C. S. Treasury agent, under the hope that in conjunction with your authority the way could be made clear for the acquisition of sufficient cotton to meet the military wants of your department. The laws relating to the subject have never been published. One of main importance, to create a bureau of supplies of similar plan, or at least similar object, to the cotton office, was adopted by Congress, but failed of enrollment in time to receive the President's approval. I was not able to have much conversation with Judge Gray, the Treasury agent, during his brief stay here. the regulations for the exportation of cotton overland have not reached us. I had only hastily read the laws, and felt myself unable to officer suggestions with confidence in their usefulness. Judge Gray will reach Shreveport, I presume, about the date of your receipt of this.

I trust that the subject of your cotton supply will receive your early and full consideration, and that this office or some other agency, if you should deem any other more expedient, may be enabled to realize your wishes and the demands of the public service. I have already advised you of the condition of inefficiency to which the operations of the cotton office had been brought by the movements for acquiring and transporting cotton set on foot by the government of this State. The Governor's agent published a notice on the 11th April, bearing date the 1st of April, directing no more cotton to be bought on account of the State. The Governor's letter to Major Bryan, which I believe forms the basis of the understanding between them, claims that all the contracts under the State plan should be "perfectly respected and facilitated by the Confederate authorities." What will be the amount of cotton thus secured, and to the transported our of the State, I have not the means of determining with accuracy. It will be seen that the Governor refused to be limited to any given number of bales, although his agent agreed with Major Bryan, in Houston, prior to their departure for Austin, to the limit of 12,000 bales.

The Governor deemed the rights and credit of the State involved in the completion of all agreements made by his various agents, although I have no doubt his proceeding in the purchase of cotton has not been in accordance with the law of the State, and although his own original plan has been departed from by his agents and converted to private speculation. It cannot be possible to fix the actual data of agreements between holders of cotton and the agents of the Governor interested in increasing their contracts. No time is specified for the completion of his exportations, and it must be very apparent that although Major Bryan did the best that was practicable, and more even than we anticipated, in getting the Governor thence forward to decline further purchases, yet it is perfectly certain that this will have no effect to increase the present or early efficiency of the cotton office. From my information, derived from the various agents of the office, my opinion is that almost all the movable available cotton of the entire State which can be hauled to market has been absorbed under agreements with the Governor's agents.

The estimate at the beginning made by the Governor's principal agent was that in six weeks, by means of active canvassing and interested agents, all the cotton could be contracted for the desired. More time than this was consumed, and with an activity an energy so much beyond what the Governor had originally contemplated, that as far back as the 12th of March, in his letter to you, he char-