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of an orphan, would be hereafter respected by the judges, who, if the instrument provides that a few orphan shall have a certain amount of education, will enforce that as any other provision of the contract; but if these children are left to be bound out by the court, the indenture, as in the case of orphan white children, will have no provision for their education; especially will this be the case, if they be bound out by the overseers of the poor, who will succeed the officers of the Bureau in their guardianship. I respectfully submit whether it would not be better for the Bureau to find suitable homes for these orphans, with provision for a limited education, reading and writing, or reading, writing and a knowledge of the first five rules of arithmetic, than to insist upon a degree of instruction for exceeding the acquirements of many of their former masters, or their former master's children, and leave them to be bound out by the overseers of the poor, without any provision whatever for their education.

Three days ago I received Circular, No 11, Head Quarters Asst. Com. of Va., but have not had time to institute steps to carry out its provisions. I have, however, conferred with the clerk of the county and three or four of the magistrates, who have promised me every assistance in their power to enable me to discharge

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---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-02-21 17:55:03 corrections, last word on page complete using first on next per instructions not to hypenate ---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-02-22 23:33:30