1758 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. FEBRUARY 21, tv strike out the word " ten" and insert "thirty;" so as to increase HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. the appropriation " for the purchase of garden and field seeds for dis­ tribution in those States which in 1876 were ravaged by grasshoppers WEDNESDAY, February 21, 1877. or locusts" from $10;000 to $30,000. The amount appropriated in the former bill was $30,000 and the t>ffect was very good, and it is cer­ The Senate having withdrawn, tainly as small an amount as there is any reason or propriety in giv­ The SPEAKER (at twelve o'clock and fifty-one minutes p.m.) ing. again called the Honse to order, and said: The Chair decides that a Mr. WThTDOM. The Senator from Nebraska knows my weakness new legislative day now commences. The Chaplain will offer prayer. in that direction, and I think he ought not to appeal to me. I think, Prayer by tho Chaplain, Rev. I. L. TOWNSEND. however, we cannot sustain an amendment at $30,000, deducting it The Journal -of yesterday was read and approved. from the appropriation for seeds in the previous paragraph. SUNDRY CIVIL APPROPRIATION BILL. Mr. HITCHCOCK. I think that is a proper deduction, and that Congress should make the same appropriation that it ma.de before in­ Mr. HOLMAN, from the Committee on Appropriations, reported a dependently of the other appropriation for the distribution of seeds. bill (H. R. No. 46d0) making appropriations for sundry civil expenses They made the appropriation before, a.nd the effect was good. of the Government for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1878, and for 1\Ir. WINDOM. I am aware of the necessity of the amendment, other purposes ; which was read a first and second time. n.nd will go with the Senator as far as any other Senator will. Mr. KASSON. Let all points of order be reserved on the bill. · Mr. SARGENT. Would it not be better to strike out the succeed­ The SPEAKER. Points of order will be re~erved. ing words, " the same to be deducted from the foregoing appropria.­ Mr. HOLMAN. This is the same bill which is printed in the tion?" RECORD this morning. I propose to move that the House resolve Mr. HITCHCOCK. I would be very glad to make that modifica­ itself into Committee of the Whole for the purpose of considering tion ofmy amendment, if it is a.g1·eeable to the Senate. this bill, but there are several gentlemen who wish to submit busi­ Mr. DAVIS. 'r.he Senator certainly does not mean to deprive the ness to which there will be no objection and which will occupy no whole country of a large proportion of t.he seeds that have been dis­ time. I am willing to yield for this purpose. tributed annually heretofore, and apply it to a particular section of ELECTION IN SOUTH CAROLINA. country. The bill already takes from that appropriation 10,000. Mr. SAYLER. The committee appointed to investigate the recent Mr. HITCHCOCK. That has been made already; but my amend­ election in South Carolina have directed me to submit a report and ment would make it independent of that appropriation as I have ac­ to ask that it be printed and recommitted. I am also directed to ask cepted the suggestion of the Senator from California. that the report may be printed in the RECORD, so that it may be of Mr. INGALLS. I very heartily concur with the amendment offered use t.o members at once. In the same connection I ask that the mi­ by the Senator from Nebraska. I know as well as he does the wants nority, whose views are not quite prepared, may have leave to report of the section of the country which duringthepasttwoorthreeyears hereafter at any time. has been ravaged by locusts; and it is the most fertile, the most pop­ Mr. :FOSTER. And that the minor1ty report when presented be ulous, and one of the most valuable portions of this entire country, printed in the RECORD. comprising 11 very large proportion of the entire valley of the Missis­ Mr. SAYLER. There is no objection to that. sippi. The agricultural products of that region have been damaged The SPEAKER. If there be no objection, the report just presented to the extent of not less than forty millions of dollars annually for l>y the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. SAYLER] will be ordered to be several years last past ; and it is certainly a very small contribution printed and recommitted, and also printed in the RECORD; and leave that Congress can make to furnish them with the means of seeding will be granted to the minority of the committee to report at any their groru1d anew. I hope there will be no objection to the amend­ t.ime herea,fwr, and