Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-04-11

FORTlETaA CONG REwN.

WAsuINGroS, April l0.-SENATE After
prayer :hc chair was occupied by the Chic
Justice. and the court opened. The jour
nal Of yesterday was read. The CALLER,
was about hall iilled Gen. Sherman agar
occupied seat on the floor Mr.. Curtis
| the counsel fer the President resumed hi.
opening u ID minutes past , o'clock.
MT. Curtis comm, ncs i hy referring to Tie
settlement mad" hy Mr.. Butler fat n,
| Presidents lctttr te the Secretary OF thu
Treasury notify Ing him OF the suspension
| Il alr. Stanton claimed no justification oi
| his authority under the Constitution He
| read the letter, aud claimed that ii did
specify under what authority the President
acted.
The charges made in the second article
were then discussed by Mr.. Curtis, who pro-
ceeded to argue that MIR. Stanton did not
come within the provisions OF the section
OF the tenure If Office III alleged 10 lie
violated. ihe case, he said, was outside OF
its provisions but, sud Mr. Curtis, the main
charge of this article is that the letter of
authority was given without authority Of
law. Reading the act If 1895, he claimed
1t applied 10 vacancies OF all kinds, and the
hct oi February 20. 1868, applied to vacan-
cies arising from sickness and temporary in.
ability, and only 10 that extent repealed
by the former, under which the President
had Iull authority for the act referred to.
In reply 10 the charge made in the third
ar,i that The designation Of Gen Thomas
as 5, oie,ary Of War al Interim was in vio-
la,iop nf the Constitution, Mr., Curtis cited
the acts oi 1892 and Others, which author
lies the temporary filling ot vacancies with
out making any distinction between vacan.
cies accrulng during recess or when the
Senate IL in session
The eighth article, Mr.. Curtis claimed,
was met by his answer 10 the third one.
He.procetded to consider The 4th epecif-
cston-the Charge Of appointing General
Tn mas Without The advice and consent OF
the Senate. Ii could not be sustained be
cause no appointment. was made. A sim
pie cuu~ent 10 act WAS not an appointment.
ana could mot ot course he submitted 10 the
ceuese TIE allegation that NO yAcnOcv
then existed 10 begging tho quessiun. The
vacancy was created As soon 40 stanton
1 received IN order removing him.
Mr.. Curtis then claimed he had shown
the Managers could not maintain their
charges ot violation OF the Constitution and
laws. and proceeded to consider the vasious
charges OF conspiracy For this purpose he
said he would take up the icurtn, fitn.
sixth, and seventh articles togel her-,he
fourth and sixth which charged conspir.
scy between the President and General
Thomas Ia obtain by force and intimda-
| lion possession Of the War Office aud Coz.
eminent property based on conspiracy.
Al set which. by its terms has no applica-
ton To any person IN the District of Co.
lumbia Tor II speaks only o. Slstes and
Territories OF the United States.
II was also impossible to show that the
Preside Mt ever did directly or by mplca-
ton give Gen. Thomas authority 10 use
force or Intimidation The 9th and 9Th ar
ticles would bs answered by his arguments
against the 10th
nr. Curtis then claimed that the charge
uiAoe IN the 9th article not only failed OF
PROOF ou. was absolutely disproved by the
testimony ot ten. Emory. who swore 10
having introduced the snhisct 10 drsv ON.
toe President IL woul,; nprrnr IN crcof
that the President sen, ior him for eu,irelv
iferent purposes from those all.y.a \, ~.
srucle referred To.
Advancing to the tenth article. Mr.. Curtis
went into the question OF what are i'm
peschsole oftense-, or, giving the Ian euaee
- we consultation. II was TO allow I'm
Nesnmeht Tor treason, bribery. and other
| nea crimes and misdemcanors, which os her
nSu crimes ana misdemeanora must be
| eQuai'y grave OHenses, and he of1snsee
| against the United States The comn,.;r,
made in the tenth article is that IN. peel
dent spoke d'srespec'ful'y OF Congress. /,
should have been said Of tie dominant ma.
jofity. But the charge was brought for
ward in an extraordinary way, for The grand
Jury is one body oi Congress and the triers
constitute the oshef. The spectacle Ia, how
ever, that Of Congress resolving itself into
school of manners.
Mr.. Curtis passed very brief over the
11th article, chsracterIzing IL as compound
Of the 10th preceding. and closed with
reference TO the unprecedented magnitude
and importance of the case, saying that
.nere had not been, anu never could another
occasion like this occur IN the proceedings
Os snc 0ovesumens 10 prove the greatness
Aoef!coa juelice OF injustico; that Jus
49, o. injustice which burke onvo 4 TIE