The New York Herald Newspaper, August 10, 1866, Page 8

s ‘THE BUREAU. Final Report of the Steedman-Fuller- ton Commission. #rusbing Exposure of the Inconsistenci¢s and Uselessness of the Bureau. Three Hundred Thousand Dollars Squandered in Louisiana. “Negroes Sold to Planters at Five Dollars a Head. Missing Becords, Forged Pay Rolls and Deficient Accounts. Planting in Alabama and Texas. Bureau INIQUITIES OF THE CONTRACT SYSTEM. fiavery Revived and the Emancipation Pro- clamation Defeated. &e. ke. &e. ‘Wasnrxctor, August 8, 1866. The following report of the inspections of the Freed- ‘men’s Bureau by Generals Steedman and Fullerton has deen submitted to the President :— zw Onteana, July 20, 1866, Won, F. M. Sravrox, Secretary of War Ban—We have the honor to submit the following report our inspection of the operations of the Freeden’s ureau in thy Departments of Georgia, Alabama, Missia- ‘Sppi, Louisiana and Texas, Taking up 2 | (ports to which cen oar | ere nen Anstructions we find that the Humber of officers employed ‘Dy or attached to the Bureau in the departments above mam: aa follows :— @no brigadier general (breVet mnajor goneral), Assistant eeeminhtase or tna Pata iy major ns. ‘on lieutenanta. One CIVILIAN EMPLOYER, superintendent of schools at pay per month *{ Sub assistant commission- 2 ers, of....... * sscesesensees $150 00 contract sul pay each per month of 100 00 special agent, pay per month............... 126 00 agent for 8. Simon Island, pay por month 100 00 vhief clerk, pay por month. . 125 00 r clerks, at pay per month each. 100 00 ‘Two clerks, at average pay per month each 70 16 Bevent, persons employed as renee, laborers, 5] drivers. and Alabama. - @asistant commissioner of Bureag. rgeons........pay each per mo, §100 00 “RAY er month. 160 88 SUD. pay per mouths. 100 00 100 00 ‘The eeristant commissioner and the staff are also per- Sorming military duty in connection with the offices in the Burean. ‘On duty in the Burean only there are . } Sub-assistant commission- «fers, IAN EMPLOYER, One superintendent education per month Five clerks at monthly pay each Dae printer at monthly pay... 100 00 One superintendent buildings at monthly pay... 125 00 5 aed contract surgeons at ay pay,cach.... 100 00 yt hospital stewards at monthly pay each.... 68 75 ‘Twen'y-six hospital attendants, matr Ru taundrentos, &o., at average monthly pay vaypenters at average month! 52 50 ‘Three teamsters at avorave monthly Lf each., 15 00 Four orderlies at average monthly pay each, 16% yelve laborers at average montlily pay ear 19 08 wo night watchmen at averege ruonthly pay each Senses oe 1600 One brigadier gen’ One major (sur rien captning......... ixtern frat leutenants. . ix Recond lieutenanta. Ove captain One frst lie Sub-assisiaut commission - ors, “+1 On temporary duty CreintaNe, Wen contract surgeons at monthly pay, each... §100 00 ve clerks at monthly pay each clerks at monthly pay each rks monthly pay each ove erage pay per month each... 76 80 ‘erage pay per month each.... 65 00 Auperintendent planiation department, pay per month eiside , 160 00 Two shoo month eac 125 00 On master, pay per month... 75 00 pay per month each oO Porters, messengers aid team- ‘orage pRY per month each. 22 35 » Ninsew, Cocks, hospital atvenda average pay per month each. Texas. - Assistant commissioner, &e. Onn wn ie @ue t eurkeon, pay per roonth 00 Bee snporimeondent of sobools, pay pe month pe} Wwo clerk per month, each $ choses 1 Y per tnonth, oaci re Li we 5 o whom rations have been Menlioned Siviaa wince the p to the Lat of April last, are Georgia. Namber of freedmen do whom rations were issued se rpwes Alte Chen Petal. Devemsver im sat ir danoury 14a 6a L608 Feds iar: Vise u L670 | Merb 1 ae@ 4 1,919 | Devember nh 3 | Hamvary. 2 | Febroary 7 Baveh ° December January Femrvery Merce NEW YORK HERALD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 10, 1866, ensk Esse seat See “ if = NECESEITY YOR RELIRF. ‘The necessity for the relief furnished will not extend beyond the present season, except in Northern Georgia and Alabama, where probably a limited amount of assist- ance may be requisite for some time loner, unless these States are able to make provision for their own poor. Much, however, will depend in all the States upon tho success of this year’s provision crop. DISPOSITION OF THE CITIZENS, But ttle aid or encouragement have been given to the operations of the Bureau by the citizens of any of these States except Alabama and Georgia, in which depart- ments tho Asssisiant Commissioners, Generala Tillson and Swayne, have removed much of the prejudice against the Burean by wisely securing the co-operation of the civil authorities. RETRENCHMENT AND REFORM. A great reduction in the expense of the Bureau, and a reform which would render it far less objectionable tl it ig now would be effected by the discontinuance of ail paid employés not in the military service of the govesn- ment, This would reduce the expense for clerks, con- tract surgeons, hospital servants, &c., the following amounts:— Georgia... Alabama.. Miseiasippl. Lou sana... Texas... * ones ee toobedereececese ces oo 9 $160,062 All the labor performed by theso employes except, perhaps, the occasional services of a contract surgeon, might be discharged by details from the troops. In pre- Total. . vious rey we havo recommended the mnerging of the duties of the Bureau and the military. We would again respectfully urge this amalgamation, and that one sel of ere should be required to perform the joint duties, “Avgging the expense of maintaining two eatqb- lishment — SPLOT OF Tae STaRAU. ‘We have previously stated our opinion as to the effect Of tho operations of the bureau on the habits of the and their disposition to labor and support themselves, aud we have seen nothing in our subs-quent imvestigations to induce us to change the views expressed ‘on this subject in past reports. It is so apparent tha: a people comp: ted to labor for a livelihood must be ren- dered less industrious by the hope or implied promise of support in idleness, that we deom it unnecessary to pre- —— —— ‘on this he op pilaind tata diet ’e proceed