New-York tribune., 1868-03-05
WASHINGTON.

CHIEF-J JUSTICE CHASES LETTEK-CtAI Win
SECRETARY sTANTON-CAsE OF MR. BUTLER
OF TENNEsSEE-NEW-YORK POsT-oFFlCE-
GEORGETOWN AQUEDCCT
~ SaLssEABs rAIBrSE
WASHINGTON, March 4, lsts.
Another important act in the great drama of i'm
parchment was witnessed to-day in the formal pre-
sentation of the indictment against Andrew johnson
to tho body before which he is TO be tried for high
crimes and misdemeanors News Of what was TO
take place had spread through the city, and by l2
o'clock the Senate's galleries were choking full.
Every available inch of space was occupied, and
Numbers unable TO gain admittance lOunged about
the doors and thTonged the corridors, even though
unable either to or hear anything of the ceremo-
nies in the Chamber. The day was unusually bright
Cor the season. and the gentewOmen, who were IN
the majority in the audience. were atired as Tor
State occasion, very nearly resembling in dazzling
effect the of just three years ago to-day, when
Ar Johnson was inaugurated cePresident in the
the same Chamber, and when admttance was vOuch-
saed only by tickets and restricted TO the select and
favored few. The usual routine business of the
Senate occupied the hour from 70 20 and it severely
taxed the patience of both the floor and the galleries.
for all knew what was coming and watched the
clock for the appointed hour. One o'clock came, and
found Mr. Henderson Of Missouri ready TO stand up
behind a breastwOrk of books piled upon his desk
and surrounded by q battery OF manuscript
about the national DEBT, WnCn lie LnTtdtehou t"N'
charge at a moments notice The Funding Dill was
the order of the day. and Mr.. Henderson was en-
titled TO the floor just as the Chair was about to
call up this BILL it was whispered the floor that the
House Committee of Managers were on the way
over and about to enter the Chamber. moment
later the main doors of the Senate Chamber were
flung open, and the Committee of Managers, linked
arm in arm, and walking two by two followed by
nearly all the members of the House OF RepreSen-
tatives entered. MessTs. Bingham and Boutwell, led
the procession Then followed Messrs. Butler and
Wilson; then Messrs. Williams and Logan, and then
the venerable Thaddeus Stevens supported by
friend on either side The procession halted mo-
ment in entering the Chamber aud the Sergeant-at-
Arms announced to the Chair "the Managers of the
Impeachment on the part of the House of Repre-
Sentatves.n Mr.. Wade, from the Chair saluted the
Committee by repeating the same words The Man
ayers then marched down the aisle, and seated them
selves on historic chairs which had been provided
for them in front of the Secretarys desk, MeSSrs
Bingham, Boutwell,, Stevens and Logan to the LETT
of the Presiding Officer, and Messrs Wilson, Will |
liams and Butler to their left. In these identical
chairs placed precisely as they are, this day |
three years ago. sat the Cabinet Of President Lin /
coln while the incoming Vice-President harangued |
Of plebcians and couldn't for the life of him think
who WIS Secretary of the Navy. The scene IS
changed now, and the chairs support seven men who
are charged with the maintenance OF articles OF I'M
parchment against a faithess President, instead of
seven Judges and Cabinet Ministers to listen TO his
Hnaudln rhetoric. The members of the House who |
had come overland all had come, except the Demo
cratic members-flled the lobbies TO the right and !
left and few entered within the bar. took what |
vacant seats they could fnd and made themselves |
quite at home. While the hustle consequent upon |
such an influx was at its highest Mr. Hendricks rose
And moved that Speaker Colfax be invited TO seat
on the right OF the presiding officer The emotion was
adopted unanimously, and the Speaker was escorted
TO his seat Of honor by Mr. Grimes Of Iowa The
President pro tenn raped his gavel and ordered the
Esreeant,at-Arms who stood close by, TO make proc
lamation that the Managers Of the Impeach-
ment were ready to exhibit articles of i'm
peachment against Andrew johnson at the
bar of the Senate. The order was promptly |
Obeyed, and in clear round voice all persons
were ordered on pain of imprisonment, to keep ST.
lence during the presentation OF the articles. NO |
such Injunction was needed, however, for the gal
leries had already been hushed by curiosity into !
profounder quiet than official mandate could en-
force. Mr.. Bingham immediately rose and unfolded !
what looked like about two quires OF tooscap paper
stitched together in book FORM and from this ne pro-
oeeded to read the Articles Of Impeachment. His |
voice was firm, his reading slow and measured |
and every word that he uttered was audible |
IN the remotest part Of the Chamber The |
galleries listened with marked attention, but |
in this respect they were quite in contrast |
with the floor To the Senators and Members in the |
Chamber it seemed like thrice-tod tale for all had
heard and read it before, most of them more than
once and with the exception of Mr. Howard OF |
Michigan there did not seem TO be any attentive |
listener among them. Some read newspapers, Others
wrote letters and others sat Testessy IN their seats
during the % minutes which Mr.. Bingham consumed |
-, 4o.l~ fafo gN
the galleries before its conclusion, there being |
such an endless repetition of phrases about Year |
Of Lord and the said Andrew johnson, etc. The |
Managers stood during the reading, except |
Mr. Stevens, who resumed his seat after |
standing about Ave minutes The old man smiled |
pleasantly az the ausOn him in the citation from
the Presidents St. Louis speech contained IN Cen
Buffers article of Impeachment. At the conclusion |
Of the reading the Managers took their seats, and |
The attention of the galleries relaxed into con-
Gition of audible chatter. The President pro TEN !
announced that the Senate would take due notice OF
the Impeachment and inform the House Of Repre- |
sentatives when the High Court of impeachment |
Was ready to proceed with the trial. The Managers
nnd Representatives then returned to the House;
and thus ended the fourth act IN the great national
drama Later in the day a committee was appointed
10 wait upon the ChiefJustice and inform MN that
the Senate would be ready tomorrow to resolve IT
self into a High Court Of impeachment so 1t would
eeem that the Chief Justices letter-whlch ought 10
have been mentioned in earlier part OF this sketch
is not regarded of high authority on the const-
tutional mode of organizing the Court and Of COM
nencng proceedings in the impeachment of a Pres
dent
AT O'Clock tomorrow the Senate will take the
;,, the irpna trial bV VIII