New-York tribune., 1867-02-26
CONFISCATION.

EErURN on CONTISCATED PROPERTY THROUGHOUT
LTE SOUTH TO THE REBEIS-THE PRESIDENTS
C0NDUCT TO BE INVESTIGATED - STARTLING
CHARGES BY OFFICERS OF THE FREEDMEN's BU-
REAU.
yron Orr Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D. c. Feb. %, 1867.
The Judiciary Committee had taken up the queS-
tion of abandoned and confscable property as 1t re-
lates to the invests gatiuH OF inc vna %
against the President. Mr.. Conway, formerly Com
missioner of the Freedmens Bureau in Louisiana,
summoned before the Committee, and in the
course of examination. he presented a complete
record of all that description of property which he
held in that State. The record was deemed of such
importance that the Committee prepared, and Of
fered in the House. resolution calling upon the
Secretary of War for all the facts connected
with il. On Saturday last the Commissioner
of the Freedmen's Bureau. Gen. Howard, was
ordered by the Secretary of War to report without
delay all facts relating to such property as was
embraced in the resolution of the House of Repre-
sontatyeS. Gen. Howard is now preparing a report
on tho subject and it will be presented to Congress
In day two. The report called for by vote of
the House will embrace the following points, viz:
date of seizure by the United States; by whom
seized; why seized owner of property; date OF
seizure; how used since its seizure; monthly rent to
the Government from time of seizue location of
property: by whose order it was restored; by whom
leased since its seizure by the United States.
The report already presented by Mr.. Conway,
covering about 80 pages each large one page OF
The TRIBUNE, shows that the value of this kind of
property held by the Government lin Louisiana, was
sQmew hete between fifty and hundred n.lic2s of
dollars that the estimated value of the property, as
represented in the report is hardly One-ffth of the
actual value at the time the report was made that
the whole of it was restored to its Rebel by
She President, under the order given by him at the
fme, Of which the following is an exact copy;
EXECUTIVE OFFICE, August 10. 1868
The records of this CttlCe show that Is. /. Leake
VAS SDGGaly pardoned 10y the President on the eth
nltimo and was thereby restored 10 all his rights OF
property except as TO slaves. Notwithstanding TINS
IL is understood that the possession OF his property Is
withheld from him. have, therefore, TO direct that
General Fisk Assistant Commissioner at Nashville
Tenn. bc instructed by the Chief Commissioner OF
rr6p%f}} Of Nf TSskt q hSid d y LIN as Assistant Com
miSsiontr &c, and that the same be restored unme-
diatoly to the said Leake. " -'"s
The same action will be had in all similar eases.
ANDREW JOHNSON, President of the United States
Gen. Fullerton who was sent by the President to
relieve Mr. Conway of the duties of Assistant Com
missioner OF the Bureau, has acknowledged TO several
persons in New Orleans at the time he reached there,
that he had private instructions from the President
touching this property What they were can only be
inferred from his conduct. He was not in New
Oreaus twenty days before nearly all the property of
Eabcs which was held by the Bureau was given up.
The record presented 10y Mr., Conway 10 the Commit
tee showed that nearly all had been restored either
y direct pardon by the President by the order of
his faithful servant Gen. Fullerton. Those who are
acquainted with the laws of Congress touching rebel
property held by the Goyenmentas either abandoned
or couCscablc sly that the President had no shadow
Of authority to restore it, and that his action without
such authority san usurpatiOn of the most serious
character.
Various generals in the army, all of whom have
held This description of property have, over and
over again decided that its possession by the Govern
as legal the possession OF any property
could be- Gen. Candy, who in command IN the
State OF Louisiana at the time this property was re-
stored frequently put on record his decision, That
this property, being abandoned in the sense OF the
laws of war and of nations, is the property of the
United States"
At the time when this property restored to its
former owners much of it had been leased out by the
Government under warrant of law of Congress on
the subject What is extraordinary about this fea-
tuTs of the question is that the leases were abro-
gated by Gen Fullerton in some instances, and,
"a - believed, under the private instructions
igen l,y the President 10 Gen. Fullerton. In the
resolution concerning tins property which has
passed the House. the Of Duncan +. Kenner
Df New-Orcans is specially mentioned, coupled
with that Of J. W. Zacharie, a blockade !
runner during the war. Kenners plantations had
been leased under the law Of Congress. He was
among he most distinguished Of all the Rebels. He
vas in The Rebel Congress. and a chairman Of one
of its important committees. The lease of his plan
tations was abrogated 10y Gen. Fullerton, acting
under the Presidents private instructions, as he
said and the property, with the growing crops be-
longing 10 The lessee was all returned
The facts connected with the recovery, by the Reb-
~. 1 4 ,a1f ~
the Soath viii starle the public They not only
bs shown from the records of the BGreau in Louis-
aua bu from those of the bureaus III all the South
Nf.,fs,