now to speak moro in detail of the admin- istration of the Bureau in the several States we have visited, Georgia. The Bureau in Georgia, under the management of the resent able and efficient Assistant Commissioner, Brevet r-General Tillson, has been hovestly administered, and has accomp! shed ali the of which the system igcapable. It bas been assisted by the Governor, by the Judges of the su ‘courts, by the civil author.ties, and the citizepa, The amended laws of i was by us. We found that Captain Lambert's records as a rule wero very loosely kept, and that his jecexsor, who had coll thousands of dollars, left no record or evidence bebind bim of tho disposition made of tho ‘absence of e The freedmen in Georgia when we went through the State were regularly at work, and wherever their wager were remunerative and g ly paid them were con- Alabama. In this State Major General Wager e, the Assist- ant Commissioner, has pursued @ disereet, liberal aud enlightened policy im administering the affuirs of the Burean, laboring on all occasions to secure the co opera tion of the civil authorities, and to obtain from the judicial machinery of the State a nition of the mghbte essential to the security and wel of the freed people. This policy of General Swayne’s has pro. duced ® much more kindly feeling towards the Burean than exists where ite agonts have assumed to exercise Judicial powers, mo hi the administration at healquarters has thus n satisfactory, subordinate agepts have been guilty of considerable frregularities. re The tollowing officers and agents of the Bureau tn Ala- bain are engaged in plantin Captain and Brevot Colonel C. Cadell, Jr., A. A. G.; @. A. Harmount, local agent at Montgomery ; J. F. McGog, agent at headquarters, late chief quartermaster of the Bureau; C. W. Buckley, superintendent of education; S. 8. Gardner, late agent at elma. Our attention was cailed to the alleged misconduct of the agent at Greenville in selli hut as General Swayne himself hi gate the matter we did not inquire into the case, We found the freedmen Alabatna working well on the plantatic but the heavy rains had swollen the streams out thelr banke, doing immense damage to tbe crops, and some apprehensions were felt that the freedmen who wore working on shares would loge their labor, and would not be able to make subsistence for thomselves and families. Misstesipp!. The merging of the Bureau with the military in thie State han placed the control of freedmen's affairs in the bands of Major General Thomas J. Wood, the Depart- ment Commander. General Wood has tly bm ed upon the administration of bis prekeonaabr olonel Samuei Thomas, wi policy was not calcu. lated to produce harmony between the two races, Thoro is etil!, notwithstanding the change of ey. introduced ‘5, General Wood more ill fecling ex- ing between the blacks and whites in Mississippi than we found elsewhere. There eer canses oper. ating ip certain localities in this beyond the contro! of any policy the Burean might adopt, producing antago- nism and bloodshed, This is the case at Grenada, where an organized band of desperadoes have for some time paat held the town in terror, and in April last mardered it, Rianding, an agent of the Freedmon’s Bureau. The re- spectable cilizens, who themselves have been subjected to outrage by this gang, #trongly condemned the crime, and sought to have the murderers brought to justice, At Meridian, in the same State, @ condition of things nearly a8 bad appears to prevail, The Bureau officer there, Major J. J. Knox of the V. R. C, was fired upon in tho night a short time ago, for what reason we were un- ablo to learn, ae he seeine to be an excellent officer and op good terme with the people generally. These were the only casos of outrages on officers of the Bureau; in othor districts the agents were weil protected. At Columbus, Major Smith of the V. R. C., the agent stationed there, made some remarkable statemente to us, whieh perhaps may serve to show the way in which the Teports of agents of the burean are sometimes concocted, He at Oret said that the people in his district were weil diepored, that the freeamen were ‘well, and were kindly treated by all exeept the cl Of whites, from whom alone they Toquired protection. Ina very few minutes afterwards he asserted that outrages on freedmen had been committed two-thirds of the planters in the neighborhood. proseed to state specifically the netare of the outrages and by whom committed be mentioned three only, all of which been committed on one same plantation by the overseer, avd all of which been remedied by the planter himself lention was called to them, On investi. ee the statements of this officer as tothe iM trestment of negroes ly exaggerated, and learned dh a aaaee on one occasion Advised a planter with whom he was dini ree psp than ing to club any negro who Aste from the places of which we have spok park by bad men, we found the negrocs in Min, Newippt working duatriousty, and as a rule kindly tre wees ae = rr jane as io others we |, the officers of t rean fe judietal powers, im wigs Me) often DO recorda. tie Orgnada, J toend 8. ores netan « Instane « . Where the former aseat of the | govern: and is officer li have collected fees, ing from Ofty cents from from rosin vine thats marry where the negroes Were Uri- able to of % roared te asp ae Sipid P fora balaooe of ify conte This close dri: to be eateatnd for or pocket, After be been removed from his post he offered a military officer fifty dollars for his influence to fesain him in bis position. Chaplain Livermore left no official papers behind him to show the disposition he had made @ funds received. A tare amount of money was also eoilected by the rendered of it, This clams Of officere have lately boen mustered out or have disappeared, and under the pre- sent administration the agents exercise no judicial powers, Louisiana, ‘The Bureau in this department is more in neod of re- trenchment and reform than the Bureau in any othor State we have visited, m has been col- lected and more money squandered in isiana than io any other three Southern States. The expenses of the Bureau, as accounted for for the fiscal year ending the Ist of June, 1866, were over $300,000, To meet this ex- nditure there were collected, in taxes aud rents, the following amounts:— B87 26 Fee ani 90 40,956 11 23,000 00 From fines... 