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of this State.

But if you will refer to the order under which I became indebted to you for services at Mobile, you will see that my jurisdiction, and consequently that derived from me, was limited to cases not taken cognisance of by the other tribunals, civil or military, of the United States.  This left Gen DeBussy at liberty to set up as he did at Mobile, a military court, without any previous consultation with me, though my agent at Mobile immediately reported the fact to me, indeed I presume it was done on his application.  The report made was such that I approved what had been done.  I send you a copy of the Report.

When Gen Withers was here, I took occasion to ask him what he thought of it.  He replied that he had not spoken of it because he saw the necessity, and determined not to complain until conflict arose.  On his return he found it was interfering with his Court, and wrote me to that effect, to which I immediately replied directing that the Court try no case in which he had his jurisdiction.

Judge McKinstry certainly did not interpret me rightly as being "entirely opposed" to the pending bill on the re-organization of this Bureau.  The bill certainly confers extraordinary powers, but there is a necessity for something of the kind, and I heartily wish I had you here for an hour or two, to show you the sad proofs of what I say.  I did ask the Judge to say to you that the construction which you put upon it, that a bonus was 

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to be put upon idleness and extraordinary privileges conferred upon and confined to Freedmen, was not warranted by the bill and would certainly not arise under my administration.  Please look at the bill again or rather wait till we get the law in its final shape, and see if this is not so.  I have not a copy of the bill at hand, but when I read it I thought its objects could have been as well reached without any distinctive reference to color.

Very Respectfully
Your Obt Srvt
Bt Maj Gen



Office Asst Coms'r
B.R.F. & A.L.
Mont.  Feb. 14, 1866

Maj Gen O.O. Howard
Coms'r &c
Washington D.C.

General;

My private correspondence advises me that the desire of my parents that I should visit them in Washington, has been in some way brought to your notice.  They have been bringing it to my notice for some time past.

I had not designed that such application should be made at all.  I simply refer to it now because of its connection with the expressed intention of Governor Patton to go to Washington as soon as the Legislature adjourns to try to arrange for the gradual payment of direct taxes assumed by the State.  It occurs to me that what would be personally gratifying to me, perhaps here lies in the direct path of usefulness Governor Patton has always sustained kindly and