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imprisonment and very frequently magistrates go beyond the offence with which a freedman is charged, and impose fines for offences which may have been incidentally brought out by evidence or otherwise. This evil seems to be chiefly attributable to the fact that base and unprincipled men are, to a great extent, at present [[strikethrough]] are [[/strikethrough]] the incumbent of the petty civil offices, who take licinse from the bitterness and predjudice towards freedmen which are yet far from obliterated from the minds of the mean and ignoble. By S.O. No. 2 Head Quarters Dist of Mobile Ala., Jany 3rd 1866. a "Freedmans Court" was authorized for the adjudication of cases not criminal, and not involving titles to Real Estate, in which freedmen were parties. This court ceased some time in March 1866. but whether by order or cessation of business I am unable to state. The last case tried was on March 24th 1866. From the "Docket Book" it seems that one hundred and four cases were tried in all, and fines collected amounting to $783. 50/100. 

There are no claims presented by discharged soldiers on file, and there is no record of any that have been collected

I can give no further information as to the past business of this office.

As to the present studies of the Bureau in this District, I respectfully state as follows:

The issue of rations after October 1st was ordered to be restricted to the sick in regularly organized hospitals, and to orphan asylums for refugees and freedmen already existing. The organizations in this District, coming under this 
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