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Office Superintendent Bureau Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands,
DISTRICT OF MOBILE,
Mobile, Ala., March 20th 1866.

Brvt. Col C Cadle Jr.
A.A.G. B.R.F. and A.L
Montgomery Alabama

Colonel
I have the honor to transmit the following report of the state of affairs in my District, for the past week
I have been compelled to make an issue with the local authorities, in regard to the assessment and collection of "Poll Tax" from Freedmen. Par 1 Sec 2, of the "Act to Establish Revenue Laws of the State of Ala", imposes a per capita tax on every male inhabitant, between the ages of 18 and 50 years, whether they are citizens or not The state Tax is Two Dollars, County Tax 50% of State tax_One Dollar_,School tax 40% of State tax_80¢_and Road Tax 10% of State tax_20¢_, making in all a per capita tax of Four ($4.00) Dollars. In addition to this and in direct violation of the law, the Assessor charges each Poll One Dollar for assessing the Poll tax, and the Collector charges 75¢ for collecting the same.
This would have enabled these gentlemen to put Twelve or Fifteen Thousand Dollars in their pockets, in addition to the emoluments provided in the law. Their modus operandi was to serve a notice upon gentlemen who employed large numbers of laborers, instructing them to withhold from their wages the sum of $5.75 per man, and pay the same over to the Tax Collector. Of course it was my duty to interfere in the matter - which I did. Enclosed you will find a copy of my order to the collector, also a copy of the "Tax Bill", which was served upon each laborer