The New York herald., 1867-03-29


The Custom House Observation-Disclosures Of
the Committee Exonerafing Senators Doc
little and Patterson.
The following the majority and minority reports
Of the Senate Judiciary Committee In the matter Of the
charges against Senators Doolittle and Patterson
The majority report submitted by Senator Trumbul
states that the testimony transmitted taken in the
investigation OF subject wholly disconnected from the
Senate or any OF its members, and the illusions Il
tans TO Senators only incidental to the investigation
the main subject mostly heresay, and altogether
Hon james r. Doolittle and the Hon. David r. Patter
son, the Senators alluded TO. Your committee have,
however resored 10 the original sources OF information
on the subject and have examined witnesses oath
whose position was such that they must have
known Of any amusement or understanding
them were 10 be benefited by the confirmation OF Mr.
Smythe Collector OF the Port OF New York in any
business connected the New York Custom House. and
the testimony fails to show any such understanding
interest Hswever the Of Messrs. Dooittle and
Patterson may have been used by third parties in
speaking OF the general order business, whatever
may have been the intentions of Mr. Smythe, the Col
ecor in regard TO IT, there is evidence to show that
either OF those Senators any sanction to had
knowledge Of such OF their names such intention
Your committee are fully satisfied, from examination
OF the testimony referred TO, the statements Of the
Senators themselves and the additional testimony they
have tken that there ground for believing that
either of the named acted dishonoraby
corupty in regard to matter to which the testimony
referred relates and that there is nothing IN said tes
mony affecting either of said Senators requiring further
investigation They therefore ask to be discharged from
the further consideration OF the subject
Senator Conklng submitted the following the views
Of the minority OF the committee
The testimony referred 10 the Committee on the Judi
ciary dscloses repeated instances which Mr. Smythe
the Collector Of the Port of New York. declared
tenton his part dispose of the general order busi
derive large OF money from it and TO
divide this money among other persons, two OF wnom
named in the report Of majority Of the committee or
of said members and the OF the other. These
declarations to have been made from time to time
aft Mr. Smut ha
tober, 1866. They in some instances implied
an arrangement with Others as well as an intsn
Smythe in testfyng before the committee denied that
such arrangement to division Of the money had
intention Of his own He testified that this intention
never communicated to either Of the Senator'S
them The Senators themselves, in communications to
the committee, also denied all privty with the inen
order business No testimony was produced to tho
committee showing that there was knowledge or consent
the part q the two Senator'S referred or Of either
committee who submits these views thinks the Senators
question shonld be exonerated from the impuiaous
which have been cast upon them In conclusion, the
undersigned refers to the testimony taken by the COM
mittee and the communications made to it, in the
hope that the same may be printed
Condition Of the Freedmen n Arkansas-(seu-
eral Ord's Report.
The Commissioner Of the Freedmen's Bureau has just
received the report Of Major General c. Ord Assist
amt Commissioner Of the Bureau for the State Of Arkan
General Ord reports that condition OF the freed
gradually improving Prospects OF Improvement,
progress and each day to be growing bet
ter The people losing their preudices aud gen.
orally inclined to do justice TO the freedmen. He
tons q case in which freedman acquitted by
civil court the charge Of knocking white down,
because in doing he acted only in self defence Con-
tracts made good rates. and the freedmen appear
to understand the Of better than FORM
erly and are moro careful in making their stipu-
lations In the Little Rock district but Of
violation Of contract is reported during the month in
which freedman the offender jury Of six
colored men was empanneed to try the case and the
defendant fined SO. The General states that the
recent food has been very disastrous in its effect upon
the planters and freedmen, especially in the valley Of
Mississippi and the White, Black, Red and washita
river. The calls for assistance thsn
can be answered. He recommends that 500, 600 be
asked OF Congress by the bureau replace farm impe
msnts that have been swept away Without them the
freedmen cannot earn their bread. The planters
poor furnish them, and unless something Of
this kind done by the least half Of tho
plantations those rivers win probably remain unculti
waited. In counties whers but few freedmen live much
hostility against them BY the ignorant classes
Of the whites 10 reported. In two
instances attempts have been made drive the freed
from the county. several planters have reported
that hands have driven on and have asked
military protection for them. In Woodruff county
band Of desperadoes exists which dees the civil snhori
ties The General regrets that his force is not large
enough punish these scoundres He says for fifty
thousand square miles OF wilderness swamp and
flowed country he has bus ten to thousand square
miles, and not than Of the Ten 10 mounted.
The demand for the labor Of freedmen he says is
great that the pay and life OF soldier offers induce
ments 10 them to enlist, and the department com.
mander has not succeeded IN filling one OF the four
companies Of coored cavalry, the recruiting OF which
was assigned TO him. Ten thousand volunteers for
six months year discharged In the coantry with pro-
visions for their families tli crop be taken In.
would do much to quiet the country the General thinks
Laws without force 10 them nothing
than aggravasions TO the ills that Union there
PLAIN Of In the cotton districts the interest of planters
protect freedmen for their labor Is present their
only safeguard, and should the foods continue to
prevent planting crop, terrible famine win be the
result.
The report Of General A. G. Glem, Assssaut Commis-
soner OF the Freedmens Bureau for the State Of Msss
npp for the month OF February last states that
has been passed BY the Legislature and approved Feb
ruary q, 1867, amending the statutes n regard to
the rights Of freedmen, ~ to give them the
same rights Of acquiring, holding and dsposing Of
estate with the same benefits and exceptions arei
allowed in respect to personal property, repeating
stricsions their right 10 testify, and amending all
laws Imposing discriminating punishments upon them,
in such manner that for all onsnses committed BY freed
against the criminal laws OF the state they shall be
tried by the same courts and by the proceedings
whites and upon conviction shall bs subject 10 the
same penalties and forfeiturss Governor Humphreys,
Of Mississippi IN reply to telegram from General GIL
em asking whether the statutes forbddinx the freed
own real and firearms had bsen repealed,
stated that aI distinctions between the white and black
races excepting ~ jurors and voters, are abolished.
Lawlessacss In Tennessee.
The Sde Line Gasens Of Bristol, Tsnn In yesterdays
edition publishes the following
Nc. c. Smith, Of this place, refugee from Green
county, Tenn ventured back Friday, The 10th INST.
10 his relatives On saturday posse cf men. all
armed, called arrest him, remarking that they In
tended 70 kill him, drawing their weapons a. the same
Time Smith drew his pistol and fred killing one OF the
party ~ the Of Moody and dangerously vounding