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I have been subjected to serious annoyances, because of the absence of uniformity or rule in those who superintended the making of contracts in this sub district during the months of Sept. Oct. Nov & Dec. 1865 which contracts were made for the year 1866 - In a number the wages stipulated are miserable, and those which give to the laborer a portion of the crop are either indefinite, or are so carelessly made as to give the employer all kinds of advantages over the laborer if he is disposed to use them - Others are so informal as to betray, on the part of the maker, a lamentable ignorance of the law of contracts, to say nothing of the value of labor - I have felt it to be my duty not to disturb them as long as no serious difficulties grew out of them by reason of misunderstandings or misconstructions. I hope to be able to remedy this evil and to some extent in those contracts presented for my approval for 1867.

I have no instances to report in which on the trial of cases (in which colored persons were parties) any injustice or oppression, was shown against colored persons - I have attended the Courts, and have referred several criminal cases to the civil authorities during the month and have observed, as closely as it was possible for me to do - the manner in which cases of the kind named were treated by the civil authorities, and I have not known, as yet,

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