont Jefferson County
stated that the freedmen were doing wed and tnat tbs
disposition OF the people very fsir. Most OF tho
freedmen engaged in herdng stock and are pail om
$40 to SIS month in coin. lie had recently arrested DE-
Houston citizen the report OF freeman that the doo
had said he did regard his parole as binding on mi
ing was impossible to obtain evidence against his prisoner
be had been ged release him We are satisfied that
was utterly incompetent fcg his position In the Breaban
district Capt A. Craig stated aa his predecessor Lieut.
Ar1oi Twelfth ll!ao.s Cayahy had kept no ns
cords and had eft nothing the Office but list Of contracts
file OF orders and lie could give information Of h,
official B1real agents in Texas exercise iuiici
powers both civil and criminal and In the discharge Of
these arbitrary and dangerous functions frequently
res. and npgisol respectable oiZeaS upon mers
Capt. Sloan OF Richmond. while at Calves,
| ton. oat Of his district arrested citizen, and pat
him in prison tie plea that lie wanted him as wisuess
a which be from rnnlJr Woud %
before him Ten Of the IS agents czon planters Onso
them Col McConaaghee agent Thornton County was tor
mery Colonel in the Rebel army and was appoatsi "A
agent the bureau by Gen. Gregory then Assistant Conns
s:oneer for the State. while still unpardoned
While believe Gen. Gregory to have been homes. ia his
administration think his extreme views sad policy proo
ed III feeling and bitterness between the whites and blacks 50
flF able to get information in Texas tho
freedmen working well and the crops were prom
s1g The paid all the payments being made spcs
better than aay other State BTeFe. Mlor;en K.i
is Assistant Commissioner.
SEMINARY
In pursuing this Investigation which has extended
four months have found extreme difficulty complying
with that poT:oa OF Instructions which requires
port upon tie operations OF the Bureau and s mode OF admin
strat9s. The Blrean has settled mode OF Administration
There entire absence system uniformity Goa
sttuton La officers exercise judicial power ia
adjoining State all referred TO the civil author,
ties, while in a third State the BGreaa officers collect ia,
and turn them to the military Provost Courts to is
pose In Departments the officers of the Bureau hasa
attempted 70 regulate the rate OF wages one form
between employer aa4 employed is prescribed IA
while in another different form adopted. In
Louisiana the expenses OF the reedmeLs SCHOOLS hare been
wholly paid by the Government In the other States tho
schools are selfsupporng In some localities the Bureau
officers interfere arbitrlrT between the planter end tho
freedmen favor Of the freedmen il other localities the
Bureau used o. coercng The freedmen in favor
OF the planter The expenditure Of the Bureau ysries
much mode Of administration Ia State the expenses
100000 year; IN another State with an eguss
population the expenses not than $1,000 In soma
the expenses have been me- By levied sni cot
leced from tie peops IN other States the cost eney
borne By the Un,el States Trcisgry.
We found il impossible TO Investigate tie accounts Of the
Bureau QuarermIer for the that when tie flnis
received from Texas rents fines and sale OF abandoned
property there Of ascertanilg the amoln
received eIcep. from the personal statement Of the officers
Themselves qgarsrnaSier il the army drawing his Funds
from the Government has the charged 70 hiD aad
$ obliged for his return loossaess u
administration of the Qaarermaster department OF tbs
Bureau and the absence all check upon the officers
security except the personal honesty of the themselves
We examined the accounts OF Brevet Brg.Ge white
sey Bureau Of the Department OF Mississippi
who satisfied that he had honestly administered the Affairs
OF his Department and had accounted for all Of the money
received by him. but whether bis predecessor who collected
a large amount from taxes. and sales. paid
to Gen whittlesey all the money 10 his hands DC
longing to the Bureau were unable 10 determine.
We do make this statement TO reflect upoa
officer against whom there charges but TO Illus
the ooseness OF the system The official report Of Col
Reno Provost MishsGene.al OF the Bureau in Louisiana.
shows deficit upward 5000 in the accounts tho
officers who engaged in the collecting Of in New
Orleans witch deficit Col Reno says be unable explain
consequence OF the loose in which the books
kept.
At close OF the war and for some time after the cessation Of
hostlhes the Freelans Bureau did good Tho people Of
the South having at first faith 10 the negroes working
Der free labor system DESTROYS Of getting ri hem
and during the Summer OF 1865 ildicous Bureau and
military officers dad much toward restoring order aud
harmony and inducing the people OF the South to
the cultivation OF their plantations by employing tho
freedmen Before tho close Of 1855 there entire reo
luton sediments Of the people OF the South with re