Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1867-03-09
lNlPEAIHa yaENT.
REPORT OF THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE ON
VIEWS OF THE MAJORITY AND THE MINoRI.

VIEWS OF THE MAJORITY AND TIE MINoRI-
TT.
WASHINGTON, March 3.-Represcntativc
Wilson, of Iowa, late last night, made the
following report:
The Committee on the Judiciary, charged
by the House with the examination of GER
tain allegations of high crimes and misde-
meanors against the President of the United
States, submit the following report:
On the seventh day of January. 1867, the
House, on motion of Hon. James NJ. Ashley,
a Representative from the State of Ohio,
adopted the following preamble and resolu.
tion, to wit:
do impeach Andrew johnson, Vice Pres.
ident and acting President of the United
States, Of high crimes and misdemeanors,
ETC.
Here follow the specifications and the
resolution adopted on that OCCASION.
The duty imposed on the committee by
this action of the House was of the highest
and gravest character. No committee dur
ing the entire history of the Government
have ever been charged with a more import.
ant trust. The responsibility which is I'M
posed was of the most unpleasant nature.
Gladly would the committee have escaped
from the arduous labors imposed on it by
the resolution of the House; but once i'm
posed, prompt, deliberate and faithful action,
with view to correct results, became its
duty, and to this end it directed its efforts.
Soon after the adoption of the resolution
by the House, the Hon. james M. Ashley
communicated to the committee, in support
of his charge against the President of the
United States, such facts as were in his pos
session, and the investigation was proceeded
with, and has been continued almost without
days interruption. A large number of
witnesses have been examined, many docu.
ments collected, and everything done which
could be done to reach conclusion of the
case, but the investigation covers a broad
field, embraces many novel and interesting
and important questions, and involves Il
multitude of facts, while most OF the wit
nesses are distant from the capital, owing to
which the committee, in view of the magni-
tude of the interests involved in it's action,
has not been able to conclude its labors, and
is not, therefore, prepared to submit q
definite and final report.
| If the investigation had even approached
completeness, the committee would not feel
authorized to present the result to the House
at this late period of the session, unless the
charges had been so entirely nega,ived as to
admit of no discussion, which, in the opin-
|
| Certainly no affirmative report could be pro-
pery considered in the expiring Houses of
this Congress The committee not having
fully investigated all the charges against
the President of the United States, it is
deemed inexpedent to submit any conclu-
sions beyond the statement that sufficient
testimony has been brought to its notice to
! justify and demand further prosecution OF
the investigation.
The testimony which the committee has
taken will pass into the custody of the clerk
OF the House, and Can 60 into the hands oi
such committee as may be charged with the
duty of bringing this investigation to a
close, so that the labor expended upon il
may not ha7e been in vain
The committee regrets its inability def
nitely to dispose of the important subjec,
committed to its charge, and present this
report for its own justification and for the
additional purpose of notifying the succeed
ing Congress of the incompleteness of its
la6ors aud that they should be completed
THOMAS d. MoRRIs, Chairman.
+. E. WOODBRIDGE, BvRToN C. Cook
GEORGE S. boutwell,, WM. LAWRENCE
THOMAS WILLIAMS,
THE MINORITY REPORT.
Representative A. J. Rogers, one Of tho
Committee on the Judiciary, dissents from
his colleagues, saying the committee refuse.
to allow report to he made giving the evi
dence to the House at the time, upon ground:
which are no doubt satisfactory TO them
selves. Therefore he could not report tn,
evidence upon which his conclusion is based
which he would gladly dc, did the commit
tee deem it expedient.
The examination of witnesses and tn,
records was commenced, as appeared by the
majority report, about the time of the refer
ence, to wit: On the 18th day of January
1867, and continued daily.
large number of witnesses has been ex
amined, and everything done that could 5t
to bring the case to close, as appears b,
the conclusion that sufficient testimony ha,
been brought to its notice to justify and dc
mand a further prosecution Of The investiga
tion. | have carefully examined all tn,
evidence in the case and do report that ther'
is not one particle of evidence to sustain an,
of the charges which the House charged til,
committee to investigate that the case il
wholly without particle of evidence upor
which impeachment could be founded; anS
that with all the effort that has been made
and the mass OF ofevidence that has been taken
} the case is entirely bald OF proof
lie furthermore reports that the most o
the testimony that has been taken is of
secondary character, and such as would no
J be admitted in court of justice. In view
of this conclusion he can see no good in
continuation of the investigation. He i
convinced that all the proof that could b.
produced has been before the committee, q
70 pains have been spared to give the cas-
t a full investigation. Why, then, keep tn
I country in feverish state of excitenen
+ upon the question any longer, as it is sure t,
t end, in his opinion, in complete vindica
tion of the President, if justice be done t,
him by the committee, of which he has nj
, doubt2
The Vienna journals relate dramatic
incident at recent masked ball in that cit
A young couple, finding their steps constant
ly dogged by female figure in black
domino, were about to leave the theatre il
; order to escape from the espionage, whei
the stranger placed herself before them apo
dashed vial of vitriol in the face of th
gentleman. The domino on being arreste,
and unmasked proved to be lady belong
1 -. q Al -