The Portland daily press., 1867-03-08


and the resolution was adopted. e
The Speaker stated that he would regard tn
resolution as instructions to appoint a Judicia
ry Committee Immediately.
Mr. Eldridge asked to offer resolution re
guessing the President to inform the Hous
al 70 tne condiuon of the public funds as effect
Gu ny tne tenure OF office act, and the numer
Gus vacancies in the subordinate offices OF thu
treasury and the Post Office Department
Mr.. Stevens objected
>, MT. Shellabarger presented and nad READ py
the Clerk, a petition from Judge OnueI c Woo r2:N
| and some twenty Others loyal citlzens OF Wiz
| ginia, asking Congress to pass certain laws
| providing for the carrying out of the recent ac
| for the better government OF the rebel States
He moved its reference to the Judiciary Com
On motion of Mr. Eldridge the use of thu
| hall of the House was granted to the Congress
sional Temperance Society for Sunday even
ing next
On motion of Mr.. Robinson the President
was requested to communicate all correspon.
dence, documents or proceedings in possession
of the Executive Department relating to the
arrest, imprisonment and treatment of Ameri-
can citizen in Great Britain OF its Provinces
within two years last past.
Mr. Ashley, of Ohio, offered the following
resolutions as question of privilege;
Whereas, the House of Representatives OF
the Both Congress adopted on the 9TH day OF
January, 1867, an inquiry into certain charges
preferred against the President of the United
States, and
Whereas, the Judiciary Committee. to which
said resolutions and charges were referred with
authority to investigate the same, was unable
tor want of time, to complete said inyestiga.
ton before the expiration of the 39th Congress
and -o''
Whereas. in the report submitted to said
JUDICIARY Committee on the I'd of March, it is
declared that the evidence taken is of such a
character as justify and demand continuation
OF the investigation by this Congress, there
fore, be it
Resoloed, That the Judiciary Committee
when appointed, be and it is hereby instructed
to continue the investigation authorized in said
resolution of January z, 1867, and that it have
power to send for persons and papers, and to
administer the customary oath to witnesses
and that the committee have authority to sill
during any recess which Congress or this House
may take.
Resol0ed. That the Speaker of this House be
requested to appoint Committee on Judicial
ry forthwith, and that the committee so ap-
pointed be directed to take charge of the testi-
mony taken by the last Congress- and that said
committee have power to appoint a clerk, at a
compensation not exceeding SO per day, and to
employ necessary stenOgraphers.
Mr. Wilson, of Iowa submitted further
amendment, as follows:
ReSo'ued, That the Clerk of the House of
Representatives be directed to nav ont of the
House on order of the Committee on Judicia-
ry, such sums of moneya as may required to en-
aDle That committee to prosecute the inyestica-
ton above directed, and such other inyestiea-
lions as it may be directed.
MIR. Ashley accepted the amendment and
proceeded to address the House in a sneech of
an hours length, in support of his resolution
and In denunciation of the President in such
unmeasured terms as to oblige the Speaker to
call him to order.
Mr.. Spaulding, to whom Mr.. Ashley yielded
W. mi mt nf h l1,.1 Ii.
scheme of impeachment as consummate folly.
and warned his associates of the Union party
against the idea that because the President
was an obstacle in the way of what was term
ed progress he must be removed. He hoped
that We had not arrived at the same state of
feeling as that which existed in the DAYS of
hobespierre and Morat, in Frence, where those
who advocated one day the most extreme meas
ures, were the next day brought to the scaffold
because they were not far enough in advance.
Mr.. Ashley then resumed the floor, and again
yielded to Mr.. Niblack, who said that charges
had been published against Mr. Ashley, which,
if true, made him an unfit parsonage to bring
these charges against the President
After discussion on points of ORDER Mr. Ash
icy yielded eight minutes to Mr.. Butler, of
Massachusetts,, who said: 1 assume from the
action OF the 39th Congress and the action of
the Judiciary Committee, that there is reason
able cause for investigation of the grave charges
made against the President of the United
states by the gentleman from Ohie, ana that
this Congress would be false to the country.
