Year: 1866

ferred upon the officials of the BureaI


by the l4th section of the bill By th'


laws of the United States aud of th,


different States, competent courts, Fed


eral and State, have been established


and are now in full practical operation


By means of these civil tribunals, ample


redress is afforded for all private wrongs


whether to the person or property oi the
citizen, without denial or unnecessary
delay. They are open to all, without
| regard to color or race l feel we'll as
| sured that it win be better to trust the
rights, privileges and immunities of the
citizens to tribunals thus established and
presided over by competent and impair
tial Judges, bound by fixed rules of law
and evidence, and where the right OF
trial by jury is guaranteed and secured
than to the caprice of Judgment of an
officer of the Bureau who, it is possible,
may be entirely ignorant of the princi
Piles that underlie the Just administration
of laws There is danger, too, that con.
dict Of jurisdiction will frequently arise


between the civil courts and these mill
tary tribunals. Each having concurrent


jurisdiction over the person and the


cause of action, the one. jurisdiction ad.


ministered and controlled by civil law,


the other by military, how is the conflict


to be settled, and who is to determine


between the two tribunals when it
arises9 In my opinion it is wise to
guard against such conflicts by leaving
to the courts and juries the protection
of all civil rights, the redress of all civil
grievances.


The fact cannot be denied that, since
the actual cessation of hOstilities, many
acts OF violence, such, perhaps, as had
never been witnessed in their previous
history, have occurred in the States in
volved in the recent rebellion. believe,
however, that the public sentiment will
sustain me in the assertion that such
deeds of wrong are not confined to any
particular State or section, but are mani.
tested over the entire country, demon
strating that the cause that produced
them does net depend upon any particu
lar locality, but is the result of the agita
ton and arrangement incident to long
and bloody war While the prevalence
of such disorders must be greatly depl0r-
ed their occasional and temporary re-
currence would seem TO furnish no neces-
sity for the extension of the Bureau be-
yond the period fixed in the original act


Besides the objections have thus
briefly stated, Imay urge upon your con-
sideration the additional reason that
recent developments in regard TO the
operation of the bureau IN many OF the
States, show that i'm numerous instances
it is used by its agents as means OF
promoting their individual advantage
and that the freedmen are employed Tor
the advancement Of the personal ends OF
the agents, instead of their own improve.
ment and welfare, thus confirming the
fears originally entertained by many
that the continuation of such a Bureau
for any unnecessary length Oftime would
inevitably result IN corruption and op.
preston IL is proper TO state that in
cases OF this character, Investigations
have been promptly ordered and the
offender punished whenever his guilt
has been satisfactorily established.


As another reason against the ecessi-
ty of the legislation contemplated by
this measure, reference may be had to the
Civil Rights bill, now a law OF the land
and which will be faithfully executed so
long as it shall remain unrepealed aud
not he declared unconstitutional by the
courts of competent jurisdiction By
that act it is enacted that all persons
born in the United States and not sub
ject to any foreign power, excludIOg ln-
dians not taxed are hereby declared to
be citizens of the United States, aud
such citizens Of every race and color,
without regard to any previous condi-
ton of slavery or involuntary servitude,
except az a punishment for crime, where
of the party shall have been duly con
victed shall have the same rights 10
every State abd Territory IN the United
States TO make aud enforce contracts, to
sue, be parties, aud give evidence, 10
Inherit, purchase, lease, sell, hold and
convey real and personal property, aud
to the full and equal benefit of all laws
and proceedings for the security Of per-
son aud property as is enjoyed by white
citizens aud may and shall be subject to
like punishments and penalties, and TO
none other, any law statute or ordinance
resolution oil custom to the contrary
Notwithstanding


By the provisions OF this act full pro
lection s afforded through the District
conrts of the United States to all persona
injured aud whose privileges, as thus
declared are in any way impaired and
heavy penslties are denounced against
the person who wilfnlly violates tbel
| need not state that this law did not
receive my approval yet its remedies
are far more preferable than those pro
posed in tho present bill, the one being
civil and the other military


By the sixth section Of the blll here
with returned, certain proceedings by
which the lands in the parishes OF st.
Stephens and st. Luke's were sold aud
bid in, and afterwards disposed Of by the
tax commissioner, are confirmed. BY
the seventh eighth. ninth, tenth and
eleventh sections, provisions are made
by laws fol- the disposal Of lands thus &C
ouired to particular class OF citizens
while the granting Of titles is deemed
very important and desirable The dis
elimination made In the bill seems to be
Objectionable, as does also the attempt
to confer upon commissioners judicial
powers by which citizens Of the United
States are to be deprived OF their prop
erty in mode contrary TO the provisions
of the constitution which declares that
no person shall he deprived OF life, liber.
ty or property without due process OF
law. As general principle. snch legis


lation is unsafe, unWise, partial and un


a...4:.n,;ona1 IL NAV doDTiyo persons