Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1889-12-13
IN CONGRESS.
Ben ButterwOrth Brings Up
the BallOt-B0x Matter.
THE sILcoTr INVESTIGATION
Sergeant att Arms Leed0m Censured
A Bill to Encourage Negro
Emigration.

A Bill to Encourage Negro
Emigration.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.
WASHINGTON, December 12.-In the
House today, Butterworth brought up
the famous Ohio ballot-box contract,
which figured 80 conspicuously in the
last campaign, by Offering resolution
reciting that Of the persons whose names
appeared on said paper, all except one
were at the time Of said publication, and
except S. s. Cox, deceased, are still
members of the House or Senate, and
that a committee of five be appointed to
investigate. The resolution further said
that if the contract were genuine the
signers we're unfit to sit in Congress.
Ths resolution was adopted, and the re-
port of
THE sILCoTT COMMITTEE
Was presented to the House. The re-
port Of the committee gives q
detailed statement of the assets and
liabilities of the Office Deem
Der 5th. The shortage is stated
at $40, 708.96. 1t states that the commit.
tee has not yet made sufficient inveeti-
cation OF the matter of the discounted
notes. Many notes, the committee be-
lieves, were forged to cover defalcations
already existing. 1t says the committee
cannot too severely condemn the man
ner in which the Ssrgeant.at- con.
.6nctad tho ofFaira If hio offico
The committee says in closing: cit
appears that a port ion of the cash under
the control OF Silcott has never been
counted during the six years of Mr..
Leedom's incumbency by another person
than Silcott, and it does not appear that
Silcott ever counted the cash or that
Leedom ever asked for count until the
evening of the 5th instant, when the
deficiency appeared. Mr.. Leedom seems
to have exercised no careful supervision
of the interests committed to his care"
FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS ORDERED.
Paysop, OF Illinois, Immediately upon
the conclusion of the reading of the re.
port, offered a resolution authorizing the
committee not only to examine the &C.
counts, but to take charge Of all the
assets of the Office until the further order
ofthe House to receive any proposal from
Lsedom for making good any deficiency,
and also make a full report as to the
effect of any deficiency. There was
protracted debate over this regarding
the responsibility of the Sergeant-at-
Arms, and whether he was acting as
the agent of members or of the Treasury
Department, and the opinions expressed
were conflicting. Finally Boutelle, of
Maine, offered substitute resolution,
directing the committee to report as to the
effect of or result of any deficiency, and
especially as to the unpaid salaries of
members, accompanying the report with a
bill if necessary. This was adopted ,as was
also one offered by Hemphill, of South
Carolina, directing the Sergeant-at- Arms
to arrange with the Treasury Department
for ths payment of the mileage of the
members.
Brewer, of North CaroliLa, introduced
a bill for the repeal OF the tax on tobacco
in all its forms. Referred.
Wilkinson, of louisiana, announced
the death Of his colleague, Gay, of the
Third Louisiana district, and as mark Of
respect the House adjourned until
Monday.
WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE.
The first session of the Ways and
Means Committee was held this morn
ing. The present tariff law was ordered
printed in the shape of bill, to serve as
basis for the preparation of new tariff
measure. The following subcommittee
were appointed:
On public debt funding and the pay
ment thereof-McKinley, Dingley, Car
Isle.
On revenue provisions and commercial
reaties--Burrows, Payne, Mills.
On amendments of customs laws
Payne, La Toilette, McMillin.
On amendments of internal revenue
laws-McKenna, Gear, G. r. Breckin-
ridge.
On relief bills and claims-Dingley,
Burrows and Flower.
APPROPRIATIONS sUB-CoMMITTEEs.
The House Appropriations Committee
met this morning and completed organi.
cation. The following subcommittee
were appointed:
Sundry Civil-Canhon, Cogswell, Nc
Comas, Randall and Savers.
Legislative, etc.-Butterworth Cam
non, Brewer, Forney and Dockery.
District of olumbia-McC omas, Hen.
derson, Morrow. Clements and Dockery.
Pensions-Morrow, Belden, Peters,
Sayers and Breckinridge.
Observation-Disclosures, Butterworth,
Cogswell, Randall and Sayers.
Deficiencies = Henderson, Cannon,
Peters, Breckenridge and Clements.
Permanent Appropriations-Belden
Peters, Morrow, Dockery and Forney.