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most intelligent juries cannot divest themselves of the prejudices which too frequently exhibit themselves to the detriment of the freedmen's cause.

Local Magistrates will not do justice - Even within this Corporation, where the City ordinances impose fines for minor offences they are never enforced, and while the white offender can easily obtain bail, especially against a "Nigger", the colored man if convicted has no friends who are property holders, and he is thrown into jail, to await the action of a Grand Jury which sits only twice a year. 

It was supposed General Order No. 31 dated Head Quarters 1st Mil District State of Va, May 28th 1867, was intended to remedy this evil by empowering Military Commissioners to try such cases as all usually tried by local Magistrates, and when they supposed justice would not be done. As however instructions have been received requiring evidence that justice will not be done by the Civil authorities and as the nature of the evidence required is not stated or known, although inquiry has been made, for information on the subject, the Military Commissioners are in ignorance as to powers vested by said order, and hesitate to try cases, although convinced from numerous precedents that justice will not be done by local magistrates, who