Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-12-25
TRIAL OF JUICE PECK.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER esd, 1850.

At twelve O'clock the Senate again resolved
itselfinto high Court of Impeachment.
| The cross-examnatlOn of Mr. I.awess WA:
resumed, and continued during the whole Of the
sitting of this day, and may occupy two Or three
days more. In the course of that examination,
both yesterday and to-day. variety OF points
were raised, and argued with great ability by the
Managers and the Counsel for the respondent.
on the admissibiliy ofcertain questions PROFOUND
ed to the witness. The most important Of these,
and that the decision of which will probably pro-
tract the cross examination at least day or two,
was the point, whether Mr.. Lawless should be
required to say. whether certain designated pas
sages in the opinion of Judge Peck, in the case
of Soulards heirs, were the parts Of that opinion
upon which he based the assertion, made in the
publication of .. A Citizen" that Judge Peck
had assumed the position, that, by the Ordnance
of 1854, sub delegate under the Spanish govern
ment of Louisiana was prohibited from making a
grant of lands in consideration Of services rem
dered. or to be rendered. The Senate after III
genious and able argument by MIR. Buchanan
and Mr. Storrs. in behalf Of the Managers, aud
bv Mr.. Writ. in behalf Of the Respondent, de-
cided by a vote Of 80 to 10, that the question
might be put, and must be answered. This
will, it is supposed, lead to similar ex-
animation of the witness III relation TO the
grounds upon which he advanced all the pro-
positions contained in his publication Oh the opiD-
ion of Judge Peck, for which he was committed
and suspended from practice BY the Judge.
The narrative part of the testimony of Mr..
Lawess will afford the means OF information to
the general reader as to the circumstances which
have led to this impeachment. 1t is therefore
suboined. Let it De remembered that the heirs
of Soulard filed petition in the District Court
for Missouri, of which the respondent is and was
the Judge. to try the validity of their claim to
ten thousand arpents OF land, under concession
alleged to have been issued by Trudeau, the
Lieut.. Governor of Upper Louisiana, to Antoine
Soulard, the ancestor of the petitioners. MIR.
Lawless was their counsel in the case.
LUXE EDWARD LAwLEss, Esq. having been
called and sworn, gave historical narrative OF
the proceedings, SO far as related to the case of
Soulard, in the District Court of the United
States, for the State of Missouri, under the act
of Congress of 1924. enabling The claimants to
lands in Missouri and ArEansa, to institute pro-
ceedings to try the validity of their claims, and in
relation to the circumstances which had led to
his commitment and suspension by that Court.
He testified, in substance, that in the case of
Soulard's heirs against the United States. he
had, as counsel for the plaintiffs, argued it Oh
the profession. whom he consulted that il would
be well TO have his argument printed; and 1t was
accordingly printed. Upon the exhibition to him
by MIR. Buchanan, one OF the honorable mana
gers. of one of the printed copies ofthe argument
he said that it was the same. The demurrer was
Withdrawn; and the District Attor-
ney filed his answer to the petition of the claim,
ants. While taking the deposition of one of the
former Lieutenant Governors of Upper Louisia-
Ma, Judge Peck mentioned that he had read. or
had caused to be read to him, the argument of
Mr.. Lawless, copy of which that gentleman
said ne had sent to him before that time. When
The Court again sat. Judge Peck directed an is
sue to try the question, whether such conces-
sion as that under which the plaintiffs claimed
he lands in question had ever been made? 1t
vas found that it had been made; such as It was
vet forth to be in the petition of the claimants.
The cause then came on upon its merits and the
proofs Mr.. 1awless again argued i, very mach