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The result of the execution of these laws would be to reduce the whole laboring population to peonage

But although they are almost a dead letter, yet they have had a most demoralizing effect. 

Planters insted of discharging a lazy or worthless laborer, has clung to the idea of making up the losses by fines, Stoppages &c, which of course they would not be permitted to collect:– the result is a pecuniary loss to the employer, and to make the idle laborer still more worthless

This can only be corrected, when all such antiquated and unwise legislature attempts to regulate the relation of employer, and employee, are swept from the Statute Books, and the matter left as it is in the more advanced State of the Union to the parties interested – thus securing the personal independence of the laborer and employer from pecuniary loss. 

In General Orders No. 5 dated Headquarters Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, State of Texas, Galveston, Texas, February 2nd 1867. Agents are directed to turn over all civil and criminal cases in which Freedmen are concerned to the State authorities the exception to this, was all disputes, settlements &c. arising from Contracts for labor;– the adjudication of this class of cases, I thought it necessary the Bureau should control, owing to the outrageous State laws on labor. 

Criminal cases were turned over to the State Authority necessarily, the Bureau having having no adequate means of punishment:– but a strict scrutiny have been kept upon the actions of the Courts, in numerous cases of assaults &c when the Court assessed a paltry and inadequate [[strikethrough]] crime [[/strikethrough]] fine, the offender has been rearrested and an adequate fine imposed by the Bureau. 

In those cases of murder of Freedmen, when the criminals were acquitted by the State Courts, they were rearrested by my orders, and fined to the utmost limits of their ability to pay – the fines being of course for the benefit of the family of the person murdered. 

During my administration the State Courts have found only two (2) men guilty of murder for the killing of Freedmen – in both of these cases was the sentence suspended by the judges, and the prisoners both escaped from jail. In most States "Theft" "obtaining goods under false pretences" aggravated assaults &c meet with a more uniform and severe punishment at the hands of the Law than do the the most atrocious and cold-blooded murders in this.

A Circular was issued from these Headquarters District of Texas on April 24, 1867. compelling all jurors to take the test oath and directing juries to be impannelled, irrespective of color. In no case has a jury thus impannelled failed to fully do its duty, but its good effect has not been so great as it should have been, owing to the disloyalty of the Civil Officers, whose duty it is to execute the civil laws

There is not much land in cultivation this year as last, but it is much better worked, and will produce more. 

The rains have been heavy and prolonged far into the summer – the result is the complete destruction of the crops on many of the river plantations: on the higher plantations (Coton lands), the grass has got a very great start which owing to the scarcity of labor, it will be hard for the planter to regain. 

The wheat and corn crop in the central and Northern portion of the State is very fine. 

The freedmen are almost universally working well the demand for labor is great – the wages high – the treatment of laborers by their employers much better than usual owing perhaps to the reason that they must treat them well to secure their labour, and to the fact, that among the first classes of the people, the estrangement that arose on the emancipation of their Slaves is replaced by a more kindly feeling. 

The very many of the Counties, there is very little lawlessness or violence, in many more counties the life of a freedman is as safe as that of a white-man – but there is still a large part of the State where murder is bold and unchecked – in those parts the life of a whiteman is worth but little, the life of a freedman is worth nothing. 

My plan of school organization as promulgated in Circular 4 Current Series dated March from these Hd qrs. B.R.F. & A.L. Galveston Texas. 

I. To make each Sub-asst. Com. Supt. of Education in his Dist. in order to visit every Freedman's School, whether a