, 1867-12-06

Washington, Nov. 26.-In the House, the
Speaker announced the standing committees
Schenck is Chairman of Ways aud Means Cons
mittee. Garfield is Chairman of Committee on
Military Affairs. Thads Stevens of Committee on
Appropriations. These are the principal chan
ges.
REPORT OF THE SENATE IMPEACHMENT
COMMITTEE.
! Boutwell, presented majority report from the
Judiciary Committee; recommending the i'm
parchment of the President, signed by Bout
we'll, Thomas, Williams, Lawrence and Church.
i'll. The report charges the President with the
usurpation of power and violation OF the law in
corrupt abuse of appointing, pardoning and We.
to power, with corrupt interference in elections,
and generally with the commission of acts
amounting to high crimes and misdemeanors
under the Constitution. The report specifies the
events since the inauguration of Johnson, and
| fnos him guilty of neglecting to convene Cons
gress after the fnal surrender of the rebel ar.
mics and the overthrow of the rebel government;
that by its authority, legal and constitutional
measures might have been taken for organizing
of loyal constitutional government in the late
rebel States; that in his proclaim ation of May %,
| 1865, be assumed authority to decide whether
the government of North Carolina was republi.
can in form, which was contrary to the opinions
of the Supreme Court declaring that Congress is
|
! ey the government of a State is republican or
not. 1t recites number of other acts in the
creation of provisional governments and officers
| unknown to the Constitution or the laws, and
| illegally takiLg from the treasury money ia pay
:heir salaries with pardoning notorious traitors;
with having authorized the levy Of taxes, etc.,
| all of which with bis omissions of duty, are
usurpatiohs of power, and violations of his oath
of office and of the Constitution and laws re.
tarded public revenues, dsordered business, en-
couraged insubordination of the Southern people,
| kept alive spirit of rebellion, and postponed
the peaceful organization of the government.
| The Committee, therefore, recommended the
| passage Of resolutions impeaching the President
| of high crimes and misdemeanors.
Wilson and Woodbridge presented minority
report, declaring that the committee has not a
| particle of evidence which could be received by
any court in the land. They declare that bad
! spirit should be laid aside and the interests of
the Republic only be consulted. They refer to
| legal authority to show that impeachment can
not be supported by any act which falls short of
| an indictabe crime or misdemeanor. 1t says
"Viewed n the political light of the case, the
President has disappointed the expectations of
those who placed him 10 power, betrayed their
| confidence, Joined hands with their enemies, and
in this view deserves the censure and condemna-
tiOn of all good citizens; but that his political
unftness must be tried at the ballot box and not
in high court of impeachment" 1t cautions
| against Mexican experience as undesirable, as
almost every election there produces revolu>
ton. The cool judgment of the future will decide.
Political bitterness, they represent, has largely
given tone to the majority report. 'We there's
FORE" say Wilson and Woodbridge, deciare-'' that
the testimony does not disclose s1ch high crimes
as, within the meaning of the Constitution, re-
quire the interpositon of the constitutional pow
er of this House, and we, therefore, recommend
resolution discharging the consideration of
the impeachment
MEASURES IN CONTEMPLATION.
The United States Judges have decided
to recommend the passage of law authorz
ing the empanneling of jury from Penn
sylyania or Ohio, to try Surratt.