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Bureau Refugees Freedman and Abandoned Lands,                            
Office Disbursing Agent of Claims,
Nashville, Tenn.   187  .

funds to be received in bulk and placed in a U.S. Depository and when a payment was to be made, draw out the exact amt. in funds, and find witnesses to count, see it transferred, then without data remember if all - there would have enough countless wranglings about short and mis payments, with endless suits at law, and little or no defense to make to them.

Paymentees in certain cases, and the Pension Department now in all payments pay by check, sending them from the agency here to remote parts of the state by mail. If this is lawful and regular, then I do not see why checks in payment of bounties cannot be issued as heretofore, payable to the order of claimants, and we sub agents directed to see that claimants get their money. Our principal duties then would be to look to the identification of claimants, and watch claim sharks - not fight by any means.

[[stamp]] THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF THE UNITED STATES [[/stamp]]

The chief objection to making Cashiers of Banks agents, would be, they might over charge, and as agents, only use due dilligence, which will not often secure payment of the proper claimant.