carried out and never will be; that many of these so-called agents are not Government agents and that there are others appointed by those who have no authority to make such appointments; and as it is ascertained that conscripts, teamsters, and other Government facitilies are either being used by those persons or are being out of the service of the country, and as the army under my command is now in occupation in force on the Rio Grande frontier, it is hereby ordered that all contracts made previously to the publication of these orders, with permits or passes to enable the parties to cross that frontier with cotton, be with the permits and passes, transmitted without delay to one of the following officers, viz: Brigadier-General Scurry at Houston, Col. S. Pyne Bankhead, at San Antonie, or Lieutenant-Colonel Buchel at Bronswille, Tex., for examination. If it be found by either of these officers, after careful examination, that such contract is made in good faith, and is being carried out in good faith, he will indorse the same on the contract over his name and official signature, and will countersign the permit or pass based upon such contract. Should he find the contract otherwise, he will refuse to countersign the permit or pass; and no officer will allow cotton to pass the Rio Grande unless such permits or passes are thus countersigned, or unless on a custom-house certificate of goods already introduced, as above provided for.

VIII. Permits or passes not based upon contracts will not be countersigned by either of the officers named, and therefore cotton will not be allowed to pass the lines on such permits or passes by whomsoever signed.

IX. All Government facilities, such as conscript teamsters, if promised in bona-fide contracts being carried out (though said promises are not valid, being contrary to law), will nevertheless be continued to the parties, unless recalled by superior authority or some imperious military necessity, and such facilities as are now enjoyed by contractors- not provided for by these contracts- will also be continued to them under the same condition whilst carrying out their contracts in good faith.

X. All officers, agents of the Government, contractors, or other persons having conscripts or persons liable to conscription in their employ will forthwith send a copy of their instructions or authority to either of the following officers, viz: Brigadier-General Scurry, Colonel Bankhead, Lieutenant-Colonel Buchel, as may be geographically most convenient, with a list of the names and residences of such conscripts and persons liable to conscription, and will make a like return on the first of each month. This will not excuse the employers from compliance with any orders they may have received from the commandant of conscripts or other conscript officers in relation to the returns and reports of conscript in their employment. Persons thus notified who do not comply with the above by the 1st of April next will be deprived of their employes, and such employers as hold permits for the exportation of cotton will have the same revoked. The words "conscript service" will be indorsed on the inclosing the list.

XI. The officers receiving these copies of instructions and lists of conscripts and persons liable to conscription will send at the earliest practicable moment to these headquarters a consolidated return or list of such employes, with the authority or reason for their employment annexed, and will continue to make such returns on the first day of each month.

XII. Conscripts in the service of any officer or agent of the Government or bona-fide contractor who shall be discharged from the same by the expiration of the contract or for other cause will be returned