Bill authorizing Robert Smalls to build a wharf to deep water in the town of Beaufort.

Ordered for consideration to-morrow.

BILLS INTRODUCED.

Mr. COCHRAN asked and obtained the unanimous consent of the Senate to introduce, without previous notice, the following:

Bill to utilize the convict labor of the State, and to let out the same

by contract;

Bill to provide for the election of County Treasurers and County Auditors;

Bill to reduce the pay of Commissioners and Managers of Elections and of their Clerks;

Bill to abolish the office of Jury Commissioner;

Bill to abolish the office of County School Commissioner, and to impose the duties of the said office upon the Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners;

Bill to require all school claims and claims for teachers' pay to be sworn to;

Bill to provide for and regulate the public printing of South Carolina;

Bill to prevent and punish unlawful combinations against the interests of the laboring classes of this State;

Bill to require the Boards of County Commissioners throughout the State to apportion the taxes annually raised for County purposes amongst the specific objects for which said taxes are levied.

The above Bills received their first reading, were ordered for a second reading and consideration to-morrow, and to be printed.

RESOLUTIONS.

Mr. B. H. WILLIAMS introduced the following resolution:

Resolved, That it is the sense of the honorable Senate of the State of South Carolina, now met and in session, that in consequence of the untoward condition of affairs, financial and political, now existing, that the Directors of the State Penitentiary should promptly assume the responsibility of making provision for the support of the convicts confined in the Penitentiary, irrespective of any law now in force; provided their action be within the scope of common humanity and reasonable management.

Ordered for consideration to-morrow.

Mr. MYERS introduced the following resolution:

Whereas the Special Joint Committee appointed under House resolution to investigate the Ellenton, Hamburg and Rouse's Bridge outrages, by reason of the detention of material witnesses in the United States Court, and before the Senate and House Congressional Investigating Committees now in session in the city of Columbia, and in view of the early adjournment of the General Assembly, and of the importance of a thorough and speedy investigation into the said outrages; therefore,

Resolved, That the said Committee are authorized and empowered to sit during the adjournment of the General Assembly and take testimony, and that they be empowered to send for persons and papers.

Resolved, further, That the said Committee be empowered to employ clerical services to facilitate the performance of the work assigned them. Ordered for consideration to-morrow.

Mr. COCHRAN introduced the following resolution:

Resolved, That all Bills and other papers pertaining to the unfinished business of the Senate, now in the hands of the several Committees, be returned to the Clerk to file in his office.

Ordered for consideration to-morrow.
The Sergeant-at Arms announced

MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR.

Messages Nos. 18, 19 and 20, from His Excellency the Governor, were presented to the Senate by Mr. Charles J. Babbitt, Private Secretary. The PRESIDENT announced that the Messages related to Executive business.

GENERAL ORDERS.

The Senate proceeded to the consideration of the General Orders on the Calendar, to wit:

Bill (House) to raise supplies for the fiscal year commencing Novem ber 1, 1876.

The Bill received its third reading.

On motion of Mr. MAXWELL, Section 8 was amended by the addition of the words "also, except the County of Marlboro, in which the County Commissioners are hereby directed to levy a tax of three mills, one mill of which shall be devoted to the payment of the past indebtedness of said County."

On motion of Mr. TAFT, Section 11 was amended by inserting, in line 5, after the word "Act," the words "bills of the Bank of the State of South Carolina proved, stamped and found genuine."

On motion of Mr. WALKER, Section 8 was further amended by the addition of the words "and except the County of Chester, in which the County Commissioners shall levy three mills, one-half mill of which shall be devoted to the payment of the past indebtedness of Chester County."

On the question of agreeing to the passage of the Bill, as amended, Mr. JETER called for the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were taken, and resulted as follows:

Yeas-Messrs. Bird, Clinton, Corwin, Duncan, Green, Johnston, Maxwell, Myers, Nash, Swails, Taft, Walker, Warley, B. H. Williams, Whittemore-15.

Nays-Messrs. Bowen, Buck, Butler, Cannon, Cochran, Crittenden, Howard, Jeter, Livingston, Meetze, Witherspoon-11.

So the Bill passed, and was ordered to be returned to the House of Representatives, with amendments.

Mr. JETER gave notice, for himself and others, that he would present, to be entered on the Journal, a protest against the passage of the above Bill.

House Bill to make appropriation for the payment of the salary and mileage of the members of the General Assembly, and the salaries of the subordinate officers and employees, and other expenses incidental thereto.

The Bill received its third reading.

Mr. NASH moved that Section 1 be amended by the addition of the words:

"For the payment of Electors for President and Vice President of the United States, in accordance with Section 21 of Chapter IX, Revised Statutes, the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives be, and are hereby, authorized and directed to issue joint certificates to said Electors, to be paid out of the appropriation herein mentioned."