673 10 Leaving a deficit of $66,057 33, to be paid out of the na- tionai treasury, ‘These expenses are in addition to the transportation, rations, and Quartermasters’ supplies fur- nished by the government. It is dificult to determine to what use the vast amount of property held by the Bureau has been applied. At the very lowest estimate, the property taken possession of, as confiscated or aban. doned, amounted in value to ten millions of dollars, and the rents returned above are leas than one per cent. on the entire amount, ‘The expencitnre of the Bureau, under the present ad- ministration, for agents, civilian clerks, and employ(s about its headquarters alone, amount to not less than $40,226 a year, exclusive of the pay of staff officers, and orderltes in the military service. A large proportion of the money expended on the public schools under the administration of the tev. T. W. Con- way, late Assistant Commissioner, we are sa‘isfied was squandered. Mr, Matthew Whildon, formerly chief clerk in the schoo! department, in evidence given hefore us and hereto appended (marked B), states that in September, 1865, tain Pease, theschool superintendent, reporte officially that there were forty schools in operation and in flourishing conditon, when in fact there were but two, It was also sworn to beioro us that the books and ords which would have shown this reporé to be Inacdirate were desiroyed in Captain Pease’s offico and others substituted. We can seo no ob- ject for the fabrication of this false repert, unless it wag to account for payments made to persons who were not engaged in teaching, On examining the pay roll No. 2 jor Abe, mon of August, 1865, we found that afier it jad Daéh Certified and BEproved names had been added, and the totals erased and changed on every page. We found also a diserepancy of soveral hundred dollars be- fey Be pay roll for this month and the labor rolig on wipe: From the sworn teatimony also héteto afipended it will be séén that Captain Morse, appointed Provost Marshal of the Bureau by Mg, Conway, made the Provost Maf- shal’s oMce a slavé pen, arresting freedinen and selling them to planters at $5 a head, and sharing the proceeds with bis special policemen who made the arrests, This officer further collected a large amount of money from freedmen and white persons arrested by him for various offences, and his beoks only show receipts from this source amounting to $673 10. ‘The Bureau is cultivating a large plantation in this State, for which it pays $15,000 a year as rent. We can scarcely imagine the excuse for renting land on account of the United States when the government, through each Congress, is giving away m Jlions of acres of public lands to corporations. Major General Absalom Baird is the Assistant Commis- sioner for Louisiana, and was also in military command of the department when we visited it. He has undoubtedly improved upon the administration of Mr. Conway. Texne. The facilities for cbaege 2 in Texas being so limited and the State so large we found it impossible to make such an investigation as would enablo us to report fully upon the condition of affairs in thts department, the headquarters of the bureau are located at Galveston, with a few agents stationed in the most accessible and populous portions of the State. As to the condition of affairs in the interior we were unable to obtain accurate information, either from th from any other source. We visil Houston, where we met several of the agents from other trespass gag were there in attendance ov « court mar- is enj clerk, army, Cal oath that had been tnterested in the plan- tation of Messrs. Porter and itehell; but Major Pearson, commanding the troops at that post, and Dr Boyd, post surgeon, subsequently swore before us that Captain Sloan had told them repvatedly he was interested in the farm, and had mentioned to them the amount he ex- pected to realize by it. Complaints made to wm by other persons that Captain Sloan had emploved the powers of the Bureau to take negroes from their plan- tations and place them on his own. We append the iesti- mony taken in this case (marked C). among 18 We mot at Houston was Lioutenant GQ Fr lenbrook, First Veteran Reserve Corpr, agent at Beaumont, Jefferson county, who stated that the freedmen were ding well in bis district. and that the disposition of the people was very fan Moat of the freodmen were engaged in herding stock, and were paid ten to fifteen doliars a month. He subsequently men- tioned that he had recently arrested Do tor Houston, a citizen in his district, on the report of a freedman that the doctor had sald he did not regard his parole; but finding it was imporsiblo to obtain evidence aga'nst his or, he had been obliged to reiease Mm. This = officer us other actions of hisown equally as absurd as this, satistying us ho Was utterly incompetent for hix porition. Having heard unfavorable reports from the Branham district, we ex- amined the agent, Captain 8. A. Craig, of the Seventeenth Veteran Reserve corps, who stated that his predecessor, Lieutenant Arnold, of the Tweifth THlinois cavatry, had Kept his records, and left nothing im the office b tn of contract: nd le of orders, and he could civo us no informatt ut his official acta. We are eatiafled that most of the complaints aguinst Captain Craig wore groundiess All the Bureaw agents in Texas exerctee judic‘al powers in both civil and cr minal cases, and in the discharge of these arbitrary and dangerous funetions frequently arreat and imprison respectable citizens upon mere ruraor. Captain Sloan, the Bureau officer at Richmond befo all ded to, while at Galvestan, out of hie district, arre: a respectable citizen end put him in prison on the plea be wanted him as ness in © which he o knew from rumor d be brought before him. Te the twenty-five agents in this State are citizen One of them, Colonel gehen grey agen v county, was formerly a