Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-12-19
CONGRESSIONAL.
,,eochnse,f o. fAs Ru,np Eouse.

For the benefit Of our readers, we
,ablish, at considerable length, the
losing proceedings on the Impeach-
ment farce, with notes.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 1867.
The Speaker stated that the regular
lnsiness in order was the proposed
mneachment of the President of the
limited States, on which the gentle
,non from Massachusetts (Mr. Bout
4 ,reln had the floor for one hour and
live minutes.
Mr.. Schenck, (Rep, of Ohio, appeal
al 20 Mr.. Boutwell, to give way, in
order to vote upon the bill reported
N bv him from the Committee of Ways
and Means, repeating the act which
riyes authority to the Secretary OF
n The Treasury to contract the currency.
Mr., Boutwell,, (Rep,) of .Massachu-
setts, said that he would be very glad
n 10 accede to therequest, but he thought,
from the very nature Of the question,
there would be pretty long debate
on that subject, and if it were once
opened he did not know where it
would stop.
Mr. Hooper, (Rep.,) of Massachu-
sets, appealed to his colleague to let
him offer a resolution, promising that
L gave rise TO debate he would with
draw it. .
Mr.. Boutwell, said he wns unwilling
TO refuse his colleagues request, but
that the gentlemen around him were
urging him to 60 on.
Mr. Hooper pressed his request, Sta
ting that he wished merely to bring
h the subject before the attention of the
House.
Mr. Boutwell, consented to yield the
floor for ten minutes
Mr. Hooper then proposed to offer
( a resolution declaring that in the opin-
ion of the House the amount Of revenue
annually collected by taxation, shall
not exceed three hundred millions OF
dollars, and instructing the Committee
of Ways and Means to report bill
SO modifying the l. ternal revenue tax
alton as to reduce the revenue from
internal taxation and tariff to $780,.
900, 900, and instructing the Commit.
tee on Appropriations not to exceed
that amount, including interest on the
public debt in appropriations reported
TO the House.
Mr.. Spalding, (Rep,,) of Ohio, said
be did not know that he should be
opposed TO the resolution, but he
wished to discuss, and therefore he
should object to its being adopteSanow
The resolution was read, received
and there were impatient cries from
many members for the regular order
OF business.
The House then resumed the con-
sideration Of the subject of impeach.
ment.
Mr.. Boutwell, continued his argu.
ments in support of the impeachment
resolution, taking it up where he had
left off, in the discussion of the legal
effect of the phrase, "high crimes and
misdcmeanors," used in the Constitu
tion. The phrase, he contended, wa:
used in accordance with and subject
to the rule of reason which lies at the
foundation of English common law
and that rule was that no person in
office could do an act contra bonot
mores, contrary to good morals. Sub
jecting the provision of the Constitu
ton to that rule, the result was thai
neither the President, Vice President
or other civil officer Of the United
States, could lawfully do an act, either
official or other, contrary to the goot
morals Gn large or public sense o
the Office he holds.
He illustrated and sustained thii
position by reference to the history o
impeachment in this country-par.ic
ularly to the case of Judge Samue
Chase, the eighth article ON which h,
was impeached charging him will
having, in an address to the granC
jury, in Baltimore, used language tend
ing to bring into disrespect the gov
ernment of the State of Maryland
tIf disresp.et for the government Of Maryland
were made the test now, at least three -fourths o
the loyal Rumpcrs ought to be impeaehed.
Senator is excluded from his scat, and eommitte
has been for some time inquiriug whether she ha
republican form Of government and much othe
disrespect shown towards this State BY the loyS
jayhawkers.l
and to the case OF Judge Pickering
of New Hampshire, the fourth article
on which he was impeached charging
him with being intoxicated on the
bench and invoking the name of the
Supreme being in most profane anc
indecent manner, TO the evil example
of all tho good citizens of the United
States. 81
IN drurl enncss and profanity is made a ties
for impeaohl reni, Ben. Wade and the half Of hi
party viii ego up."l
That article, he said, contained mo-
one element of an indictable offence
and yet he was found guilty on it anC
removed from his Office by vote o
II to I. He did not stand on the doc
trine that an indictable offence wai
not impeachable Ifthere were found
in the proceedings of our ancestors al
array Of articles against an offender
single article that did not contain an
indictable offence, and if the party
was convicted on that article, it sus
tanned the position OF the majority o.
the committee as we'll as though none
Of the articles specified contained ar
indictable offence.
He referred to the case of Judge
Humphrey, of Tennessee, impcachec
and removed from office in 1861, tn,
frst charge against him being that he
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