The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-12-17
FERNS, by Mail, in Advance
DAILY REGISTER.
Freedmen's bureau Frauds.

FTeetmen's Bureau Frauds,
The enormous frauds perpetrated b.
General o. o. Howard in his manage
ment Of the Freedmen's Bureau have q
last been brought before the House o
Representatives in manner that viii
probably ensure a thorough investiga
ton, and it is to be hoped the punish.
ment of their author and his accomr
plices A correspondent of the New
York Tribune, in letter dated Wash.
ington, Dec. 10th. says:
The Secretary Of War has sent let.
ter to the House making direct charges
OF fraud and malieasance in office
against Brigadier General 0. o. How
ard, in connection with his manage.
ment Of the Freedmen's Bureau. The
letter is accompanied by evidence from
the records and accounts OF the late
Bureau which fully sustain the Secre-
tary's charges. For long time before
the Bureau was closed aud its affairs
turned over to the Adjutant Generals
office, there were reports current In
Washington that much looseness
if not positive dishonesty exist
ed in lis management. The
prominence and zeal of General
Howard in religious works, his ef-
!, forts to build q church in Washington
and to erect the building of the Young
Mems Christian Association, and the
active part he took in a variety Of
moral reform movements, obtained for
him large number OF admirers and
defenders, who denounced the report
as calumnres. Finally, in the Forty
first Congress, Fernando Wood made q
number Of damaging charges against
General Howard, aud an investigation
was ordered, but was put in charge OF
committee on which were three for
mer Bureau agents and several other
partisans OF the accused. The testimony
taken went far towards sustaining al
Of Woods accusations and clearly
proved several Of them, but the commit
tee made withdrawing report. 1t
was afterwards discovered that General
Ballock, Towards chief disbursing Of
fcer, had kept Sl35,000 of the Bureau
funds on deposit in o bank, and had
been drawing intereet upon it, and dis
posing of it, as he pretended, to make
good the loses OF himself and
| brother officers sustained by
erroneous payments Of boun'
ties. Bsllock had previously resigned
and could not be punished. When the
Bureau was abolished, shortly after
wards, Assistant Adjutsnt General Vim.
cent WAS put in charge Of its papers
and finding reason for the suspicion
that all was not right, began the inVes.
tigation which has led to the discovery
OF the facts communicated to the House
hy the Secretary A preliminary re-
port on the subject was made to the
House last aession, but at too late q
day Tor it TO he considered. In reply
to the charges then made, ex-senator
Harlan printed in his Chronicle an
elaborate defence OF Howard, written
and signed by ex-senator Pomeroy.
| The Secretary in his letter dated Decem
her 4th, saws that since Assistant
General Vincent took charge OF TIE
pqpers Of the Freedmen's Bureau COM
plsint after complaint was received that
claimants had not received from the late
Bureau their bounties, arrears of pay,
etc, and the said complaints were
referred in the course Of business to
the Second Auditor, with whom all
settlements and final adjustment OF the
accounts rested. 1t gradually became
apparent that vouchers to considera-
bic amount were filed as If paid, and
credit taken for the amounts, when
strong proof was presented that the
claimants had not been paid and 10 q
similar manner developments embrac-
irs other subjects called for consdera-
ion. From the incomplete and dIsor-
dcrtd condition OF the accounts OF the
| late Bureau, when received by the ADJ
! jutart General, aud from the fact thai
| EXAMINATION had to he made in two
offices OF the Treasury Department tc
arrive at the true conditions OF certain
accounts and claims, so much time
elapscd that The trial OF the late Com.
missioner " general court martial be-
came barred in part, under statute o
! liwi,alio=, before it was discovered thai
he y RS properly ameanabie to trial at al
! Though it is true that he could now bt
/ brought before G military court on
some rpecifc charges, get for reason
| that they would be more or less depen'
dent on transactions winch are barred
the trial would hardly be productive o
rubl;c benefit, aud also for tue reason
iha, the honorable House Of Represen.
;ative has already ordered and had ar
investigation by committee upon TIT
affairs olthe Bureau OF Refugees, Freed
men and Abandoned Lands, have
Gee;nel it best not TO give the case to
military tribunal, but to submit it ant
the entire subject to the House OF Rep
resentatives. The Department OF j US
tee, however, has been furnished Will
some cases, and others are to follow
OF APPARENT malfeasance, with a reques
to institute either criminal suit, TO re-
cover moneys belonging to the Unltet
States, or both suits, as may be proper
against such OF the officers and agent
Of the late Bureau as may be liable.
THE Courier, published at Hickman