Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1868-04-01
Washington City Gossip.

MARCH "a Ihe proceedings OF the
Court of Impeachment were brief and of
little interest The Managers of the House
presented their replication to the President s
answer, very brief document, denying
each and every averment in said several
answers, or either of them, which denies
or traverses' the charges of the Articles of
Impeachment. The question as to grant
ing the ten days delay asked for the defense
then came up, and after two hours deliber-
alton in secret session the Senate resolved
to order the trial to proceed with all dis
patch on March 3Oth When the Senate
retired for deliberation on the extension of
time to the President, Vice President Wade
remained behind on the floor, conversing
with members of the House and others.
Judge Black denies that he retired from
the Impeachment case because he disa-
greed with the President and his counsel
upon the line of defense to be pursued. 1t
seems that he has quarreled with the Pres
ident in regard to a claim which certain
persons have against the Government, and
for whom he is counsel. The case is a
claim of ownership to the guano on the Is
land of Alta Vela. Judge Black held that
the President could settle the claim in favor
of his clients if he felt so inclined. and that
this would be simply doing justice to an in
jured person. The President had promised
to settle the dispute, but Mr.. Seward inter-
fered and prevented such a settlement. The
only hope which Judge Black now has is
with Congress, and not wishing to leopard
ize his client claim he withdrew as one of
the counsel of the President.
1t is stated that bill extending for one.
year the operation of the voluntary feature
of the bankrupt law, without the fifty per
cent. restriction as it now stands in the thir-
ty-third section, has been agreed upon in
the House Committee, and is expected to be
adopted in both Houses.
They say, at Washington, that the little
unrleasantness between Mr.. Johnson's Sec
retary, Seward, and his confidential friend,
Judge Black, is likely to result in a publ
cation by the latter of review of sundry
transactions in the State Department, with
the promise of ''rich developments. Since
these gentlemen have fallen out, we have
faith enough in an old adage to believe that
the public may ultimately be profted.
President johnson, it is said, has found
one solace from the impeachment, and that
Is, since he was summoned to appear for
trial the office seekers have ceased to annoy
him.
Jefferson Davis has arrived at Baltimore,
on his way, it is said. to Washington, to at
tend the trial of President johnson When
Davis was in the height of his glory, John
son was fleeing for his life from his myrmi-
dons in Tennessee. Again, when johnson
gltive from the troo ops set on his track by
johnson. Now the tables are once more
turned the trial of Davis for treason has
been Indefinitely postponed, and he stands
by to see johnson tried for the highest mis-
demeanor known to the law Verify the
ups and downs of real life are more wonder
full than any we find recorded in the pages
of fiction.
The Senate on the Goth, passed the We
toed bill relating to the jurisdiction of the
Supreme Court. The debate consumed the
whole day, the Democratic Senators embrac-
ing the opportunity to put on record their
protest against the abrid dgment of the powers
of the Supreme Court
The reslution of Gerrit Davis, of Ken
lucky, on Monday a-week, literally deelar-
ing the Senate IAN unconstitutional body
hanging on the verge of the Government"
and overwhelmingly defeated. receiving but
two votes in a full Senate, was sad mis-
take Not only did the vote by which it
was rejected set the seal of reprobation up
on Andrew Johnson's arrogant assumption
against Congress, and place Chief Justice
Woodward, the last parrot of that treasona-
BILE doctrine, in a humiliating attitude. but
it was the solemn judgment of the Senate
against what would probably have constitu-
ted one of the strongest pleadings of the
President S counsel
Minnesota has made some important
changes in her criminal code. She has