Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-06-11
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

As.-We have before us the very able report
Of Judge Chapman of Pennsylvania, which is
also signed by Messrs. Miles Taylor of La.
Billinghurst of Wisconsin, and Geo. s. Hons
ton of Ala, the chairman of the Committee on
the Judiciary, recommending that Judge Wat
rous be impeached of high crimes and INSIDE
meanOrs. -
In the statement of the facts, great fairness
Is manifested and in many instances the very
words OF the witnesses are given. The legal
positions taken are such as show mature judy
ment combined with thorough acquaintance
oil not only the comprehensive principles, but
minute details of the practice of law.
This branch of the committee has eyinced
that the months of patient labor they have de-
voted to the mastery of the case submitted for
thnir investigation, have not been spent, as
their report sets forth, without Just cause
Ihere Is also before us. as part of the same
document, another report of three of the COM
mtttee, Messrs. Ready of Tenn, Tappan of N.
H., and Craig of N. c., which with qualiGca-
ton prefxed to his signature, is also signed by
Mr.. Clark ofNY.
This report being negative in its character,
and not going into detailed facts, is brief, and
does not appear to US to attempt to meet the
points made in Judge Chapman's report As
neither of these reports is signed by a majority
OF the committee, they are both styled, in Con-
gressional parlance, minority reports" They
are accompanied by the testimony and the docu
ments that were submitted to the consideration
of the committee.
On yesterday, printed memorial" las it is
styled of Judge Watrous was submitted in his
behalf To us, it appears to be a brief or writ
ten argument, rather than a memorial in the
ordinary sense of that term. 1t certainly takes
issue with the facts stated in Judge Chapman s
report, as well as with the legal positions
The volume OF the testimony in the case being
surh that at this late day of the session il would
be impossible for the members of the House to
road the printed matter before the time set for
the adjournment of the session, the whole com
mittee, yesterday, concurred in asking that the
further consideration Of the matter be post
ponad until the second Monday in December
next.
As the Committee on the Judiciary of the
last Congress unanimously reported that Judge
Watrous be impeached, and the present com
mittee eight only acting) is equally divided.
the position of the accused is indeed critical.
Under such circumstances, it would be ex-
tremely indicate in Judge Watrous to attempt
to exercise the functions of his office pending the
consideration of his case set for next session.
In our opinion judge should be above sus-
picion. If accused, he should not endeavor to
suppress or limit inquiry into his conduct for,
if innocent, it can only make his innocence the
more apparent. Where it has been repeatedly
called in question by those empowered by the
Constitution to investigate it, his usefulness is
gone until he is tried and acquitted by the
Senate.
If we remember right, other judges have been
charged with and tried for matters of official
improperly but this is the first instance in
which, first by the Legislature of the State in
which be resides, and secondly by divers indi-
viduals, judge has been subjected to accuse
tons OF 80 grave character as that all other
Judicial prosecu tons, when compared with it.
appear Of but minor conseau ence.
The WILLErr's POINT SALE INVESTIGATION.
We took occasion, few days since, to mention
incidentally that the result of tho labors of the
special (HOuse) committee of FIVE on the ALE
cations OF fraud in connection with the late
purchase Of Willetts Point, to be used as the
site of an United States fertilization, was the
determination of four of its members to report
entirely generating the Secretary of War and
MIR. Augustus Schell, the collector of the port
of New York, (who were alone implicated by
the charges of Mr.. Haskin, Of New York. and
those confederated with him in getting up the
prosecutiOn,) from all suspicion whatever of
having acted in any way improperly in connec-
ton with the said sale.
Their reports have since been presented and
printed, and bear out our previous announce
ment, to the letter. Mr. Haskin, the original
prosecutor, of course dissents; and in his report
simply essays to justify his own so-reprehensi-
bic conduct in attempting to use his official
position to libel honorable gentlemen flor such
has been the upshot of his connection with the
affair from beginning to cnd) in his effort to
misrepresent the tenor of the testimony. This
is very small business, indeed, for one to be
engaged in who holds position of so great re-
sponsibiiity to the public, as seat in Congress
In his eagerness to criminatc others, Mr.
Haskin has efectually succeeded in eliminating
himself, only.
Thus, on the examination Of q witness on
the 2lst of May, the chairman, Mr.. Haskn,
stated in the course of the cross Examination of
a witness" Mr.. Horace f. Clark asked me
about his Mr.. Augustus Schell 81 evidence, and
/ told him as near as L could recolIect. eyery
thing he swore to. / know the examination
(Schell's) was satisfactory one, anu proreA 10
me he hod nothing 10 do rrih tie combiuot;ou
l't'ch tDecfed Tire S1fe Of Hfs property TO Mc
GOCeTHmcnt
This statement was entered by tho clerk of
the investigating committee, and was read be-
fore the committee and became portion oftheir
official record. Itwas SO sent to the printer, and
was so printed.
On Thursday morning June Ist Mr.. Haskin
delivered all the balance of the 'copy" (making
about one hundred printed pages and, as be-
fore, repeated his directions that no copy of the
printed sheets should be delivered to any one
but himself, as the matter was a confidential
one. Mr. Haskip b;n,SoIr