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The Reconstruction Acts charge District Commanders with the duty of protecting all persons in their rights of persons and property, and to this end authorize them to allow local civil tribunals to take jurisdiction of and try offenders, or if in their opinion necessary to organize a military commission or tribunal for that purpose. They are thus given control over all criminal proceedings for violation of the Statute laws of the States, and for such other offenses as are not by law made triable by the U.S. Courts. The Reconstruction Acts exempt no class of persons from their operation, and the duty of protecting all persons in their rights of person and property, of necessity invests District Commanders with control over the agents of the Bureau, to the extent at least of enabling them to restrain these agents from any interference with or disregard their prerogatives as District Commanders. The District Commanders are made responsible for the preservation of peace and the enforcement of the local laws within their Districts and they are the ones required to designate the tribunals before which those who break the peace and violate these laws, shall be tried.

Such being the fact, many of the agents of the Bureau seem not to be aware of it. In Texas some are yet holding courts, trying cases, imposing fines, taking fees for services and arresting citizens for offences over which the Bureau is not intended by law to have jurisdiction.

General Reynolds is aware of some of these