Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-11-19
THE FREEDMEN'S BUREAU,
Gen'l HOward's RepOrt.

The Freedmen's Bureau, so far as its organi-
cation as a physical and material help to
the colOred race and white refugees was con-
cerned, expired by limitation Of law on the 3lst
OF December, 1868, but the educational work
and the bounty claims business for colored SOL
diers was continued by the law which termina-
ted its material functions. No appropriations
have been made for it since the winter OF 1867 =.
and its philanthropic work of educating the
children Of the freedmen is now carried on by
the balances husbanded from former appropra-
tons and realized from the rental Of Bureau
buildings and the sale of abandoned property.
General Howard, who still remains Commits
si0ner, has just issued his annual report
which is largely retrospective i'm its treat
ment OF the operations OF the Bureau. He says:
New Orleans, La, Eicksburg, Miss, Louisville,
KY, Richmond, Va, and Washington, ID. C.,
could not be closed at once without exposing
many Th u.sery hePiess patients to great distress
charge of these hospitals, and after consulting
the Secretary OF War and receiving his approval.
II was determined to continue them until am
appeal could be made to Congress for further
action. Three Of these have since been closed.
ana only those in Richmond, Va, and i'm this
city remain, whose continuance was authorized
The reduction of force and work within the last
year VIII be seen from the following comparison:
one year ago there were on duty in this bureau
l4l commissioned officers, Az civilian agents
and 3is clerks; at present there are Is commits
stoned ofhcers, II civilian agents and ~ clerks"
Gen: Howard then goes on to make an ex-
the date of its organization, in March, 1865 down
to the present time, anGdepicts with much force
the sad condition of affairs among the race the
Bureau was established to befriend. He says,
however, that the relief was by no means con-
lined to the cOlOred people.
Gen. Howard then recounts the efforts made
by the Bureau to secure employment for the
freedmen, and to encourage them to labor faith
fully by compelling an observation of contracts
on both sides, and produces much testimony of
his subordinate officers to show how successful
was the result of these efforts.
On the subject OF education, he remarks that
II was, after all, " the most urgent need Of the
freedmen, and from the first he devoted more
personal persons IL attention tie to that than to any other
The remainder of the report is devoted chiefly
To review of the work of the Bureau in tn.
payment Of colored bounty claims, which work
Was imposed upon II by the act of Congress Of
March 10, 1867. Previous to that time the claims
OF coiored soldiers were paid upon their order to
the attorneys and claim agents who had pre-
complaint was made that the soldiers were de-
frauded Of their money by numerous crafty de-
vices: Dishonest villainy imposed upon conf
ding ignorance, and the cOlOred soldiers became
the victims, and hence the law for their protec-
ton.
In summing up the expenditures OF the Bu-
reau since its organization, General Howard
remarks:-"The total expenses OF the Bureau
from its organization to August 81, 1869, have
been 81, ,E9, ,s16.s2, and deductng $50 300 trans
ferred to the Agricultural Department. and
S5O0,0Oo set apart as special relief fund for all
classes Of destitute people In the Southern States
In accordance with the joint resolution OF Con-
gress, approved March 30, 1857, the real cost OF
ance remaining IN hand will be entirely devoted
to the support of the bounty ard educational di-
vision, and the one hospital remaining i'm this
District
In conclusion, General Howard says that the
payment of bountics must be continued through
the Bureau or some other agency until all shall
have had reasonable time to present their
claims. OF the continuation Of the educafional
work, he says:-"Tbe educational work si,ould
not only be continued, but greatly extended