colonel in ‘the red: was appointed an agent of the Bureau by Genera! Greg, then Avsistant Commissioner for the State, while stili pardoned. heard many rumors with respect to General himeelf being engaged in planting, bat on in ton we concluded that these ernents were un- nded, While we beliove General Gregory to have ‘been honert in his administration, we think hie extreme view and policy produced ill fealing aud bitterness be. tween the whites and blacks. ‘o far an we saw or were able to get information in Texas the freedmen wer working well, and the crops wore very promising. The wages paid, all the payments hing made in specie, were hetior than In any other de- partment, Brevet Major General J, B. Kiddoo is the present Aasintant Commissioner. Summary. In yoy | this investigation, which hae wow ex- tens over four months, we have found extreme difl- culty in complying with that portion of our instructions which requires us to report upon the operation of the Bureau and its mode of administrat be Bureau bas ne settied mode of administration, There is an entire absence of aystem or uniformity in its constitution. In one State ite officers exercise judicial powers; jn an ad- Joining State all cases are referred to the civil authorities ; while In a third State the Bureau officers collect the cases and turn them over to the mill) provost courts to dispose of. In some departments officers of the Bureau have attempted to regulate the rate of ‘wages; one form of contract between employer and employed is prescribed in one State, while in another a ai form is adopted. In Louisiana the expenses of the freedmen' hate been wholly paid by the government; in otber Sta'es the schools are partially self-supporting, and in Texas they are entirely so, In some localities the Buroau ofcers interere arbitrar ly between the planter and the freedman, in favor of the freedman; in othor localities the Bureau is used as a means of coercing the freedman in favor of the planter, un- The iture of the Bureaa varies as much as its mode of administration. In one State the expenses are over 000 « year; in another State, with an equal puiation, the expenses aro not more’ than ingome States the have been met Sues levied on and collected the people; in other States the cost t# entirely borne by the United States Treasury, QUARTER ATER’ ACCOUNTS. ‘We found it impossible to investigate the accounts of the Bureau qvartermasters, for the reason that where the funds used were received from taxes, rents, fincs the sonal niatermente of the officers themselven, Whhe a quartermaster in the army, drawing his funds from the government, has the amount charged up to Lim and is obli to account for it in his return, loovenese of the adminiatration of the quartermaster's department of the Burean and the absence of all check upon the officers ive no security except the personal honest: hemeelvea, We examined the acconnts of dier General Whittlerey, Bureau Quartermaster of tho Department of Mississipp!, who satiefied us that he bad Doneatly administered the affairs of hie department, and bad accounted for all the money received; but whether his ed who collected 2 px from taxon, rents and salon, paid over ni ittleney all the money im hw hands bol to the Bureau, we were anabie to determine, We donot make this state- ment to reflect upon that officer, oe = whom there were no charges, but to illustrate the looseness of tne syetem. POCKETINO A TAX. The official report of Colonel Reno, Provost Marshal General of the Bureau of Louisiana, « of whch ms ith forwarded, marked "1," shows a ‘te fet A of $7,000 im t accounts of the offcers wha were eneaged tm the collection of taxes in New which deficit Reno ec maannar in whioh the books wore kept. On of th 9 of the ealing officers, Lieutenant Foster, who Colonei Reno afte eer, arid 0 Ne ah oop mh i Tole Oe co tue wa semponmunsey -cved Am 4: inci- Colonel Géniai tax," which ‘Reno calla “an invénifon of Baers, ‘and which “ with the exception of one or two bun dollars went into his own pocket.’ WHEN THR BUREAU CEASED TO BE NECESSARY, ‘We are of opinion that at the close of the war and %r some time afver the cessation of hostilities the Frod- men’s Burean did good. The people of the Sou'’y, hav- ing at first no faith in the ne ‘working nor labor system were desirous of getting rid o” them, aud during the summer of 1865, judicious By'rean and mil- itary officers did much toward restoriv” order apd har- mony, and inducing the people of *q, the cultivation of their Fear ter freedmen. Before the % 1806, there tire revolution in the sentipents of the South with regard te, nogr> labor. - A feeling of sprang up toward “he resulting perhaps ly from the cov/iction that his labor was desirable and roftable, ‘snd the only labor to be had. The neceswty for the Bureau then ceased, Since then, while. it has been been beneficial in some localities, it has beem juctive inthe agg of more barm than good, It has occasioned and will perpetuate dis- cord as, long as it ex’sta, though administered by the purest, and wisest men of the nation. The freedmen re- gard its presence as evidence that they would be unsafe without it; and the white people consider it an imputa- tion upon their lata and fairness, an espionage upon the official action i their courts and magistrates, as well as upon the private conduot of their oitu Both races are thus made suspicious and bitter, by an agency which in the present ized condition of civil government and society in the Southern States is power- ‘ess to advance the interests of either. THR FRREDMEN’S BEST PROTECTION. The best protection the freedman has in the South 1s tho value of hia Iabor in the market, and {f he is left free to dispose of this at all times to the highest bidder, unsbackled by contracts made for bim by Bureau offi- cera, no apprehensions need be felt for his safety or his suecess, If the freedmen could at this moment demand the wages which the high prices of the products of the South would justify, $1 per day and board wauld be the ruling wages instead of $10 or $12 per month, the prices now paid. But they cannot take advantage of the