Mr. ELIOT. Nevertheless the refugees have all the rights under this bill that the freedmen have and have been cared for from the beginning by the Commissioner and the asst commissioners under him, wherever that care has been called for and I rather incline to think that it will turn out to be true that large numbersIwill not say more than of freedmen but very large numbers of refugees have derived benefit under this law. Gentlemen around me say that as man refugees as freedmen have been cared for. am not properd to say that; but large numbers of them have men cared for. There may be a difference between the 2 classes, however, in this respect: there is not one State where these refugees might not perhaps live in comparative safet if this bureau is withdrawn. I do not know t atl can say that either. But this is true, that there is not one rebel State where these freedmen could live in safet if the arm of the Government is withheld. why, sir, there have been contracts made in different States which are as repugnant to our sense of honor and justice as ever any arrangements under the old slave codes could have been. In the town of Opelousas, Louisiana, some time ago, the following “ordinance relative to the police of recently emancipated negroes or freedmen within the corporate limits of the town of Opelousas” was passed: Whereas the relations formerly subsisting between master and slave have become changed by the action of the controlling authorities; and whereas it is noccssary to provide for the proper olice and government ine fththoeurneoewenrtel aetimonasntcoipthateemun negroes l oaruftrheoerditi: 0sure. 1. Be it therefore ordained by the board police of the town of OPIJIOILJGG That in)aggroor freedmenn shall be allowed to porno within the limits of the town of Opelousas without special permission from his employer. Specify iul the obhect of his next, and the time necessary for the accomplishment of the some. Whoever abs 1 violate this provision sha suffer imprisonment and 2 days work on the public streets or shall pay a fine of 2 50. SEC. 2. Be it further ordained, That everynegro 01 freedmen who shall be found on the streets o Opolousas after ten oclock at night without a written pass or permit from his employer shall be imprisoned and compelled to work 5 days on the public streets, or ay a line of 5 dollars. so. 3. No 11 or freedmen shall be to rent or keep a House Within the limits Formatted o nuderany ess: and my one thus tam" 6 din 4s Y m shall be ejected and compelledto find an or leave thi town within 24 ho employer, lessoror fnriiislier of the house leased or kept as above shall pay a fine of ten dollars for each offense. SEC. 4. the negro or freedman shall reside Within the limits of the town of Opelousas who is not in the regular scirice of some white PEISOIoIr former owner, who shall be held responsible for the conduct of said freedman. But said employer or former owner may permit said freedmen to hire his time. by special permission in writing, which permission shall not extend over 24 hours at anyone time. anyone violating the revisions of this section shall be imprisoried and oroed to work for 2 days on the public streets. Ssc. 5. No public meetings or congregations of negroes or free men shall be allowed within the limits of the town of Opelousas, under any circumstances or for any purpose. Without the permmsron of the mayor or president of the board. I tended, however. to prevent freegrmen b from attending the usual church services conducted by established ministers of religion. Ever freedman violating this law shall be imprisoned and made to work 5 days on the (public streets. Size. No negro or freedman shall be permitted to preach, oxhort, or otherwise do clairn, to congregations of colored people without a special permission from the mayor or president. of the hear of police, duanydser the penalty of a fine of ten dollars or 20 work on the public streets. Sac. 7. No freedman who is not in the military lerviccshall be allowed to carry firearms, or an kind of weapons. within the limits of the town ofO c ousas wwirtihtionugt. athned asppeperoiavle ebrymtihlelSmiOaIlyoof rhoisr epmrepsiodyeenrt. ionf the board of police. Anyone thus offending shall forfeit his weapons and shall be imprisoned and made to work 5 days on the public streets, or pay a fine of 5 dollars in lieuof said work. anSyup. No freedman shall sell. barter or exchange articles of merchandise or traffic within the limits of Opelousas without permission in writing from his employer or the may or or resident oflthe pard, under the penalty of imprisonment and teonefodraeyitsulraeboofr, said articles and fine of one dollar in lieuof said work. Size. 9. Any freedman found drunk Within the limits of the town shall be imprisoned and m o to labor 5 days on the public streets, or pay 5 dollars in lieu of said labor. Sac. 10. Any freedman residing in Opelonsas. who shall be found within its corporate limits after the hour of 3 oclock p. m., on Sunday, without a special written permission from his employer or the mayor, shall bearrestedand imprison and made to work 2 days on the public streets, or pay 2 dollars in lieu of said wor. SEC. 11. All the foregoing provisions apply tn freedmen and freedwomen or both sexes. SEC. 12. It shall be the special dot of the mayor or preSiderit of the boardto seethat oi the provisions of this ordinance are faithfully executed. 81:o. 13. Be immhu ordained, That this ordinance is to take ctfect from and after its 1st publication. Ordained the 3d day of July, 1865. DiSTILLETTE. premiait of the board of Palms. Josaru D. Brenna. Olals and I have here upon m table the proceedings of a mectin, hed in irginia, at a place called Turke Is and, which was presided over by men of in uence and property. That meeting was held within the not month. The following is the published account of their proceedings: rai:. iiiirs iiivizii riniisas and riir. xreizoss. 