On the question of agreeing to the amendment proposed by the Senator from Richland,

Mr. COCHRAN called for the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were taken, and resulted as follows:

Yeas-Messrs, Bird, Clinton, Corwin, Duncan, Green, Johnston, Maxwell, Myers, Nash, Swails, Taft, Walker, Warley, B. H. Williams, Whittemore-15.

Nays-Messrs. Bowen, Buck, Butler, Cannon, Cochran, Crittenden, Howard, Jeter, Livingston, Meetze, Witherspoon-11.

So the amendment was agreed to.

On the question of agreeing to the passage of the Bill,

Mr. BOWEN called for the yeas and nays.

The

yeas and nays were taken, and resulted as follows:

Yeas-Messrs. Bird, Clinton, Corwin, Duncan, Green, Johnston, Maxwell, Myers, Nash, Swails, Taft, Walker, Warley, B. H. Williams, Whittemore-15.

Nays-Messrs. Bowen, Buck, Butler, Cannon, Cochran, Crittenden, Howard, Jeter, Livingston, Meetze, Witherspoon-11.

So the Bill passed, and was ordered to be returned to the House of Representatives, with amendments.

Mr. BOWEN gave notice, for himself and others, that he would present, to be entered on the Journal, a protest against the passage of the above Bill.

House Bill to make appropriation to meet the ordinary expenses of the State Government for the fiscal year commencing November 1, 1876. The Bill received its third reading.

On motion of Mr. WHITTEMORE, Section 2 was amended, in line 13, by inserting after the word "dollars" the words, "to be paid on the warrant of the Comptroller General, upon the application of the Chairman and Secretary of the Board of Commissioners of the Deaf, Dumb and Blind."

On motion of Mr. TAFT, Section 8 was amended, in line 1, by inserting after the figure "4" the figure "5."

On the question of agreeing to the passage of the Bill,
Mr. JETER called for the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were taken, and resulted as follows:

Yeus-Messrs. Bird, Clinton, Corwin, Duncan, Green, Johnston, Maxwell, Myers, Nash, Swails, Taft, Walker, Warley, B. H. Williams, Whittemore-15.

Nays-Messrs. Bowen, Buck, Butler, Cannon, Cochran, Crittenden, Howard, Jeter, Livingston, Meetze, Witherspoon -11.

So the Bill passed, and was ordered to be returned to the House of Representatives, with amendments.

Report (without recommendation) on House Bill to amend an Act entitled "An Act to fix the salaries of certain public officers."

The report was read, the Bill received its second reading, was consid ered as in Committee of the Whole, and by Sections.

There being no amendments,

Ordered, That the Bill be engrossed for a third reading.

Mr. COCHRAN gave notice that on the third reading of the above Bill he will move to make sundry amendments.

Bill to amend all Acts or parts of Acts relating to the charter of the town of Summerville.

The Bill was read by its title, and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Report (favorable) of Committee on Finance on Bill to authorize the County Commissioners of Georgetown County to levy a special tax to pay the past indebtedness of said County.

The report was read, the Bill received its second reading, was considered as in Committee of the Whole, and by Sections.

On motion of Mr. B. H. WILLIAMS, Section 1 was amended by striking out the words "for the fiscal year 1876, and annually thereafter."

On motion of Mr. B. H. WILLIAMS, the Bill was further amended by inserting the following as Sections 4 and 5:

"SECTION 4. That immediately after the passage of this Act the Board of County Commissioners shall proceed to give thirty (30) days' notice, through one or more newspapers published in the County, for the information of all persons holding joint claims against the said County, who shall present them to the said Board of County Commissioners within thirty (30) days thereafter; and if upon examination of said claims, the Board of County Commissioners aforesaid find that they, or any of them, are correctly certified to, they shall issue checks to the holders thereof; and upon warrant of the Board of County Commissioners, the County Treasurer shall pay pro rata all claims so presented, until the past due indebtedness of the County of Georgetown is fully paid.

"SECTION 5. That all Acts and parts of Acts inconsistent with this Act be, and the same are hereby, repealed."

There being no further amendments,

Ordered, That the Bill be engrossed for a third reading.

Mr. SWAILS gave notice that on the third reading of the above Bill he will move to make sundry amendments.

Report (favorable) of Committee on Finance on Bill to ascertain the indebtedness of Newberry County, and to regulate the payment thereof.

On motion of Mr. CORWIN, the report and Bill were ordered to lie on the table, and House Bill to ascertain the indebtedness of Newberry County, and regulate the payment thereof, taken up for a second reading.

The Bill received its second reading, was considered as in Committee of the Whole, and by Sections.

There being no amendments,

Ordered, That the Bill be engrossed for a third reading.

Concurrent resolution (House) requesting His Excellency the Governor to arm, equip and station in Aiken County 100 State Constables. On motion of Mr. NASH, the resolution was referred to the Committee on the Military.

Report of the Judiciary Committee on concurrent resolution relative to the election of Hon. T. H. Cooke as Circuit Judge.