Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-06-04
CONGRESSIONAL.
WASHINGTON, June 8.
SENATE

rOsu company. Referred to committee ol
Finance
Mr.. SUMNER offered the following reso
lutions, which were placed on the calendar
and ordered printed aa'
WHEREAS, A pretension has been pu
torth to the effect that the vote of q Senate
on an Impeachment is so far different ir
character from his vote on any other ques
tion, that the people have no right to criti
WHEREAS, This pretension, if not dis
countenanced, is calculated to impair tina
freedom of judgment which belongs to the
people on all that is done by their repre-
sentatives; therefore, in order to remove
all doubts on this question, and to declare
the Constitutional right of the people in
cases OF impeachment,
Resolued, That, even assuming that the
Senate IS a Court in the exercise of judicial
power, Senators can not claim that their
votes are exempt from the judgment of the
people; that the Supreme Court. when il
has undertaken to act on questions essen
tally political In character, has not escaped
this Judgment; that the decision of this
high tribunal in support of slavery has
been openly condemned; that the memora-
BILE utterance known as the Dred Scott
decision was Indignantly denounced and re-
pudiated, while the Chief Justice who pro-
nounced it became mark of censure and
rebuke, and that plainly the vote of SEN
munity from popular Judgment which ha :
been denied to the Supreme Court. with
Taney as Chief Justice. -
Second, Resolued That the Senate is not
at any time court invested with judicial
power, but that it is always Senate with
specified functions declared by the Consti-
| tuition that according to the express words
the judicial power of the United States is
/ vested in one Supreme Court. and such in
| ferior courts as Congress- NAV ordain and
| establish, while it is further provided that
the Senate shall have the sole mower tn
try all impeachment, thus positively max
| ing distinction between the iudicia, now
er and the power to try impeachment: that
the Senate on an, impeachment does not
exercise any power of the judicial mower.
but another and a different power. exclu.
sively delegated to the Senate. having for its
sole object removal from office and disouai-
| ification therefrom, that bv the terms of
| the Constitution there may be, after con-
yiction on impeachment. q further trial
and punishment according to law. thus
making discrimination between a nro-
ceeding by Impeachment and proceedinu
according to law: that the proceeding bv
( impeachment is not according to law and
not attended by legal punishment. but is
| of an opposite character, and from beoin-
ming to end political, being instituted by
| a political body and on account of
political offenses, being conducted before
another political body having political
power only, and ending in a judgement
| which is political only, and thereof the
votes offs Senator on Impeachment, though
different in form, is not different in respon-
sibility from his vote on any other politi-
cal question. Nor can any Senator,
on such occasion,i claim immunity from
that just accountability which a rcpresen-
| tative at all times owes to his constituents.
Third, Resotoed, That Senators, in all that
| they do, are under the obligation of an
oath binding them to the strictest rectisude:
| that on impeachment they take further
oath according to the requirements of the
Constitution, which says Senators, when
sitting to try impeachment shall be on
oath or affirmation; that this simple
requirement was never intended to change
the character of the Senate as a political
body, and cannot have any such operation,
| and therefore Senators, whether before or
after the supplementary oaths are equally
| responsible to the people for their vote,
it being the Constitutional right of the
people at all times to sit in judgment on
/ Mr. CHANDLER called nm the hill to
regulate the foreign coasting trade of the
Northeastern coasts
Mr.. MORRIIJ. of Vermont tbouobt tho
bin as at present framed was Sefecti1a
Mr. M6RRHJ of Maine nronosad
amendment To meet tba most ornnpSs of
objection, which were agreed to. and the
bill nassed A0
OitT Tbe paf5Grt iii to nrovide q temnorarv ooverr
mert for the Territorv of WyonoSi,,, Nc,
Considered samended and nossed was
M SHERW III IN ''f.nr,, Gnu +p passou. -
Finance, reported the foilowino amenIi-
men. to the bill reported ,Janurv 18th. re
iating to limited States notes: To strike ont
ali after the enactinG clause and insert the
following: That anv contract hereafter
made. snecificaIjv nayahIe in coin shall he
legal and valid. and NAV he enforced ac.
corC]ing to its terms anythino In the sev.
eral acts relatina to ITnited States notes ~
the contrarv nofw;thstanSin "''o' W
Mr., HEN'DRICKS Fc,t 81 moved to talre-,,,, ,b.
hill To make eight honrs davis labor in in the
Government ,xorLsbons iA 'no
Mr.. TRJIMRI1TT, nroed the oors;dero-
tion of the hin for the sdm;ssi,n Of Wortb
Carolina. South Caroiina Ionisiana Coorl WI
0ia and EIorida NN0i
After some discussion and without on
ION tho senate adionrned ~
The SPEAKER presented several com
munications including a letter from the
Secretarv of War. with a ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
from General Sheridan. relative TO Govern
ment aid to the Paci ith9failroad. eastern di
vision. ~
Mr.. BURR proceeded to conpratulate the
House ami country on the Democratic vic.
torv IN OREGON.
Mr.. r.FARNSWORTH called for the regu-
ar business. = : = - = .
The House proceeded to the considera-
tjon of the Ohio contested election case
Mr.. MORGAN, the sitting memhsr con-
cluded his argument.
Messrs. SCOFJEID. SCHENCK and
DAWES smoke in favor of the claim ot
the contestant
The nrevions orestion u.s seoondod ond
tho respintion Gdiving tbe. Cot ~ 6n,ano ano
adonted by sl TO AZ. He anneared at the
Clerks desk. and took the oath of office.
Mr.. WOODWARD offered a resolnr;on
that wbatever divers;t;eS of on;n;"n ,,,ov
nrevoiI rsIo,;ve 70 The odn,;niStratin,, y