The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-03-26
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
SOME INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES CONCERNING
THE TENURE OF OFFICE BnL-GEN. HOWARD
on AMA1aAaAT1oN-Tm CASE OF ALABAMA
PROBABLE RESULT OF THE IMPEACHMENT, ETC.
WASHINGTON, March
IraoM DUB OWN CORRESPONDENCE

WASHINGTON, March "a,
As the trial Of the President of the. United
States, under articles Of impeachment, predi-
Gated mainly on an alleged violation of the
Tenure of Office Law, Is about to take place, it
may not be uninteresting to your readers to
revive some facts and circumstances relative
to the enactment of that law, and to show
what leading Radical senator's thought OF it at
the time of it's passage. 1t was originally in
troduced in the Senate in the winter Of 1867 by
MIR. Trumbul, Of Illinois, from the Committee
on the Judiciary. It protected all officers con-
frmed by the Senate, except Cabinet ministers,
from removal without the consent of the Sen
ate; and in that shape it was adopted and sent
to the House. The latter body, however,
amended it by including Cabinet officers, and
returned it to the Senate, 30 amended. The
Senate refused to concur in the amendment,
and asked Committee Of Conference, which
was ordered by the two houses. But the COM
mittee failed to adjust the disagreement, each
house adhering to its former vote. On the
18th Of February, '67, another Committee of
Conference was ordered, and that committee
agreed to accept the House amendment, with
an amendment as follows:
"Prouided, That the Secretaries of State, Of
| the Treasury, OF War, Of the Navy, Of the In
terror, the Postmaster General and the Attor-
ney-Genersl, shall hold their Offices respec-
lively, for and during the term Of the Presi-
dent by whom they may have been appointed,
| and for one month thereafter, subject to re-
moval, by and with the advice and consent OF
| the Senate"
The House agreed to this amendment by q
strict party vote, and it came up in the Senate
on the evening of February IS, 1867, Messrs.
Sherman, Williams and Buckalew, managers OF
the Conference Committee were present. MIR.
Buckalew, not having concurred in the report,
stated his reasons for opposing the measure
and was followed by Mr.. Williams (Radical)
who, after explaining the object Of the amend
ment and its effect said:
1 have from the beginning Of this contro
versy (referring to the struggle between the
two Houses on the amendment) regarded thlf
as quite an MINISTERIAL matter, Notwithstanding
the fact that the two Houses have been yer,
tenacious in the respective positions they have
taken; for I have no doubt that any Cab1ne
Minister who has particle Of self-respect-
and We can hardly suppose that any man woult
occupy go responsible an Office without haVlnt
that teeling-would decline TO remain IN tn
Cabinet after the President had signifed II
him that his presence was no longer needed
presume that whenever the President see
proper to rid himself of an offensive or dis
agreeable Cabinet Minister, he will only hav
to signify that desire and the minister Will re
tire, and new appointment be made.
Nj. Sherman then said: agreed to the re
port of the Conference Committee with grea
deal of reluctance. The Senate had, by two de
hbe1ate votes, declared it's purpose not to max
the duration of the Cabinet officers fixed b
any time, but that they should held their ol
fees at the pleasure of the President, and the
was the original design in the creation Of thel
Offices; but the general purpose Of this bill is
very important, it establishes so salutary a re
; form thas I thought it ought not to be endar
gered by dispute on a collateral question
The House conferees and the House by tw
votes were very tenacious upon the subjec