have their views printed in the RECORD. ment. I am sure it is one that will commend itself to the consider­ There being no objection, it was ordered accordingly. ation of every Senator. The report presented by 1\Ir. SAYLER is as follows: Mr. WINDOM. I certainly make no objection to it. Mr. INGALLS. It will commend itself, I am confident, to the ap­ RErORT OF THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMITIEB. The select committee of the House to investigate the recent election in the State probation and judgment of the entire country. of South Caroli'la, appointed under a resolution of the House, passed on the 4th day Mr. DAVIS. Let t.he amemlment be read. of December, 1876, in the following words, to wit: The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Secretary will report the "Resolved, That three special committees, one of fifteen members to proceed to amendment. Louisiana, one of six members to proceed to Florida, and one of nine members to The CHIEF CLERK. In line 1876 it is proposed to strike out'' ten" proceed to South Carolina, shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House to in­ vestigate recent elections therein and the a.ctibn of the returning or canvassin~ and insert "thirty" and to strike ont the words "the same to be de­ boards in the said StatRs in reference thereto, and to report all the fa{lts essential ducted from the foregoing appropriJ!.tion; " so as to read : to an honest return of the votes received by the electors of said States for President For the purchase of garden and fiehl seeds for distribution in those States which an<l Vice-President of the United States, and to a fair understanding thereof by in 1876 were ravaged by grasshoppers or locusts, ~.ooo, to be available imme­ the people; and that for the purpose of speedily executing this resolution the said diately. committee shall have power to send for persons and papers, to administer oaths. to take testimony, and, at theil· discretion, to detail subcommittees, with like author­ Mr. DAVIS. That is a. very extravagant amount. If the Senator ity to send for persons and papers, to administer oaths, and to t.1.ke testimony; and will make it 20,000 I shall not object to his amendment. that the said committees and their subcommittees may employ stenogratJhers, clerks, Mr. HITCHCOCK. I believe $::iO,OOO is too small. and messengers, and be attended each by a deputy sergeaut-at-arms; and said com. mittees shall have leave to rftport at any time, by bill or otherwise"- Mr. DAVIS. It is an extravagant amount. Other portions of the beg leave to submit the following report: count.ry have suffered, as well as the West, not from gra shoppers so Your committee, upon their appointment, proceeded at once to South Carolina, and much but from the army-worm and other things which have de­ arrived at Columbia 'Thursllay, De<'.eml>er 7. They immediately took means to ob­ tain <'.Opies of all the proceedin .~s l>eforo the c.ourts of the State and United States, stroyed the crops in other sections, and I see no reason why a partie­ growing out of the recent election and the count of the votes cast thereat, and also war section of the country should be singled out and favored. copies of all the election laws of the State. Mr. SARGENT. Make it 25,000. Mr. HITCHCOCK. I will agree to make it 25,000. ELECTION LAWS. By legislative ena{ltment each county is divided into election precincts, there 1\Ir. DAVIS. Very well. being in all four hundred and ninety-two precincts in the thirty-two counties of the Mr. WITHERS: No, sir. State. The county commis~;~ioners of eloction appoint three managers for each Mr. DAVIS. If it IS in order, I will move to Mtrike out $30,000 and precinct, who preside at the election, receive the votes, and at the close of the polls insert $20,000. proceed publicly to count the same and make a return of the vote, before separat­ mg to the county commissioners of election, together with the ballots. The three l\Ir. INGALLS. 0, DO. countv commissioners of election who constitute a county board of canvassers, are The PRESIDENT pro ternpore. The question is on the amendment appoi.Dted by the governor; all of the returns of the precinct man~gers are made to of the Senator from West Virginia to the amendment of the Senator them, and they proceed to canvass the vot-es of the county, by precmct , as they ap­ from Nebraska to fix the appropriation at 20,000. pear by the returns of the managers. Having ascertained the result for the whole county, it is returned, under their hands, with all the papers, to the board of State The amendment to the amendment was rPjecred.