demand for their r. They are bound by con- tractp—enslaved for twelve months through the agency una influence of the Freedmen's Bureau. The bands on the Mississinp! steamboats are not required to make contracts, and they aro getting $40 a month and their board for labor less exacting than that of a planta- tion negro, The freedmen on the Ogeechee and Savan- nah rivers are receiving, on the rice plantations, from $10 to $15 per month under contract for the year, while the laborers employed on the Georgia Central fal ns which runs between these two streams, are getting Ft aday. Some complaints wero made to us by the plant. ers on the Savannah river that their laborers hei hg dis- ntented and did not work as required bY their con- racta One of the planters, a practical, liberal minded man, explained the cause of the discontent to be the low wages at which the negro, were hired. He satd:—"T éah get hands énougl, ahd gdod work done, too, by paying a dollar a day axf@ rations; and I am paving that, and expect to pay even moro, T can give $3.a day and make money. The nezro is going to make all he can out of his freedom, and ho bas a right ta do a0.” The .gnlichtened pol oy reece ie? this entlempnm; Ney gyictly in accordance with justice Sat sound pila ri i $a defeated by the con- tract systgm, Tnangurated and Yotoet tnt» practical operat by the officers of the Freedmen’g Broa, mét with, instancgs, of. freedne many ‘fF ge shughgped by mouth Tatjofis, under yearly contrac DF te Bureau, while in the same field, doi 9 BAO work, other freedmen, not Puget Contracts, Kote getting 1a day and rations. In all the Iarge towns in the Mis- sissippl va'ley, dur'ng the months of May and June, planters were offering $1 per day and rations for freed- men, while under ihe sanction of government, given by the officers and agents of the Bureau, thousands of treedmen were working under contract for $10 per month, If the frecdmen are left free to contract, the demand for their labor and the competition amongemploy- ers will secure them good wages and kind treatment, They will not contract with men who treat them harsh!y or fail to pay them, as is abundantly proven by vhe fact that many plan‘ers who treated thelr former slaves ervelly are now wnable to hire freedmen to work for them, and have been obliged to scil or lease their plan- tations, ONE LAW POR THE NORTN AND ANOTHER POR THE SOUTH. We are unab!e to discover why the simple rules which reg iate and control the relations of Jaber and capital in the Northern 5! fionld not obtain aswell in the Sonth—-why the national government should permit the Tnboring man to sol! bis labor to tne highest bidder in one. section of the conntry, and appoint an agerit to gell it for him inanother rection. It 1 mdoubtedly true that if the freed people of the South wore not bound by con- tracts the r wager world be atleast fifty per cent at this time than they are, and there world be Jess dis. cont nt among the freetmen than now exists, and far Jess duty ‘or the agemis of the Bureau to perform. Al- most the only divsatt faction existing at thigzime among freedmen results from the low rate wi at n hired, under the influence o\ of the agents of the Burean.. Thi discontent makes the freedmen sani work, and thetr indolence provokes the planter, who not unfre- quently resorts wolenee to enforce his con! ana this makes bn for the officer who sancti the contract. Investigation follows, resulting syreraity tp finding the freedmon at tant for refusing 10 ‘accord. ing to their contracts, and they are required to return to the plantation, white the pianter is admonished to curb bis temper. In some cases of this nature the contract in declared forfeited by conduct of the planter. who nes away ‘rom: the Burean fooling that a has oon thado that frecdmen are not bound to falfil their engagements The feult—the cause of the diMculty—ia in the contract, which has been unjustly forced upon the poor freedmen. CONTROLLING ‘THE CONTRACTS. Tt must not be inferred from what we have ‘written that we are opposed to the freedmen contracting with the planters, By no means. We belleve the vorv beet thing they cau do t# to make contracts, either for a share of the crops or for Wheral wages; but we are op- posed to agents of (he national government assuming to hire them ont, preseribing the term of service and atipn- Jatin: the waves tobe paid them They are not free so } control ts exercised over them, nor can are compelied to hire within a given time for term, In Mississippi and other States the freedmon were compelied, by orders from offic rs of the Bureau, to enter into cont wr'hin limited periods, which eoabled all who wented hands to get them at’ low wages, while if the freedmen ti teen interfered with the demand for labor would have envhled them to secure just re- muneration, It the freedmen are not eomy fe thomeelves, They are sharp ata bargain, know well what a good contract Is, and are mach better collectors than white people THR PLANT! G CONTRACT AND MARRIAUR CONTRACT. A# an evidence of the rigid manner in which contracts are enforced by agents of the Bureay against the freed- we may mention a.case which came under our aten, red binckemith, who had fled er during (he war, and enlisted in the os Army, boing about to be mustered out of 3 wife, request ng her not to contract th or two at a time, as he intended to ) aa he was Mostered out, and set up ekoeping His wire accordingly de- make « long contract. but was finally compe'led to eheage herself for a year, The voldier, on Nis retarm, went to the plantation where his wife was working and appli d for her relense, but failed to grt her. He then sent a written statement of the ‘ase to an agent o° the Burean, who forwarded it to the Assi-tant Commissioner of the State, It was returned from head- uarters, with the following endorsement:— “Inasmuch as the wile of William Carter has made a contract for the year 1866 must observe ita require- ments, The eab-commissioner will Intorm William Car- tor that the interests of the freed pevple religiously ob. serving their agreements are paramount to the wishes of individuals, and that the power of the Buredu will only be used to protect them from manifest injustice. There being n> positive evidence of such injustice in this case the Roreau bas no interference to make.’’ It ta evident that this officer considers a labor contract more sacred than @ marriage contract, SLAVERY REVIVED. The system of contracts now existing in the forced by the Ru 8 simply slavery in a What is the South, and modified e to the whether he is fi 5 thirty years nce 6 ~~ masier? It servitude in either and a proc! pation of the lamented coin If the freedman leaves work to seek employment at better wages he is arrested as a vagrant order of the Freedmen's Bureau, and put to Iabor on the roads, with ball and cha'n, aa is provided by an order hy Geurral Scott, Asstatant for South Carolina, If fatigued planta’ as mado a wil of bim, and certainly more just officer of the Freedmen's Bureau to Southern bart B AN, |AMES STEEDM. 3.8 FULLERTON, — | j Commlesioners, THE FREEDMEN'S BUREAU IN LOUISIANA—LETTER OF mn. CONWAY. TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD. Tn yesterday's iaawe (aa in that of the previous day) of Your paper there appears a letter from your New Orleans correspondent, who appears to have travelled with the President's Commissioners, Messrs, Stecdman and Ful. lerion, In this letter it te stated that I took away the recoris of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands from my headquarters of sald Burean in New Orleans. It is algo stated that pay rolls were forged; that taxes were imposed improperly and improp- erly accounted for; that sums of money were taken from citizens and divided among officers and their subordinates, and that the tax books were taken away destroyed To the statement that I took away the “of (he Hureaa of Retagees, Freedmen and Aban- . Coned Lande, Treviy by eavigg the statement is false, of the school bureau after the rolls were ordered paid, one which Mr, B, Rush Piumley had previously Charged against im Pease, the Superiutendent of the schools, whi charge was not sustained by the court before which Mr. Plamley had the tried. Mr, Pluiley was dismissed from the Bureau by General Canby more than a year ago for incompeteucy and other faults, and has smee done his best to destroy the Bureau. He, too, has travelled with and Full and the statements which yon have published simply those which have alt r authority, it is well known is made with that prejudice by which the Louisiana rebels filled him on his arrival in that state. As soon as the report of the commissioners in print I will ae atull reply showing, among other things, that the - sident General Fullerton have been the real origi- ators of the terrible riot which has resulted in the masaacre of some of the best men of New Orleans. The instructions given to General Fullerton by the President could produce ro but riot as will ap- pear when the matter is fully investigated. That Genera! Fullerton should now attempt to cover up bis infamy by charging me with wrong is simply a part of a game that is already well under- stood. Even the radical press in New Orleans gave my aduiinistration the credit of integrity, while with every other breath they charged me with too much interest in the rights and liberties of tho blacks. ‘The idea of “selling negrocs” is one which your cor- respondent says was ‘without 4 knowledge,”” A cause must be well nigh its death when it has to resort to such Mes as that of charging soch a thing upon the Bureau. Bespectfully, THOMAS W. CONWAY. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. Tus Concu Smet, Case Acary, wiru Variations. —The interestibg quarrel betwoon the Breslin and Burns fami- lier, with all its appurtenant whys, wherefores, imple- ments and issues, was again before Judge Ledwith yes- terday morying for a hearing. The parties occupy apartments in the same building, Ne. 237 Seventeenth street, and the propinquity is mutui!!v distasteful. From Sunday evening last until some time on onday b peed bi re continued at intervals until Mr. Blevins Ane GSthpelied to invoke the interposition of the The Biovins party present an aggravated case. They say that on Sunday night the defendant, Mra, Mary Burne, Pal @ Bleyinses with plas: ter and fired a pi into = their, apartniént; that on Monday she shied @ com shell al Blevins’ bead, and menaced him with a potato masher. Io ne santime she called bad names, threatened % spi ir, yyfiw bead open and scaki the chil with bot water, Mr, Thomas Breslin, the complainant, marshalled hg witnesses, Conspicuous was his wif, wWhusd office ggemed to be to prompt her Disband when ‘ying, ind suggest facts fort % swear to. His lonor, howeve?, Thierfekod WN this arrangement, aud ordered the lady to be removed. She was persistent, and so was the Judge, and the latter prevailed. An ugly looking conch shel! and a corrugated potato masher were produced as somo of the missties hurled by Mary Burns, the defendant, at the members of the Breslin family. There were crimination and recrimimation. ‘Their stories were divers and diverse, each asseverating that the other was the aggressor, but the majority Tuled, and Mrs, Burns was roq tired to give bon‘is in the sum of $200 to keep the peace, falling to do which she ‘was cominitted. Sreauwo Oraern Prorix’s Carvers. A charge was preferred before Judge Ledwith yesterday against James Veglin, Thomas Beglin and William Bayley, jointly, alleging that on the 17th day of July last the defendants took two Brussels carpets, containing sixty- seven yards, of the value of $134, the property of Geo. W. Bourne (the complaining witness) and Eli Charlier, of 126 East Twenty-fourth street, The are raid to Deen taken trom the deponenta factory on East Twenty- seventh street, near East river, The accused were em- ployés at the factory. James Beglin and Thomas Beglin ar: aged respectively twenty-eight and twenty-nine ears; the former is a steampipe fitter, and the latter a ler maker. Bayley 1s sixty-six years of ag:, from a maker Eastport, carpet ‘oovuration, and a Tesident of East Twenty-filvh James Begin ae- Bigla and Decie wimitiea Boss én both imo | en both carpets, The defendants wer» heid in the sum of $1,000 cach to appear for trial. © A® ALLEGED Picurocerr.