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planters in the hope of improving their condition by another trial and the energetic measures of the Bureau in securing their wages convinced laborers that they would be protected in all their rights and no fraud permitted to be practiced upon them.- A certain degree of confidence and energy began to prevail among all classes and by the 1st of February contracts were being entered into very generally throughout the State.- The immemorial custom of planters being sustained during the year by commission houses upon the credit of the future crop was no longer open to them and a very large proportion of them had no idea of being able to accomplish anything by their individual efforts but confidently looked to government for that support which they had always heretofore received from the merchants.

Authority having been granted to the Assistant Commissioner at a personal conference with the Commissioner at Washington to adopt such a system of aid to