The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-06-13

by the gentleman from Cabell mfr
Mr.. Pinnell believed the reference
/ of the resolution would kill it, and said
every gentleman in the House should
be prepared to vote upon it for the sake
| OF the interests of the State.
I Mr.. Hervey thought more harm than
good would result from the introduc.
| ton of the resolution.
1 Mr.. Chambers said he had not exam
ined the evidence against the President,
and was not ready to vote, but he ia.
| vored reference to the Committee. II
the Committee should report that the
evidence was sufficient to convict, he
was ready to vote for the resolution.
Mr.. Boughner said his vote would be
governed by what he knew of the
! evidence from the public press. He ar
gued that the Senate OF the United
States did not sit as a court for the
trial of Andrew Johnson, but the pro-
ceeding was of more or less political
nature. He referred to the fact
that certain Senators OF the Uni
ted States had voted on the 2lst
of February last, that Johnson
had infringed the law, and on the inn
peachmeut trial that he was guilty OF
no violation of law. There was no rea-
son for delay. He wanted to see fair
and square vote OH the resolution, and
motion to refer.
MIR. Ferguson, of Cabell, said that
with the greatest difhdence and humili-
ty OF soul, he ventured to differ with the
learned gentleman. from Monongalin,
Mr.. Boughnerl, but he really thought
that the Senate of the United States in
trying Andrew Johnson, was bound 10
be governed, as any other court was,
by the law and evidence. What right
had the West Virginia Legislature TO
deplore verdict given according to
tho law and evidence? The Legisla-
ture was called upon to say whether
that verdict was right or wrong, and
under the solemn responsibilities OF
their oaths how could the members vote
that the President was guilty of high
crimes and misdemennors, when they
had not heard all the evidence? Weak
kueed men might be driven to vote for
the resolution, but for his part he would
vote against if he should be read out
of the party for it, for the reason that
he thought the Legislature incompetent
TO adjudge the President guilty OF the
charges preferred against him.
Mr.. Pinnell said there was no man in
the House had more respect for the
opinions of the gentleman from Cabell
rMr. Fergusonl than himself, but the
course that gentleman had. taken with
regard to the resolution before the
House was somewhat strange. 1t had
been under discussion in caucus
whether it would be policy TO introduce
resolution of CenEure at the present
session, and he had opposed the nea-
sure, but the coordinate branch of the
Legislature had seen fit TO adopt such a
resolution and ask the concurrence of
the House in the same. The course
indicated by the gentleman from Ca
bell MIR. FergusOnl was TO refer the
rnbn1nfinYn n .TnnIN1OFV Com iftnp.
and he believed it was the intention
of that Committee to ascertain how
MANY members of the House
would vote for 1t. If the gentleman
from CHbell Mr.. Fergusonl had such
an object in view III making his mo-
ton, there was no better way to come
at it than TO take IA vote on the resolution
mt once.
10 refuse TO accept the resolution was
to let the world know that, in tho opin-
ion of the Legislature of West Nir-
Cinin, Andrew johnson was not guilty
of the charges preferred against BIN,
and it devolved upon the Republican
members to edo right though the heav-
ems fall"
The discussion was continued at some
length by Messrs. Hervey, Hagar and
Riddle, the first iavoring the motion TO
refer, and the two latter opposing.
Mr.. Armstrong demanded the Previ-
Gus question. The vote was taken on
the motion to refer and it WAS lost.
The question recurring upon the res
olution, Mr.. Armstrong offered as a
substitute the eighth plank of the.plat-
form adopted by the Chicago COnYen-
ton on the 20Lh of May last.
Mr., Armstrong demanded the yeas
and nays on the adoption of the sub
stitute offered by himself, and they
were ordered and taken and the substi-
tute was rejected by 10 yeas TO 70 nays.
Mr.. TomIinson offered q SUBSTITUTE
setting forth that the legislature
was not prepared to judge whether the
acquittal of the President was right or
wrong, not having heard the evidence
in the case, and that our Senators in
Congress were better qualified to judge
of his guilt than the legislators of West
Virginia.
whole question on the table. Agreed
to.
Mr.. Boughner stated that his motion
was made under misrepresentation.
Mr.. Fleming, of Harrison, then
moved to reconsider the vote by which
the resolution and substitute were laid
on the table. Agreed to.
The question then was upon tue
adoption of the substitute offered by
the gentleman from Mason Mr.. Tom
linsonl.
Mr.. Armstrong moved to indefinitely
postpone. Decided out of order by the
The vote upon the adoption of the
substitute was taken by yeas and nays
and it was lost. Yeas 16; Nays 29.
Mr.. Parker offered substitute rectt-
ing that in the opinion of the Iegis-
lature of West Virginia the President
was not guilty of high crimes and mis-
demeanors, and that his conviction
would have been an outrage upon law
and justice and an injury to the nation,
and congratulating the people OF West
Virginia that one of their Senators had
nv his vote contributed towards his
acquittal.
Mr.. Miller demanded the yeas and
nays, and they were taken, eight Demo-
Gratis voting aye, all that were present.
So the substitute was rejected.
Mr.. Pinnell moved to reconsider the
vote by which the substitute offered by
the gentleman from Marshall [Mr.
Armstrong; was rejected. Agreed 10.
Mr.. Pinnell moved the adoption OF
the substitute.
Mr.. Heermans demanded the yeas
and nays, and the substitute was
adopted by so yeas to Is nays.
The question recurring upon the
adoption of the Senate resolution, as
amended, 1t was agreed TO.
The yeas and nays were not called
upon this vote.
The resolutions reported from the
Senate were concurred in.
Under a suspension of the rules
moved by Mr.. Heermans, the same
gentleman offered a resolution reciting
that the present session of the Legtsla-
ture was called for the purpose of pre-
pairing the Code and declaring, there
fore, that after the 18th inst, no bust.
that NalaHfn0F IN tho Itnnp