The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-07-16
[ tt It PR r SIS.
Saturday Morcing, July Is, 1870.


the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Aban'
doned Lands, had been guilty of maladvef'
sion and derection of duty in thirteen speci
fiealy stated particulars. After long lnves
tigation by the Committee on Education and
Labor, eight of the members made repor
which sets forth, il substance, in regard Il
the first charge against General Howard, O
the improper use of appropriations made for
and the receipts of, the Bureau, that. from
evidence, certain property in the northern
part of the city, called the smith Farm +,
which was applied the Eckert and Miller an
preparation, was purchased for the Universal,
by the trustees, and paid for in part by bond
transferred to them by Gen. Howard. The
buildings were erected entirely By him and
turned over to the trustees, and that all TIL,
was done under an enlarged discretion confer
lei by the act of March, 1865, June, 1866, Ju
iy, 1865, and June, 1868, which direction the
majority think, is beyond cavil, and think
ten. Howard had unlimited authority under
them. They hold that his (Howard's) gifts to
various schools and institutions of kindred
nature with the University, was carrying out
the very purposes for which the bureau was
established.
TIE LAND SALES.
They reply to the charge that the lands al
legged to have been sold for the benefit of the
University were disposed of improperly to
members of his family, and officers of his staff
by giving the history of the purchase and dis
posal OF the Smith farm, and by quoting from
the records OF the boards OF trustees, to show
that the financial agent was instructed to Sc
lect lot, of not less than one acre, from the
University ground, to be donated to Gen.
Howard for the purpose of erecting private
residence. Ibis was done on the condition
that be would build house thereon for his
own occupation, but that Gen. Howard would
not occupy it; and he afterwards purchased
an acre, paying 1000 for it, and built a house
thereon from the proceeds Of the sale of a resi-
dence in the city.
That no member of his family or staff oh
tanned any lands except at the schedule
prices fixed by the Board of Trustees for all
purchases. The majority find that no bonds
OF the Congregational Church were taken in
payment for portion of the Smith farm, as
charged in the third specification. They
quote from the act Of July, 1866, in this
connection, to show that Gen. Howard was
clothed with unlimited authority to cooper
ate with private benevolent associations for
the education offreedmen and refugees, which
involved also a discretionary use of the funds
at his disposal in aid of this object. That he is
therefore only responsible for the exercise of
some discretion in this work. He transferre!
the Charity Fund to General Balloch, in ac.
cordance with special order No. 1856, which
fund was invested by General Balloch, as
Treasurer OF the Howard University, in Con.
Sregatlonai Church bonds, and the majority
say that ii was good investment.
senator POmerOy and other Witnesses toSfi-
fed to the value of the church property on
winch the money was loaned. The majority
DO not deny that the university and hospital
were built OF patent brick, but say that there
IS no proof that General Howard was a stock
holder or connected with The brick company
at the time the materials were furnished.
tie Withdrew from the company to avoid an
appearance OF evil upon the decision to adont
1t. Notwithstanding the falling of those build
lngs the majority find that they really cost
$4,000 less than if built of ordinary pressed
brick with stone trimmings
Ihey md no testimony to substantiate the
charge that Ger. Howard permitted d. L.
Gat0h q TO- Oh any one else 10 use the lum-
per belonging to the government Thew find
That Gen. Howard pays to the Howard Uni
yerslty Tor the headquarters of the Freedmen's
Bureau less rent than he paid when that
headquarters was in this city. They charac-
terlze as wholly untrue the charge that Gen.
Howard receives more than one salary The
charge that he caused lands in the city of
washington owned by an officer of the Bu-
reau, to be transferred to a freedmen's school
III North Carolina, the officer taking the
money appropriated for that school and the
school lands in this city, whereby fraud was
perpetrated, is utterly denied, They find no
evidence to sustain the charge that Gen. How
ard allowed the buildings to be erected on
Barry Farm OF government lumber, to be let
or sold to freedom at exorbitant prices, and
that he and his brother Charles were person.
ally interested in this transaction as private
speculation. They find that his transactions
IN this regard were all proper, and that they
renect glory and credit on Gen. Howard. In
regard to the sand contract, they find the
charge without foundation, and that Gen,
Howard was not responsible at all.
Iney proceed to give history of the Freed
mems bureau, and refer to French emancipa-
ton IN the Antilles, British emancipation,
&C., and conclude thai the Bureau has been
so great success that the world can point to
nothing like it in the history of emancipa-
ton; )" that all the charges against Gen. How
ard are groundless, and that he has been a
devoted, honest, and able public servant.
They therefore recommend the passage of the
following resolution:
Resolved, That the policy pursued by the
United States towards four and one-half mil
lions OF its people, suddenly enfranchsed by
the events OF great civil war, in seeking to
provide for their education, to render them
independent and selisupporting and in ex-
tending to them civil ana political equality, is
source OF just national pride, and that the
II use hereby acquits Major General Oliver
Howard OF the groundless and causeless
SsAArses lately preferred against him, and does
hereby declare and record its Judgment that
III successfully organizing and administering
with fidelity, integrity and ability the Freed
mems Bureau, which has contributed so much
toward the accomplishment of the first two of
these great ends, he is deserving of the graft
tude OF the American people Signed: Samu-
el Nj. Arnell, John Beatty, George f. Hoar.
Washington Townsend, Charles NJ. Hamilton,
Samuel 5. Burdett, James N. Tyner, Legrand
W. Pierce.
MINORITY REPORT.
fhe minority of the committee also made
report in which it recapitulates the various
trusts and authority .reposed in General How
ard and the Freedmen's Bureau, and differs
essentially from the views of the majority
The minority think that General Howard used
more thar half million of dollars of funds
Of the Freedmen's Bureau for the Howard
University, hospital, and lands, aud claim
that the object OF the erection of the univer-
sity had reference TO political preferment, and
was step taken by General Howard to pro-
cure popularity as candidate for the Vice
Presidency OF the United States. The sec
ond charge is that land Of the university was
disposed of Improperly to members of Cen
eral Towards family and of his staff. The
minority state that some evidence is uncon-
tradlcted to the effect that these purchases
were made at a minimum price, and that the
General got his own land for nothing
Other charges have reference to the alleged
interest of the General in a brick manufac-