—Bridget Murtah, native of Ireland, aged’ twenty-seven years, was arrested yester- day, at the instance of Margaret Brennan, charged with having, on the 8th of August, stolen a pocketbook contain- was demanded. She struck irs. took fight, and was finally arrested on Seventeenth street by an officer. She pleads not guilty, and her case will undergo investigativn, ‘Wow Hen Casn.—A young woman named Josephine Carter was brought Into Judge Ledwith’s court yester- day by a policeman, who said he bad found her sitting {intoxicated on some eteps. Josephine’s cour looked rueful. She asked the Judge if he pro Cs fend her below. Judge—‘'Yes.”” Jon —*4 sirt rel Poche | Teamo here but Pl wot go jown staire, If Thad money I'd pay whatever yor ask, pong ln send ine to prison just for sitting awhile on sir’'ee, Bob! wilt you now, Judge” Judge. begone then, but siton the slops again and I'll send you below, certam. Get off home.” Jonephine went out triumphantly. She had gained her point Kivowe 6 Uxarrrectiten.—Yesterday morning while Mrs. Francis Butler was waiting at Madison square for the arrival of a stroet car her attention was attracted to portly man of foreign a:pect, whose name turns out to be Patrick Kavanagh, who seemed to be bec kening to her, Sie gave no heed to him unti fomtliarliy, asking her to go home with hi to treat her kindly. Mrs. Butler referred his ood offic toa pohceman, who took the gentiowan into custody, When asked by Judge Ledwith what he had w say for bimself he replied, “Nothing at all; I pay the demand ali throng; sipposingthat le was going to get of with a small fine then and ther» imposed. He was re quired to give bonds in the sum of $300 for his appear- ance, failing which he was duly committed. Wanting To SwEaR.—“I've been to the headkwauters andthe beadkwauters told me to come here and swear, and git a warrant,” said a sharp nosed daughter of Erin, pushing out her words between her sobs with as migch difficuity a8 a clam stuck in the mud between its two hells, “Wi for” 0, for my husband. He killed me this mornin’, ‘will kill me agato. 0, I wint to git out of bed this mawrain me upon me eyes, and grabbed was going to kil) me with a big knife. my hfe; and my little chidhers what'll their poor mother is kilt and can’t take care more? I want to swear and git @ Warrant.” After much ado the clerk at the Tombs Police Court so allayed ber grief as to enable her to “swear,” and the warrant was given to ber, . Pravixa 4 Goon Cano.—Prant Corton t¢ a merchant, twenty-three years of age, and bas a promising mus- tache, He bad a friend in Twenty-first strqot, or did 5 have previous to the 20th of June, On that day calted at the house of that friend, L, Hellman name. Hellman had jewelry in one of of bik house valued at Tt was wie white Carsten was , and was not to be found when Carsten had djeap The sequel: bas bis quarters from the Union Square Hotel to the Egyp- tian hotel in Contre street, He awalts the pleasure of Justice Hogan. Tuat Biasten Forcery Acary.—In thie case, which ‘Was reported ip the Hgnatp of Wednesday, an examina- tion was had before Justice Kelly yesterday morning. The defendant appeared to have but a very slight idea of the criminality of such an act as , and the true bre won dlepoved wo give’ every Taciiy And atastance to ive 00 to Hood to enable hin to complete Me advanced money to Hood for that throwing obstacles in Hood's way this matter more than once, ja still Aisposed 20 to do, although the whole consideration of the contract ts The oxamination was adjourned for Maray tv Haere asp Rerext at Letevan —About eleven years ago Fritz Rolirberg, having filled up the measure of his usefulness, and, being tired of the cares of Iife, like a sensible, honest man laid down and died, Fritz bad not been neglectful of the commandment in Genesis, and, when gathered to his father, tis wife Mina, with two intant children, remained behind to mourn his departure aod Feng hia virtues. Mina was at first di 0; love she had borne the deceased Fritz urged her to reapect bis memory by re- ma ning single; bat the increasing ineconsitige of Prite’s children to ber obtaining @ provider for them and herself, While in this frame inind, Wilhelm Littike met her, iiheim was overpowered by the matured charms of the matronly Mina, and disr«ardin; any little disparity in theit age, the. boing thinty four and he but twenty-two, he her to become his wife. Mina, moved by a sense ¥, consented, and within twenty four hours of their first acquaintance the w of was the blushing br ito of Wil- helm Lit'ike, Sequel: Wilhelm Littike appeared yoster- day at the Fourth district Polloe Court charged wiih bout. = wife Mina, and being in the habit of so dot While in the court Mra thotce {a of QUEEN EMMA. _———eeeeee Vinit to St. Mov To-! a Navy Yard, vented her “Wee from quarters at the Brevoort House until late in the noon, Mayor Hoffman had signified his intentions paying his respects to the Queen during the course of, g chureb, visited the royal party, and in company with’ the Hawalian Consul rode out to ST, LUKE'S HOSPITAL, where the Queen inspected the institution, She was ‘ified at the warm and cordial reception given her © officers of the hospital, and expressed her ploasui $00 thanks in she som scacetal aaeae, A body of Queen before she left. The returned to the at about six o'clock P. M, 0 weather been pro- pitious the Queen would have been shown tho islands. and public institutions surrounding New York. Her y Queen Emma will pay a VISIT TO THE BROOKLYN NAVY YARD posi On her arrival at that place she will be received’ by r Admiral Charles H. Bell, assisted by io lex. H. Pennock, Chief Executive Officer of the Yard; Commander Commander Mullaney and other naval officers. Tho battal on of marines, Colonel Shut+ tleworth, will parade in full uniform, cod salute her Ma~ Jesty ax she enters the Yard, ¥ THE ROYAL STANDARD of the Sandwich Islands will be displayed from the fore- topmast of the receiving ship tp eager which a royal salute of thirteen guns will be fi ler Majesty will be conducted to view the vessels of war now under construction, especially the monster jron-clad Kallamazoo, She will then be conducted on board the Vermont, where the ship's band will give a selection of popular music. During the reimainder of Be vat the Queen will be the guost of Mrs. Admiral jell, 55S FUTURE MOVEMENTS, The programme of the Queen’s yalt to the Falls of Niagara and Canada is not yet made out; nor, indeed, is that of her visit to Washington fully determined. It is expected, however, that the soyal visitor will be read: to leave for the national Capital as early.as Monday. Ip the meantime sue will prolit by her stay in New York to gather all the information eod materials that can havo « bearing upon her original mission—the exteasion, of Uurist anizing influence amongst ner late subjects. CITY INTELLIGENCE. Sonpreas’ aNd Sarora’ Usion.