Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-08-16
THE FREEDMEN's BUREAU.
Report of Generals Steedman and Fulierton-
Highly Interesting Developments, &c.

Renort of Generals Steedman and FuHeron-
Highly Interesting Developments &c.
Generals Steedman and Fullerton, the comm1s
sioners appointed to investigate Ine operat1ons o.
the Freedmen's Bureau in the ooutnern States
hove inst made their final report to the Secretary
of War TT oives minute and interesting &C
oonnt of tba inspections made In the departments
Of Georoia Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana anG
Tovos We have not space to give more than
fo,v condensed extracts from the report, which il
quite long
REDUCTION OF EXPENDITURES.
A great reduction of the expenses in the bureau
and q reform which would render it far less OBJ
tionable than it is now, would be effected by the
discontinuance of all paid employees not in the
military service of the government This would
reduce the expenses for clerks contract surgeons,
hospital stewards, &C., the following amounts =
Georgia, S34, 584 per annum ; Alabama, $33,3 l2
Mississippi, $30,276; Louisiana, $50, 1884 Texas,
$10,S96 making total of 165, 052 per annum.
All the labor performed by these employees,
except perhaps the occasional services of a con-
tract surgeon, might be discharged by details from
9he troops. In previous reports we have recon-
mended the merging of the duties of the bureau
and the military We would again respectfully
urge this amalgamation, and that set of Off
GERS should be required to perform the joint duties,
thus avoiding the expense of maintaining two es-
Establishments.
GEORGIA.
The bureau in Georgia. under the management
of the present able and efficient assistant commits
sioner, brevet Major General Tison, has been
honestly administered and has accomplished all
the good of which the system is capable. 1t has
been assisted by the Governor, by the Judges of
the Supreme Court, by the civil authorities, and
to some extend by the citizens. The amended
laws of Georgia fully as liberal as those of any
Northern State and place the negro in all respects
perfect equality with white man. to his civil
rights.
The freedmen of Georgia, when we went through
the State, were generally at work, and, wherever
their wages were remunerative and regularly paid
them, contented and doing WELL
ALABAMA
In this State Major General Wager SWayne, the
assistant commissioner, has pursued discreet
and enlightened policy in administering the af-
fairs of the bureau, laboring on all occasions to
secure the cooperation of the civil authorities
and to obtain from the judicial machinery of the
State a recognition of the rights essential to the
security and well-being of the freed people. This
policy of General Swayne has produced much
more kindly feeling towards the bureau than ex-
its where its agents have assumed to exercise judi
cial powers.
Though the administration at Headquarters has
been satisfactory, subordinate agents have been
guilty of considerable irregularities. The names
of several engaged in planting are given.
MISSISSIPPI.
The control of freedmen's affairs in this State is
in the hands Of MajO General Wood. With the
exception OF some localities the negroes are work
ing industriously, and a rule are kindly treated
and doing well. In this, in others have
visited the officers of the bureau formerly imposed
and collected fines, and many kept no records
We found marked instance of this kind at Grena-
da where a former agent of the bureau, Captain
Livermore, did a thriving business in the way Of
collecting fines, selling rations and government
horses and mules. This officer seems not only to
have collected fines ranging from fifty cents to
five dollars from the freedmen for marrying them,
but also attempted to exact fees from resident
white ministers 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 Selling ne
groes empty wallet and jack knife for balance
of fifty cents, This close driving is probably to
be accounted for by the fact that Chaplain Liver
more openly expressed his intention to return to
Illinois with ten thousand dollars in his pocket.
After he had been removed from his post he Of
fered military officer fifty dollars for his inf1u-
ence to retain him in his position. Chaplain
Iivermore left no official papers behind to show
the disposition he had made of the funds received
A large amount of money also collected by
the first two agents at Columbus in the shape of
fees and fines, and SO far could learn no ac-
count was ever rendered of it. This class of Off
GERS have lately been mustered out, or have dis
appeared. Under the present administration the
agents exercise no judicial powers.
LOUISIANA.
The bureau in this department is more in need
of retrenchment and reform than in any other
State we have visited. More money has been col
lected and more money has been squandered in
Louisiana than in any other three Southern States
The expenses of the bureau, as accounted for for
the fiscal year ending the LIST of June 1866, were
three hundred thousand dollars. To meet
this expenditure there collected in taxes and
rents the following amounts
For school purposes Observation-Disclosures. SOC, 1857 So
From rents. o. 431 80
From pOll-taX 1886 II
From Corps dAfrique tax. .............. % 900 90
From fines. Observation-Disclosures. 673 10
Total OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. s253, 448 81
Leaving deficit of 5000 80 to be paid out
of the national treasury These expenses are in
addition to the transportation, rations and quar-
4s, liz fr,,iSL IL L. tho