New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-03-11

travelling expenses 30 AZ wiz AONN1'N $4,000
the same amount
Az each member is required to deduct the mileage
that he has received during the XLIId Congress
from the extra $500 those who reside in the dis
tant States will have little left, and Senator from
Oregon. unless he puts in bill for actual travelling
expenses instead of receiving anything, viii have
TO pay back to the United States about $500 The
aggregate mileage of members of the 4LIld Con-
gTess was $27o,0ON
THE RECORDS OF THE FREEDMENS
BUREAU.
REPLY OF THE ADJUTANT-GENERALs OFFICE
TO GEN. HOwARD-THE RECORDS COMPARE
lively VALUELEss-$31,0O 600 UNPAID RE
TURNED AS PAID-THE COMMISSIONERS
+ ACCOUNTS $1,000 SHORT.
FRoN AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF TIE rRIBusEl
WASHINGTON, March 9.-The Secretary OF
War transmitted the House Of Representatives on
the last day of the session, communication from Gen.
Thomas NJ Vincent one of the Assistant AdjutantGen-
erals OF that Department in reply 70 letter from Cen
O. O. Howard, late Commissioner Of the Freedmens
Bureau in which the informed the Chairman OF
the House Committee Military Affairs that the con-
fusion and ncompeteness OF the records OF the freed
mems Bureau chiefly due 70 the carelessness Will
which the War Department had transferred them' Gen.
Vincent begins by showing, By extracts from orders
issued both by the War Department and by Gen. Howard
that the latter fully understood that he was Responsible
for the records until actually delivered to the war De
partnent that facility was anorded ni anu
everything placed under his exclusive control 70 enable
him 70 meet responsibility in making the transfer
Eight of the clerks and agents detailed oy tne
Freedens Bureau for the work. ne says were students
of Howard University who had been employed less than
a wear on half time al $50 month. They did not bear
character for efficiency though the public good oe-
manded tina; experienced aid should have been EN-
poyed. Gen. Vincent continues:
The late Commlssionertdid not exert his power. as
he has alleged. 10 keeping agents straight Da oy Aep
themse straight through their sense OF proprey anu
fidelity 70 the public duty. In consequence beside ialtn
fv and fully discharging their official duty they have
rendered the late Bureau great service ana was nos
prepared hear the first time through the Comnis
sioner communication, that there had been apparently
an attempt view the late commissioners ONCE Will
contempt and bring II into disgrace IL G.nhot oe
tohnshed that any OF my agents acted II confusion
was produced by the disappearance OF records ost III
was and Is responsible for such disappearance, should
at have made report ior me Hio u, a,h
losses stealngs and distinctions. SO with the com
msary work its record has been burned up or other
wise DESTROYED No part OF the confusion can Dc traced
10 or established against any officer agent or cerk
the Generals office but must remain Attached
o the afe Bureau existing prior 70 the records
beiug paced in the wagons for transfer 10 the Autant
Generals office. am constrained to say that the DIS.
nursing Office az and for time prior 20 the trans
fer the most important of the Bureau, was not Wen
kept and there were records %an'ns az scS
though the officer charge OF II dsDursed vast su OF
money annually and necessarily held extensive cor
respondence with claimants agents, and Others through
ont he yarious states he Kept record OF letters
ceived until jan lSi ana sDd unbpete1
received with the records OF mat once, eau
resiondence covering a period OF nearly four
years dating from the period when money
10 coored soldiers was payable through the Freed
mens Bureau No copies Of letters sent for the
period kept, except In press copy DOCKS many
letters in which have already become nlegibe. aost
these letters Of an important ehsraGteT ana al
relate more or less to disourseInens Inc pubic inter-
est demanded their most careful and permanent SGT
vaton For the same period there is no recoTa y. III
dorsements on letters sent out A. tne ocoH Oh @
received letters sent and are 10 e.sIy
wellreguated Oce in the War department. OF tne nrsb
importance. their abuse or detective conilon , o p,
demnlng evidence not only for imperfect recor, D1S
that Office conducting its business was not wei
hrsng Office were declent defective, and unreliable
NAV Ito certain retained bounty Iunu Oneer
the act Of March q 1857 statute IA page e4o the COMMITS
sioBer OF the Freedinens bureu, VI uis 80 ~
office constituted the lawful CUSTODIAN Oh certain
aud annonted trustee OF the same for the benefit OF
coored soldiers Under General orders NO %
nave beentransferred accounted for, 10 the Adu-
tant-Generals Office. But Instead Of It's being so trans
fered accounted for this office did not know OF IL u
MI on or about the TIN OF January 1879 when the late
Commissioner was called upon lor lnIorInauo i
from the discussing officer purporng 20 show the names
Of the soldiers to whom the funds belonged ana me
SHOWS 81 had paid in connection with so2S ~ not
expended that the total amount OF the Iuna was
sIla Goa o. although report OF the entire amount has
moi vet been The report OF the Commissioner Tor
90 Tar as is now known disbursng officer rendered
M sceouut for the disbursement the said fund.
failed TO take vouchers for the payments made from IT,
Why az least, not q statement submitted 10 TINS
office showing: o. Total amount OF said fund received
fo Amount II any, Of increase through investment OF
United states bonds. g. The distribution, II any, Tor
the benefit Of said soldiers their legal representa-
lives. a. The total amount paid out
H. The dsbursng officer (Gen. Bullock testified
before the for the trial Of Major Il. r.
Ruuke that Runkie bought him vouchers unpaid that
allowed Runke 10 sign as witness To the pay
ment received them from him "a paid these v0uch
ers were sent with Buocks accounts 10 the Treasury
paid entered in the Bounty Register then under
ms charge, as paid
III The claims covered by the 1878 So all
tered by the discussing officer III the Bounty Register
OF his Office paid. when, has been remarked and
shown they paid Therefore, considering the
guide and scomplete. truthful, and accurate. aud
that the defective records. az to the retained bounty
funds, not transferred until called for how can IL DC
SAID that the records were " well keptF
further illustrate the incompleeness OF the ar
chyes in most important matters, reference Is here
made 20 a letter from Acknowledgement Townsend TO
Gen Howard transmitting 10 the latter st Of offices
under Feedmens Bureau whose records are missing
defective the said list covering 10 legal cap pages
As the deficit of s3,7a g. it was determined In
this Office by careful LABOR. IL the Auditor has found t
through his records Is owing TO our records, -
received from the late Bureau being defective. IL may
bc remarked that when the transfer Of the claims and
word said u there being deficiency. We found
Il out by own examination. IL 10 oondemnatory OF
Bureau aud Of Gen Bullock. 10 would Oe OF
office officer. that the Treasury Department
celed vouchers covering upward OF S9l5 30, because
they had been fled evidence OF payment and order
see Ftnh PAGE.