and false to the principles of the American
Government if it shrank from the investiga-
ton. would not have troubled the House
with single observation if it had not been
That new points have been thrown into the
case by the condition of public affa irs. The
first is the point that was made by the member
from New York Mr.. BroOks) when the House
was being organized, that this House js not a
constitutional body for the purpose!of legisla-
ton, because portion of the States that have
not destroyed themselves are not represented.
wish to answer that the first Congress of the
United States which counted votes and declar-
ed George Washington President of the United
States, had not, when it assembled, a majority
OF members in each House there being then
put nine States in the Union. 1t adjourned
from day to day till it got that majority, and
the moment it got it, it proceeded to the grave
business OF organizing this Government by
making George Washington President, and
gong into general legislation. If a bare me-
POSING Il the sU nffon could ma MAKE George Wash
ington President, cannot this House unmake
Andrew johnson? A grand jury consists of
of an inquest Thireen men need only be pres
ent when bill is presented if twelve will vote
for it, And l assume if the report of the learn
ed Judiciary Committee of the last House is to
be trusted, and who doubts it? that whenever
this House does vote on the final report there
will be an absolute majority of the House vot-
ing in favor of impeaching Andrew johnson
for high crimes and misdemeanors. Another
point to which wish to call the attention of
the House is, the misconception with which
think the report OF the committee of the last
House has been received. That committee re-
ported that there were grave charges, and evi-
dence to sustain them, and we have been
tauntingly asked why the committee took two
months to find that out, and why it did not re-
port progress. think that the committee was
rf.fprrinO tO ayidanpn which ha ,,r11lio I'm
not of, and, therefore, the committee did not
desire to make full report, although it might
well have reported on the grave charges which
all men knew to be the usurpation of Execu-
tive power; the usurpation of legislative pow
er, the returning of the immense amounts OF
material which belonged to the rebel commui-
ties to men composing the same rebel Organi-
cations without authority of law. These are
open and known to all men. Even the gentle
man from Ohio MR. SpaIlding) must have
heard OF them, however much he may have
slept over the events of last year. In my iudg-
ment, a sufficient Indictment and charge might
be made on them; and they are great matters,
on which the House will be called to VOTE
The custom of parliaments has ever been to
find impeachments on common fame and COM
mon report. l think it of very little conse-
quence whether there be any secret crimes
charged against the President, because am
willing to take up the gauntlet thrown down
by the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Spaulding)
anu say biiaL IL any Hidn StanuS IN the way Ol
the great march of this country to honor, to
glory, to peace, to amity, to happiness to liber-
ty and to law, he must be taken out of the way
by constitutional method.
After some discussion the rules were sus-
pended and arrangements made under which
Mr.. Ashley moved a suspension of the rules
and allowed fifty minutes to Mr.. Brooks and
the gentlemen on that side, to debate the reso
buttons.
Mr.. Brooks proceeded to speak at length
| against the resolutions and deneunce the
course of the Republicans in establishing
military despotism at the South.
Mr.. Wood followed in opposition to impeach
ment. He protested against the revival OF thu
| question of impeachment at all
Mr.. Pruyn also spoke against impeachment
Mr.. Chanler having five minutes allotted
| him, further argued against impeachment un
tai the Speaker announced the debate wa
| closed
The question was then taken on the adop
ton OF the resolution, and it was adopted with
| out division
The Speaker announced the following com
mittees:
On Elections - Messrs. Dawes, Schoffield
| Epson, shellabarger, McClurg, Cook, Poland
| Nicholson and Kerr.
On Judiciary-Messrs Wilson, of Indiana
Boutwell,, Thomas, Williams of Pennsylvania
Woodbridge, Lawrence, Of Ohio, Churchill
Marshall and Eldridge. N
On Mileage-Messrs. Anderson Plants Va,
Aerman, ROuern and Getz.
On Rules-The Speaker and Messrs. Wash
burne, OF Illinois, Banks, Blaine and Brooks.
On the Joint Select Committee on the Eanal
ization of Pay of the Employees : Messr,
Woodbridge, Eckley and Mccullough.
On the Joint Select Committee on Retrencb
Logan and Washburne, of Mass.
| Mr. Poland was aDnnnta1 RaUnut of III