Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-17
IMPEACHMFNTS IN THE UNITED
STATES SENATE.

A writer in the New York Tribune Gays
There have been few cases Of impeach-
ment in the United States Congress. VIM
Blount a Senator from Tennessee, was i'm
peached in 1897, for having intrigued to
transfer New Orleans and the neighboring
districts TO Great Britain, by means Of a
Joint expedition of English aud Indians.
A long time was spent in discussing the
affair, and it was finally dropped by the
House, the Senate having passed a resOlu-
tion Of expulsion. The proceedings re-
suited in great increase of Mr.. Blounts
popularity, and he was Immediately after
ward elected to the State Senate, and chosen
its President. The case Of Jonh Pickering,
Judge of the District Court of the District
Of New Hampshire, who was impeached in
March, 1903, is a peculiar one. There
were four charges The first three referred
to certain illegal proceedings taken in the
Judges court, in reference to a ship seized
for a violation of the revenue laws. The
fourth alleged that he was a man of loose
morals and intemperate habits, and that on
certain specified occasions he had appeared
on the bench in state Of total intoxica-
ton. and had been then and there guilty of
of profanity and other disgracefll misde-
meanors. The trial began March Sth, and
closed on the 18th, a verdict Of guilty be-
ing rendered on all the charges, and Judge
Pickering was removed from Office But
il was clearly shown on the trial that the
accused had been for several years totally
deranged.
The impeachment of Samuel Chase, an
associate Justice of the Supreme Court of
the United States, for official misconduct,
was the cause of great public excitement
and party commotion in lSO4-5. Judge
Chase was one of the signers of the
Declaration of Independence, a Jealous
and industrious patriot, during the Revo-
lutionary war, and an able aRd upright
Judge, though sometimes irascibla and over
bearing The prosecution was lnstigated
and managed by John Randolph. The
articles embraced eight charges, and re-
lated chiefly to alleged arbitrary, unjust
and tyrannieal conduct on certain political
trials-thoae Of John Fries for treason, and
Of Taylor and Calender for seditious libel.
The Senate chamber was fitted up for the
trial with appropriate elegance. Benches
covered with crimson, on each side and in
a line with the President, were assigned to
the members Of the Senate. On the right
and in front Of the chair was box for the
managers, and on the left a similar box for
the accused and his counsel. The rest of
the floor was filled with chairs for the mem.
bers Of the House Of Representatives, and
boxes for Foreign Ministers and the civil
and military officers of the United States.
Spectators we're admitted to the permanent
gallery, and a second gallery was erected
Tor ladies bat il was found impossible to
keep the sexes separate. The trial began
February 4, 1905. Judge Chase appeared
in person, together with his counsel,
Messrs. Harper, Martin and Hopkinson,
and read long reply TO the charges,
The managers, Messrs Randolph, Rodney
Nicholson, BOYLE, Campbell, Early and
Clark put in a replication. John Ran
dolph opened the impeachment in pow
erful speech. and the witnesses for the
prosecution we're then called. Mr.. Harper
next spoke for the defense. Afler the ex-
animation OF Mr.. Chase's witnesses, seven
DAYS were occupied in arguments on both
sides, and on the first Of March the vote
was taken on each OF the charges separately.
There was a majority in favor OF the ac-
cused on five Of the eight charges, and
majority against him on the others, but not
the two-thirds required by the constitution
10 convict He was accordingly discharged,
and retained his seat on the bench until his
death.
james II. Peck, Judge Of the United
States District Court for the District OF
Missouri, was impeached Of high misde-
meanors in office in 1880. The ground Of
accusation against him was that he had
imprisoned and suspended from praeticing
in has court an attorney named Lawless,
Cor an alleged contempt in commenting in
a newspaper communication upon one Of
the Judges decisions The articles Of i'm.
peachment were presented by Mr.. Ru-
chanan, May 4, 1880. The trial began ON
the Goth Of December, and lasted until the
sist of January, when the accused was
pronounced acquitted, iwenty-one Senators
having voted him guilty and twenty-two
not guilty.