8. Each hand will be held responsible for injury or loss to the stock and farming utensils, if occasioned by negligence, and the amount deducted from his wages. 9. All of the hands will be required to s bruit to such rules, and work in such way and at such times either night or day, as was formerly customary in this section of the country. By this it is not monnt that the farmers are to make a regular habit of requiring night work, but that. the shall require such work only as it has been usual to have done at night. 10. Twentysix working days shall be considered as a month. 11. The usual attendance on mules. horses, and all other stock will be required on Sundays and holi days. 12. 3 quarters of an hour will be allowed for breakfast and an hour for dinner, except during the months of June, Iuly and August, when an hour will 39 allowed for breakfast and an hour and a half for inner. 13. No hand will be employed who has been discharged for misconductor violation of contract. 1 Each hand employed by the month shall give his employer ten days notice of his intention to leave, or forfeit 1/3rd of his months wages. 15. Each hand hired by the fear shall be paid quarterly, the employer always coping the hand one months wages in arrears. 16. The rations shall be as follows: for men, 3 pounds of meat perweek: for women and boys, 2 pounds of mcat perweek or its equivalent. hor men, 15 pounds o meal orweek: or women and boys, 12 pounds of me perweek. These proceedings were communicated to General oward by the asst commissioner of that. district, and the followmg instructions were returned: “The interests of the freedrnon are committed by law to this bureau.” The spirit and letter of the regulations referredto are diametrically opposed to nearly every circular and order from t " to office the freedmen referred tom the resolutions are at liberty to enter intojust such agreements or contracts as they please, and with whomsoever they please and they wi I not. be restrained from receiving as wages as they can get. ou will please communicate with the gentlemen named in the article, and inform them, and also the freedmen concerned. of the Purposes and wishes of the Commissioner as herein set forth.” In may land the schools which have been established have been interrupted, and it has been urged that according to the laws of the State those schools niust be closed. In Mississippi houses have been burned and negroes have been murdered. In Alabama a new code, a slave code in fact, has been attempted to be passed, and gentlemen must. have seen that in the Marlboro district, in SCarolina, the planters have recently held meeting; and resolved that the military power onght to e Withdrawn and the freedmen compel edto work for their old masters and so the word comes on from one to another of those States, until it is reduced to a certainty that if the arm of the Government is Withheld from protecting these men, and the powers of this bureau are not continued and enlarged, much inJustice will be done to these freedmen, and there Will be no one there to tell the story. Mr. Speaker, while speaking of the lands on the Sea Islands I intended to refer to the OSU many which I have before me, coming from a young woman from my own city, known to m. as earnest, intelligent, and cultivated. She went as a teacher to these islands, and her life has alread been given a sacrifice in their behalf. From ier last report I ive this extract, reler ring to General owar 8 visit to them in October last: 0n the 5th instant a meeting of the James river farmers was held at Turkey Island. lIenrico county, for the purpose of adopting some flxed rules and regulations for the ovoriimontalikcof the farmers themselves and the freedmen employed by them. Colonel Carter, of Shirley, was called to the chair, and Major Charles Pickett appointed secretary. After Iiature deliberation, the following resolutions were adopted: I 1. That toward all freedmen in our employ we will awcatgjuesstly, and that. we consider the following lfl rates of fair and liberal, and that we pledge ourselves not to exceed them: 2. A 1st 0la. “field hand shall be paid by the year $130, a 1st class field hand shall bepaid by the month ten dollars: a 2nd class field hand shall be iuid by the year $105. a 2nd –class field hand shall o paid by Lie. month 8 dollars: a 3rdclass field bond shall be paid by the year 70 dollars, a 3rdclass field hand shall be paid by the month 5 dollars; a 1st class woman (field hand) per month 5 dollars, 2nd class woman(field hand)permonth 3 dollars. 3. The classes are described as follows: 1st class field hand, plowman: 2nd class field hand, good general farm hand: 3rd class farm hand, boyor old mill]. 4. hand hired by the year shall have deducted a " perdiem" (pro rata) for sickness, holidays, or absence by leave of the employer. 5. Each hand hired by the month shall be subject to the same deduction as those hired by the year, and in addition shall be charged one dollar a month for their fuel during the months of December, January, Februarv, and March. 6 or disobedience of orders or insubordination, each hand will be charged one dollar. 