he Bureau for the
fiscal year commencing July 1, 1867, only called for the sum of three
million eight hundred and thirty-six thousand and three hundred
dollars, as follows:

Salaries of assistant commissioners,
sub-assistants, and agents $147,500
Salaries of clerks 82,800
Stationery and printing 63,000
Quarters and fuel 200,000
Subsistence stores 1,500,000
Medical department 500,000
Transportation 800,000
School superintendents 25,000
Buildings for schools and asylums, including
construction, rental, and repairs 500,000
Telegraphing and postage 18,000
----------
$3,836,300

This showed that the freed people were rapidly becoming
self-sustaining, and that the aid rendered by the Government was used
to a good purpose.

Soon after Colored Troops were mustered into the service of the
Government a question arose as to some safe method by which these
troops might save their pay against the days of peace and personal
effort. The noble and wise Gen. Saxton answered the question and met
the need of the hour by establishing a Military Savings Bank at
Beaufort, South Carolina. Soldiers under his command were thus enabled
to husband their funds. Gen. Butler followed in this good work, and
established a similar one at Norfolk, Virginia. These banks did an
excellent work, and so favorably impressed many of the friends of the
Negro that a plan for a Freedman's Savings Bank and Trust Company was
at once projected. Before the spring campaign of 1865 opened up, the
plan was presented to Congress; a bill introduced creating such a
bank, was passed and signed by President Lincoln on the 3d of March.
The following is the Act:

"AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE FREEDMAN'S SAVINGS AND TRUST "COMPANY.

"_Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled:_ That Peter
Cooper, William C. Bryant, A. A. Low, S. B. Chittenden, Charles
H. Marshall, William A. Booth, Gerrit Smith, William A. Hall,
William Allen, John Jay, Abraham Baldwin