The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-11-21
COLUMBIA
ThuE.day.a aIilOrnlng, nov. q. lss7.,
/, TlAe FortIotR Congress.


body, commences today, o fewifacts
concerning It and its special settings
for special party purposes, may not
be uninteresting to our readers. -
The first session of this body was.
by special Act, held on the fourth of
March last, for if this had not been
done, there could shave been no ses-
sion until the 4th of December next,
the. day appointed, for the regular
sessions of Congress. The March
session adjourned over until July.
when Congress re-assembled, it was
, understood, for the express purpose
of impeaching the President. This
movement failed, when, after many
disagreements between the two
houses, they agreed to adjourn until
the 21st of November, when they
were to meet for the ayoWed purpose
to receive and consider the report Of
the Judiciary Committee, on the sub
ject of impeachment. . r.
This session can only last nine
days, and we presume no legislation
of q general character will take place.
Should the majority of the Judiciary
Committee refuse, to present articles
of impeachment, it is thought the
father OF the proposed onslaught on
the Executive, Mr. Ashley, Mr.. Bout
we'll and others, will attempt to force
it upon the House, independent of
the Committee. The debate on such
q proposition would necessarily con-
sumo the whole time of this short
session, and nothing whatever would
be accomplished by this nine days
sitting, at large expense to the
country, 1t is stated in some quar-
ters, that if the scheme Of actual i'm
peachment should fail, a resolution
ofcensure upon the President will be
proposed, as substitute for that ex.
treme measure; but even if this
should be passed and go upon the
records of both Houses, it could be
''expunged" from the journals at any
subsequent session of Congress.
The President, as the National In
ielligealcer has authoritatively an
nounced, will not communicate his
annual message to this adjourned ses-
sion. He sent no message in July,
for the session was not held for any
Constitutional objects, nor under any
law or usage. The present session is
likely TO be devoted to caucussing and
manpuvering, and discussing the
best mode OF future action in view of
the results of the late elections N the
North and West; probably resulting
in the concoctions of some new party
schemes The standing committees
of the House we're not filed at the
preceding session, and, of course,
until this is done. no general legisla-
ton can be perfected. Even if the
Speaker were directed to fill the COM
mittees, the work would consume
nearly the allotted duration of the
session.
In addition to these distractions to
impeachment and general legislation,
the National hteAigencer says that it
is we'll understood that Mr.. Wilson,
of Iowa, the Chairman of the Judi
ciary Committee, persists in the
sound legal opinion that the United
States Courts have no criminal COM
mon jurisdiction, and the United
States Senate, as court of impeach-
ment, has none. In addition to this
opinion of the Chairman of the
Committee, there is the fact that
there is no stated law giving the
Senate court jurisdiction over
alleged high crimes and misdemean-
ors. Congress cannot now pass an
&c post factO law which would apply
to their present purposes against the
President. 1t is, therefore, very