7. Ifor leaving the farm without permission, one dollar will be charged each hand. in addition to the loss o 11119 “The minds of the people are greatly agitated by the late visit of GenlHoward and some members of his staffv with 2 of the former owners on this island. His coining was sudden and unexpected to all. We had heard rumors that someof t io former owners were coming back. but did not believe. after the ioniises made to these people, that they would be ii lowed to reiriiin their lands on this island. unfortuniitel, we did not learn of the meeting held for GenlHoward till the day after. as we are miles from everybody and everything: but wouttended the 2ndheld by the people, at which a paper was read, which had been drawn iip by a cummittcc from among them, to state their feelings on the subject, and was to be sent to the General. Iherois but one sentiment. We will not work for our former masters, is the cry from one and all. What troubles them most. is, that, if the Owners do come back. they. the colored people, will not be allowed to purchase one foot ot land. Their longing is to have a homestead, and for this they are willing to work paying a "At lawful price. a meetiii held this week they decided. if planters the came aek to leave the island. But, poor things. where can the}. o? GenlHoward saw plainly their feelings on the subject and apparently the matter was painful to him. Hakim. airman manner won their confidence and respect. The matter was put to rote: How many will work for their former masters TNone, or almost none. raised their hands. He saw how they felt, and asked how many would trust the question to him, feeling that he would do all he could that Justice should be done to thorn. They understood and appreciated his feeling. raised their hands: and now another mu stands in their minds with our dear President Lincoln GenlSherman and General Snxten general award. The day after the meeting many of the people came to us, asking us to explain things to them sayiw, they had nt learning and eouldn t understand. o did the bestwe could. trying to calm their minds, to hold forth no brighter prospects than we could see ourselves, and to lead them to trust those who had the matter in charge; promising. that we would do all that we could for them. It mlhe terribl cruel if these people are again to flee for freedom. they can. without any question, support themselves, their poor, and their aged in a year or leg. fif they have the opportunity, if they have the privilege of buying land. working, and paying forit. Many who have beenhere for a year have excellent crops of cotton, corn, and rice. which will be ample for their support till the next harvest.” Last Sunday night, taking my Bible, I went to one of the cabins and read to thosewho were gathered there the 1st 8 chapters of Exodus: and it. was interesting to hear the old men apply the situation of the Israelites, after they were free. from their bond agein Egypt, to their own present situation; and my reading was often interrupted by questions or exclamations. How thankful I was that I was with them, and could in some slight. degree assist them leading them in the 1st steps of knowledge. “There is great need of more laborers erereal. earnut workers, working with heart and hand for these needy people.” This bill Mr. Speaker, has thrown lightinto the dark places. here has been no oppresswn that con] not be reported to head uarters hero by its officers and a remedy app ied. With draw the bureau and the freedrnen Will have no friend to stand between them and those who would oppress them. I have cre a copy of a report made to the Union League of Philadelphia, which I believe has been distributed among members of this House. As stating the Views old by that league, I call attention to the followmg paragraph: "To the freedmen so suddenly liberated by the movements of our armies and the policy of our Government we owe adnty from which we must. not turn in the days of our prosperity, but rather make that prosperity a means of adjusting their uncertain position in the land of their early bOQdMO, andof securing to them every blessing that right judgment may decide to belong to a state of absolute liberty. We mustnot forget the fidelity shown to the nation by this oppressed race in the darkest hoursof our history. nor the desperate nature of the services rendered to us when they 1st arrayed themselvesin arms to meet the early contempt of their white comrades and the cold bleoded massacres of our common enemies. A double share of fortitude was necessary to encounter thesetwo great difficulties, and our black soldiers bore both with unfailing manhood. llIcre coldjustice, ifnot a more commendable gratitude, should make us the watchful guardians of the Present condition and the future prospects of the race which God has confided to our keeping. the perpleirities of our guardianship may be vast and disheartening; but we should bear them with the same courage and hopefulness that led this derided people into fields where no quarter was given to their wounded and where the ready halter awaited their captured files. The wish of the nation, clearly expressed to our Government, has alwnvs been sufficient to shape its policy; and doubt loss t ic voice that arose in the recent elections in the North will reach the walicful cars of our Representatives at the ca ital. We trust that it may, and it should be our o ort to swell the force and volume of the popular demand. ", We know perfectly well the course that has been pursue by that in fact as well as in name “ Loyal League of Philadelphia.” All that I want is that. we should reply to the communications which have come from the South and the demands which have come from the North, from Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and from more northern States, from men who have the care of these freedmen at heart, who have devoted time, labor and money to render such aid as they could that the life of the bureau should be len hened and its powers enlarged; that we shal legislate so as to make the freedom we have conferred a blessing to them. We have an account to give for our stewardship, not to them alone but to Him who made them and us. Mr. Speaker, it was my intention to examine the bill more in detail, but. I will withhold further remarks at present, holding myself now prepared to give an answer to any gentleman who may be displosed to put to me any inquiry in reference to the character of the bill or the amendments which we have proposed.