The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-11-19
ys's5CIothing
Reporf, Of General Steneman ON Re
construction i'm Virginia

and satisfactory, the one was aooPSs;
and the other followed with sucn mou,
fcations ia detail as circnmstanIodS
arising from time to time,
The 18th article of the Constitution Was
1 thought by some to yacate every o
| in the State filled by persons WIZ oo"o
| within its provisions. bod mazda five
hnnSraj and thirty-two appointments,
nor unany of them minor positions,
netJ los caused by death, resignation
aramoval, and, in doing so, had very
aarIv exhausted the available mater
;ni Of his disposal. But one vacancy
nn the bench had occurred, and to fill
this il had been necessary to resort to
officers of the army to find q person hit
for this important and responsible po-
sition. This instance is cited to show
the evident impossibility of carrying
on the Government of the State up
on the assumption that the thou
sands of officers in the dis
trict, embracing State officers,
Judges, Sheriffs, Commissioners, Com
monwealth Attorneys, Magistrates,
&c, not to speak of the large number
of town or municipal officers, such as
Mayors, tCouncilmen, Aldermen, Con
stables, Overseers of the Poor, and 9th
ers, should suddenly cease in the per
Torrance of their functions with nc
possibility of filling their places under
the provisions of the reconstruction
laws. In some instances it has been
found impossible to find any person
upon whom an appointment could be
onferred, and the difficulty has beer
overcome by devolving the performance
of the duties on persons who were no,
opposed to reconstruction nor dlsloya
to the Government of the United States
General Stopeman recommends tho
repeal of the 9th section of the act Of
Congress of July 10Th, 1867. While
seeking for some remedy for the evlls
which it was feared, with reason
might cnsue, the question by non
action substantially settled itself, an6
possibly this result was promoted by
his opportune absence from the STATE
Immediately subsequent to the adjourn
ment of Congress, and things moved Oh
as before under the provisions and re-
uuirements of the reconstruction
law, then and now in .ull operation
Since August the forces i'll that District
have been reduced by sending squad,
ron of cavalry to the Plains, the battery
of artillery to Washington, and the
Goth Infantry to Tennessee, and the
companics which remain have beer
greatly depleted by reason of the NUM-
Der of men discharged on account OF OK
piratioa of their term of service. A
large number will be discharged during
the next three months, and consequent
Ily by the first of January next The
whole number in the District will be
much below 1000 in the aggregate.
Among the more important questions
| that have presented themselves, Is the
Methodist Church contest. After q
careful investigation and an able opin'
ion thereon by the Judge Advocate,
Colonel b. II. Burnham, it has been
deemed advisable not, as yet, to make
any order thereon. The investigation
shows that it embraces many delicate
questions of Law, both statutory and
ecclesiastical, and is one that General
Stoneman says can only be settled by
the decision of the highest civil tribu-
nal, or by legislative enactment
Special cases as they have arisen, have
been settled on the principle of recog,
nizing the claim of both contestants
and giving each the right OF occupying
on alternate weeks.
Arrangements have been made with
most of the railroad companies, advan
tageous to them as we'll as to the State
by which it is hoped they will be able
TO nav, in a reasonable time, their dues
| rh;o
contemplates that one third be paid IL
currency and the balance in State
bonds. The appointment of officers anC
director for the State apportionment OF
taxes and the extension of the stay lay
have not vet been determined and are
questions for further consideration.
The report contains correspond
ence between Messrs. Robert Ould,
Marmaduke Johnson anG Thomas A.
Evans, a committee of the State Cen
trail Conservative Committee, appoint
ed To confer with the General in refer.
ence to holding All election for Presi-
Dental electors. General Stoneman, in
reply as to whether they can sit or any
law authorizing him, rs Military Com
mander, to order or authorize such
IL,
der cannot prohibit, according to law,
they cannot permit, i'll the sense of the
order, or authorize, or give official sane
ton without, in any manner express
ING any opinion on the prOpriety, right
or duty of the people of Virginia,
or anv portion of them at this time,
to peaceably meet and ballot for any
nersous as electors for President and
| Vice President. He suggested the IN
ouiry whether or not the initiation oi
any such course of procedure calculated
to excite and disturb the public minG
would be wise or prudent. My duties
he said, are plain and marked out by
the law placing me here and are con
fined to protecting all persons in their
rights of person and property, to sup
press inSurrection, disorder and vio'
lence, and punish or cause to be pun.
ished all disturbers of the public peace
and criminals, and obey the lawful or
ders Of any properly constituted superb
ors.
A writ of habeas corpus has been APP
piled for and is understood to be grant
ed to test the legality of the action OF
the district commander in regard to the
l4th article of the Constitutional
amendment. What the result will be
remains to DO determined.
The offices connected with the Bureau
of Relief and Freedmen and Abandoned
Lands, in Virginia, have been managed
with ability and discretion, and reflect
| ing great credit on the able and up
right Assistant Commissioner, General
Brown. His subordinates have, rs far
as Gen. Steneman is informed, per-
formed their thankless duties to the
general satisfaction of those concerned,
and sought, rs far rs in their power, to
see Justice done and the rights of the
negroes protected. In doing this they
had on the one hand ignorance and on
the Other prejudice to contend against
and overcome. Instances, though rare,
have Qeeu brought to his attention,
where violence has been used toward
them, but these cases were confined to
individuals, and no. chargcab'o to COM
Lmunitics.
The abuses practiced toward negroes.