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Articles of property.

2 UNITED STATES PROPERTY IN THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.

A.-Inventory of property belonging to the United States in the buildings, rooms, offices, and grounds occupied by the Department of the Interior, taken on the 1st day of December, A. D. 1876, in accordance with the act of Congress approved July 15, 1870.

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Total.

B.-List of property purchased for use of the Department of the Interior during the year ending November 30, 1876.

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C.-List of property sold by the Department of the Interior during the year ending November

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30, 1876.

15 lots matting.

56 pigeon-holes.

45 stoves.

1 lot stove-pipe.

19 tables.

3 wash-stands, (pine.) 42,903 pounds waste paper.

1 lot zinc, (scrap.)

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A letter, accompanied by testimony, addressed to him by Hon. John Sherman and others, in relation to the canvass of the vote for electors in the State of Louisiana.

DECEMBER 6, 1876.-Read; motion to print referred to the Committee on Printing. DECEMBER 7, 1876.-Reported and agreed to.

To the Senate and House of Representatives:

I have the honor to transmit herewith a letter (accompanied by testimony) addressed to me by Hon. John Sherman and other distinguished citizens in regard to the canvass of the vote for electors in the State of Louisiana.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, December 6, 1876.

U. S. GRANT.

In

WASHINGTON, December 6, 1876.

To the President of the United States: pursuance of your request that several of the undersigned should proceed to New Orleans, and there witness the canvass, by the returning board of the State of Louisiana, of the votes cast in that State for electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, we have performed that duty, and now most respectfully report:

That on our arrival in that city we found several gentlemen from other States, who had proceeded there at the request of the chairman of the National Democratic Committee, and we also found there several gentlemen who came representing republican State organizations who have throughout co-operated with those who went at your request, and whose names are also appended to this communication.

Between the gentlemen representing the democratic party and ourselves a correspondence in writing ensued, a copy of which is ap pended hereto. Reference to it will disclose that a conference with us for the purpose of exercising an influence upon the returningboard was declined, upon the ground that the only duty devolved upon us was to attend before the board, carefully note its proceedings, and finally to report a faithful history thereof, with such opinions concerning the same as truth and justice should demand. Such report we

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are now able to present, and we take pleasure in stating that our ability so to do is due to the exercise of a courtesy and kindness by the returning-board which entitle its members not only to our thanks, but to that confidence which a just public extends toward every tribunal which desires that all its proceedings should be daily presented to public serutiny. It was our earnest wish that this publicity should be attained, but we should have felt a delicacy in requesting any privilege not in harmony with the usage of the board. We were, however, relieved from all embarrassment by the receipt of its formal invitation, hereto aunexed, delivered to us and to the gentlemen who attended at the request of the chairmen of the democratic committees, inviting the attendance of five gentlemen from each delegation as spectators and witnesses of the proceedings of the board; and this invitation was accompanied with an offer to permit stenographic reporters selected by each committee to be present and make a full report of all proceedings and testimony; and, to secure daily publication thereof by the press, the undersigned made arrangements for that purpose with the proprietors of one of the daily newspapers printed in New Orleans, and thus the papers there and elsewhere have been enabled to give such proceedings and testimony the widest circulation. In justice to the board, it should be stated that this privilege was freely accorded by its members without solicitation, and that they cordially united with us in the desire to have all their proceedings published throughout the country. scrutiny invited by the board has been constantly exercised. Day by day both committees have been in attendance before the board with their stenographic reporters; and, in addition, a privilege tendered to both the committees of inviting gentlemen from States other than Louisiana has been several times availed of. As returns were opened, whether contested or not, the papers inclosed have been freely tendered to the committees for examination, and have usually been carefully inspected. And, as a means of detecting any possible changes in the returns after leaving their respective parishes, both committeess were furnished by the respective parties with statement of the vote a claimed by them respectively, that by comparison it might be known if any alteration had been made in returns to be passed upon by the board, with which statement the returns usually agreed. Whenever it was known to the board that a return was to be contested, the attorneys for the candidates interested were sent for to be present at the ceremony of opening; and when such knowledge was attainable only by inspection of the inside of the package containing such return, these attorneys were invited to be present before any action was taken upon it. There were thus secured in the manner mentioned publicity of all the proceedings of the board, the most careful scrutiny of every package of returns by it opened, and an opportunity for candidates insisting upon the validity of returns to appear personally and by counsel before the board, in many instances before returns were opened, and in every instance before action was taken upon them.

It has been, we believe, quite unusual to give such full and widespread publicity to the proceedings of a returning-board; nor do we think that better means for permanently recording every word and act of its members, while engaged in the discharge of their duties, could have been afforded than we enjoyed.

Having thus presented a statement of the means accorded of witnessing the canvass, it may be well to state briefly the causes which led to the creation of such a board in Louisiana, and to call attention to the

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