—The first meoting of Bociety No, 1, which isa branch of the State organiza, tion, was held last evening at the Mercer House, corner of Broome and Mercer streets, Mr. Putnam Ficid was called {9 the chair, and Mr, Charles Ludwig officiated at Sétretary. 6 charter granted by the State onpsneation wag read, A series of bylaws werg adopted. addresq | WAR then read OFEMe UoON AmMSng the veterans of the army and navy, in order that sick and wounded soldierg | might be upheld by their comrades and not allowed to perish by the waysi The honor and hamanity of the country was appealed to for aid in the cause, roe] was asked to give @ proper consideration to the ji claims of the returned veteran. The meeting adjc wn to convene at the same place on Monday, the 20th, As Insane Luar.—Mre. Elizabeth Young, residing near Manbuattan street, while temporarily insane, yesterday morning, at about five o'clock, leaped from a garre} winy dow, landing upon the street, geome torty feet below, with her babe, which is but aix months old, in her arms. The mother was taken go seen by an officer ang transferred to St. Luke's Hospital, but atrang” 0 say the infant was not burt, The hospital surgeon stated that Mrs. Young was injured serivusly but not fatally. \ Tae Mcrray Street From—Forruer Paktictias— Suprosep Lose ann Inevrance.—The stock and building owned by Herman Frost & Cv., No, 60 Murray street, was not #0 much injured os was at Oret by the fire yester morning. In the woes fan ay praised valuation of the damage done hy fire and ‘tis said there ia lest, as notiged in the Henax img, found on , in Bergen weep N. J., and remove: without inquest, by permission ‘Cass, to Wes Farms, buried. RACING IN CANADA. ‘The eecond day's racing at *t, Hyacinthe was well as tended, notwithstanding that the weather was very un favorable on account of rain, and the track was beav: in consequence. ‘The first race was the Province Bred Handicap Hard! race, $150 added to a sweepétakes of $15 each, tw milesover eight flights of hurdles, which was won b Mn en's are i Vernon, gio e second race was for the Charger stakes, added to a sweepstakes of $10 each, the horses th property of, and to be ridden by, officers of the regula army and volunteers, This was won by Mr, Cumping ham’s Post Boy. The third race was for the Montreal Merchants’ Plat Of $500, added to a sweepsiakes of $50 each, open to al horses, This race was won by Dennis Ready's brow horse Zigzag. The fourth race was for the Corinthian, up 9% added to a swe kes of $10 each for horses pre 'y of, and to be ridden by, officers of the regular arm in Canada, Mr, Christian's Sanshine was the winner. The fifth race was a Seliing Stakes, $100 added to sweepstakes of $10 each, the winner to be sold at 9: ) tion after the race for $100, the surplus to go to tr fand of the clad. This race was won by Mr. C. J. All by Arlington. heate “hr Forbes" bay’ tate, Nellie Greaves, nu x mare, » a Kirwio's ch. b. Cast (lato 'Nightlock), ‘coms to th post, Nellie Greaves won the first heat, aud Citwde) th eecond «nd third, and the race, eee RAILROAD ACCIDENT. . Scwaray, Pa, A At three o'clock this moroing cars was thrown off the track between Williamsport an Sunbury, on the Pennsylvania and Erie Railroad, Th and tender wero turned over intoadiich, Th engineer, J. W. Butler, was by this occurrence buried | the sand nearly up to his head, and was dug out. Tr extent of his injury was a gna a Passenge travelling in different direct! were forced, by th accident, to change cars on each side of the track. Died. Fouxy.—At his residence, No, 15] Fig’ ree Yorkville, on Thuretay, angnat 9, ad oo in the 771b year of Nik age, late bf Moycarkey Cast! eounty Tipperary, Ireland. Tho funeral will take place to Calva Cemetery Sunday ee Meteo rhe u faunily are respectfully Invited to aitend, {Por Other Deaths See Thurd Page.) MISCELLANEOUS, ~A= A TRULY BP r tor ts BAMFORD’ celebs wg ~ saving of jon, with increased f1 of te fram 86 BY uber etoloat an : , Sia 8 great central housekeeper fen honne nnn] and Crock Sooper’ ati fr blace. mam Of the golden keltle:comaer'wtore ® “* FACT.—NOW 18 Ti M rile Rat fot Mello tS emeed ty RICK MACHINE.—PRACTICAL BRICK MARKr are requested to examine a machine that wil ma} 00) brie day, or 82 mu of b further intormaton cal on ©: He GREEN, 18 Willaovatre of ECONOMIA) t India, Come TROUBLESOME NAILS, TENDF | Dr. BRIGGS, Chiropodiet, No. 2 | away. riggs Curotive ar re NIONS, a" a tng rm Briggs’ ‘Ritevtator bate ever; (JORNS, BUNIONS, ENLARGRD JOU Ceeeen tt te et sured by Dr. ZA¢ NTs " AN D> " , te ORNS, BUNIONS, BaD Nats TENDER PRT, ac J cured without bg Dr. RICE, Chrropodi«t, 58 B. $27, Hank bnyiding ‘» Annibiloior cures voraa, b.. | Hoy valle. “By mail cent Pas LEGALLY OBTAINED IN NEW yor and other States, without Linaanpg | fee Ul dive granted. Consultations free, HOWES, Attorney and Counsellor, 78 Nassau strect | O TO THOMAS R. AGNEW'S, GRRENWICH 4» Morray rreets, where you will find Teas, Coffees, Piv and everyibing else chenper than aay swore in Ne WHO WANT TO KNOW.—IF rou WANT T ion! the aid of doce oF hodicine, aadree Berk it the ald. or thodieine, ; ‘oote, 1.18) Broad "Pamph (ree. ae way, New York let sent free If you want to know how uncomfortable trnssos by the ru thy nd i olnal Sawer, Maa tay nat