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Clarksville Va
Nov 4th 1865

Capt Stuart Barnes
Petersburg Va

Sir

Yours of Sep 30th has been received sometime since and should have been answered before this but for my writing to lay the matter of our correspondence before the court of Mecklenburg before taking other steps.
Within you will find two certificates given by the Agt for the Bureau in this county, to Freedmen to sell ardent Spirits &c. In my letter to the Gov I charged the Agt with having done this contrary to the laws of Virginia on the subject, and by turning to the 38th Chap of the Code of 1860 Sect 32 you will see that the charge is made good. First that provision requires that the person applying shall obtain from the court a certificate that he is a person of good character &c. By looking to the certificates you will see that this is not exacted by the Bureau. Again I stated that it defeats our revenue laws. By looking to the law just noted you see that an additional tax is prescribed for the privilege. That tax is regulated by the amount of business &c and never less than from fifteen to twenty dollars and generally much more. This tax is an important branch of the revenue of the state. Now by looking to the certificate you will see that the Freedman is made to pay but one dollar a month let his business be what it may small or large. Now what is the effect of this. The Freedman can under sell the white man and dram shops become