The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-03-11
81 F

OI the Jaws as tue most emclent under
the existing circumstances. Also.
that when the civil authorities are
ready and willing to perform
their duties, the military power
should cease 20 lead, and the civil
administration resume its natural and
righful dominion Under this state
of facts, the City Council Of New
Orleans might reasonably have pre-
sumed it TO be their right and duty,
especially under the order OF the
Court and your. order No. 40, to I'll
the vacancy in the office Of Register.
1t appears they did, from your report
of the case, dated Feb. ID, 1868. The
same fact too in connection with the
printed proceedings embraced In your
report of February Is, 1863, precludes
the presumption of any intention of
contempt Of the military authority
by members of city councils; and the
case of the Jefferson City council is
not deemed parallel Que in this, that
they bad not their own unquestioned
10 similar cases, nor the order of the
department commander to justify
them, there being no contempt of
military authority intended by the
Board of Aldermen and Assistant Al
dermen- of New Orleans, relieved by
special order No. %, dated In Feb
ruary; and a proper administration
of reconstruction acts not requiring
their removal by said special order
relieving the Aldermen and Assist
ant Aldermen herein uamed, and the
appointment of others In their stead,
is hereby disapproVed and revoked:
and the members of such Board of
Aldermen and Assistant Aldermen
removed by it are hereby reinstated,
and will resume their duties as AL
dermen and Assistant Aldermen of
the city of New Orleans the same az
if said order had not been issued.
You will please carry this into effect"
February 9th Mai. Gen. Hancock
telegraphed to Gen. Grant, saying,
what he did was adopted under grave
deterioration, and he believed it was
the result of necessity imposed upon
him, which could not have been
avoided without a disregard of the
interests of the public service, and
of the obligation imposed upon him
by the Reconstruction Act, and by
the order of his predecessor. After
at length the state of the
case, he concludes By saying, / con-
ceive that no violence was done to
the principles enumerated and de-
clared when l gave effect to theIorder
of my predecessor, and restrained
the members of the municipal body
from doing an act which the existing
law gave them authority to do. / en-
terrain serious apprehensions of
the reversion of my order, and
of the council removed
by me, and fear that it will prove in
furious to the public interest, and in
crease the embarrassment under
which the commander is laboringl
Your order will be Immediately ex-
ecuted.
General Grant, in letter dated
February 18th, addressed to Major
General Hancock, says: There was
nothing in my order which doubted
your authority to make removals and
appointments when the public. ext
gency required. only exercise an
given to me as General of
the Army, under which law both of
Us find our authority to act in these
matters. Your order of removal was
based on certain charges which l
did not think sustained by the facts
rs they we're presented"
General Hancock, February 9th,
wrote to Adjutant-General Thomas,
IS follows; Il #Hf fTFftH
GENERAL-I have the honor to
transmit copies Of my correspondence
With the General-in-Chief in refer
,nee to my recent action concerning
he removal from Office of certain
Aldermen and Assistant Aldermen of
he Council of New Orleans, made by
ne for the contempt of an order Of
he District Commander. l request
hat the same may In an appropriate
manner, and as explanatory Of my ac-
ion, and for his information, be laid
before the President with this my re-
quest to be relieved from the com
nand of this District, where it is no
onger useful or agreeable to remain,
nd when relieved, should the ext
,ency of the service permit, it would
,e most In accordance with my inclin-
ton to be sent to st. Louis, Mo,
o await further orders.
An Internal Revenue Agent, Good
oe, writes from Huntsville, Alabama,
darch 7th, that he is creditably in
ormed that there are fifty illicit dis
illeries In operation in that District,
7hich have been ordered seized and
1t is the impression among officials
f the Treasury Department that the
i'll recently introduced in the Senate
Or the reorganization of that Office,
ill be passed during this session.
The Congressional Committee on
inquired, this morning,
lto the alleged destruction of bonds
I IL mi ntinr hnraar Sauarnl Mt