The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-07-12

Aharp and Exciting Dabate on the
Impeachment Question.

Impeachment Question.
( WASHINGTON, July lO.-The impeach
ment question, or rather the doings o
the Impeachment Committee, got int
the House this afternoon, and CONF
near making row. The Chairman
Mr.. Wilson, in obedience to instruc
/ tions by his associates, rose to ques
ton of privilege and said he WAS direct
( ed to state that the Committee had mol
/ yet concluded their Investigation, and
were not ready to report in full nj the
present session. but would do so any
I time after the middle of October.
Mr.. Boutwell, followed with resolu'
ton proposing an adjournment from
blank day, to the 10th Of October. In
| the course of n few remarks he said the
! impeachment question had reached
such stage that il must soon be
brought before the House for deci-
sion, and he earnestly desired that Con-
eress might meet at the time he had
named to take the matter up and get il
disposed OF before the time for the be-
ginning OF the regular December ses-
sion. He wanted definite adjourn
ment. and would not ngree to such a
conditional adjournment as was made
| in April last, because he believed it I'M
unconstitutional. w.
Mr. Spalding doubted If the majority
of the House would agree to come back
! in October to consider the Impeachment
question, and said he wanted, If IL were
allowable, to move to table Mr.. Bout
wells resolution.
Mr.. Pike was opposed to n conditional
adjournment, and did not believe il
best to come here again in October, and
wanted definite adjournment TO the
second Monday in November.
Mr.. Stevens was opposed TO an Octo-
Der session unless the impeachment re-
port was made now and sent to the
printers, so that it might be in the
hands of every member when the
question comes up for discussion.
Mr.. Boutwell, said the debate in the
House would probably occupy several
weeks, and he deeply felt the impor-
lance of coming here as early as the
middle of October, and thought the
| Senate ought TO consent to do so.
Mr.. Stevens repeated that he would
not adjourn to that date unless the re-
port and evidence were now submitted.
| He thought the committee had made a
grave mistake in the manner of their
investigation. They had been taking
evidence for six months when the rea-
sons for the Presidents Impeachment
were patent to everybody. He would,
at the proper time, submit a resolution
directing report to be made next
week.
A sort oftriangular and sharp toned
discussion then sprang up between
Messrs. Williams, Wilson and Wood
bridge, the two gentlemen first named
chiefly participating, during which il
became evident that there is a good
deal of bitter feeling between the im.
parchment and anti-impeachmeut Re
publican members of the Committee. II
appears from what was said in this
swift debate of fifteen or twenty min
4 Z Il. II i
get back here on the 18th of June, the
day to which the Committee in May adj
journed, that the impeachment mem
Ders were here, and at once began
taking evidence; that the witnesses had
! been before the Committee aboHt every
day since the session began, for exam
! nation by Democrats, or Impeachment
by Republicans; that Wilson and
! Woodbridge have rather ignored the
4 Committee meetings for the last week;
that several witnesses have been called
| for examinations; that several who have
| appeared once, are to be examined
/ again; that q considerable amount oil
| Information expected from the Depart
ments has not yet been furnished; that
! the three Republicans who oppose i'm
parchment have not yet begun their
| report, though the Chairman has par
TALLY put his views into writing; that
some of the evidence being still in the
/ uOlt5 VI tue AGlOlLcE Is AlOL dCEeS6lDltl
and that the four Impeachment mem.
beers can have their report ready in two
| or three days.
| Mr.. Williams alleged that the evi.
dence now taking is merely cumulative;
that he and the other three members
who favor impeachment are ready 10
report at once. That in their view the
evidence in each OF the points exam
ined by the committee is sufficient to
sustain impeachment, and that it is not
/ the fault of the minority if report is
not made at the present time.
Mr.. Wilson retOrted that IL was
| Understood in May that no more evil
dence could be taken; that the report
| could not properly be made up till each
mber had copy OF the testimony,
and that the three who opposed i'm
| parchment certainly were not RESPONSE
| BILE for calling more witnesses. He
| protested against making the evidence
| public before the Investigation is con-
| cluded, and in advance of a report, and
said If the House ordered this to be
done, he would of course obey, though
he could do nothing more now than
submit the heads and leading points OF
| his report.
Mr.. Williams claimed that the re-
cords of the committee would show that
| he personally WAS not to blame for the
4 delay, and Mr.. Wilson replied that he
was willing TO let the records prove
who had done most to protract the in
quiTy.
The acrimonious discussion was here
brought TO close by the arrival of the
time previously set for announcing the
| death of Mr.. Dennison, of PennsyIva-
| mia, and Mr.. BOutwell's resolution went
! over till Tomorrow The questions
thus brought before the House are the
general theme ofcnnversatiOn this even
| ing. The impeachers and anti-im-
peachers are earnestly ca nvassing the
situation; and both sides are confident
of success tomorrow.