The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-04-02

EXAMINATION OF WITNESSES.
POWERS OF THE CHIEF JUSTICE
INTERESTING DEBATE, ETC.

hcHt Oourt reaSSemOled At noon to-day,
CAiet Justice Chase presiding. The at
tendance IN the galleries was not large.
Iac Managers on the part OF the House and
t@a counsel Of the President were present.
Tee attendance Of members of the House
wsS much smaller than on yesterday. Very
iaw Democratic Representatives were pre-
sent.
Mr.. Wilson. on the part of the Man
ayers, offered in evidence the resolution
oi the Senate non -concurring in the sus-
pension Of Mr.. Stanton. He then offered
The message Of the President of the 2lst
OF February, announcing the removal of
Mr. Stanton, and also the resolution Of the
Senate of the same date declaring that he
had no power to make such removal. He
next offered a copy Of the commission Of
Mr.. Stanton issued in January, 1862, duly
authenticated, and stated at the time that
this was the only commission under which
NJ. Stanton claimed 10 hold the office OF
Secretary Of War.
Mr.. Buticr, on the part Of the Managers,
then called Major William J. Mcdonald,
chief clerk OF the Senate, who testified
TO having served copy OF the Senate re-
solution of the 2lst Of February on the
President.
Mr.. Butler then called J. W. Jones, an
cmploye of the Senate, who testified to
serving copy of the Senate resolution OF
the 2lst Of February on General Thomas.
Mr.. Charles Eaton Creecy, appointment
clerk of the Treasury Department, was
next called, and examined with reference
10 the form OF commissions issued through
that Department both prior and suhSe-
uucnt to the passage of the tenure -of-office
set. Mr.. Creecv was crosS-eXamined by
counsel for the defence.
Mr.. Butler called Hon. Burt Van Horn,
who was sworn: Was at the War Depart
meut when General Thomas came there to
make demand for the property, papers, and
effects Of the office. It was on Saturday
tie 22l Of February, few minutes after
! o'clock. Generals Dodge and Thayer
were present, also Mr. Freeman Clark,
My. J. X. Moorhead, Mr.. Columbus De-
lano, Mr.. ". D. Kelley of Pennsylvania,
and Mr.. Thomas ". Kelly Of Michigan :
Inc Secretary OF War and his son were
also present The gentlemen named were
in TIE Secretary's office engaged IN con-
v.r,atiOn. General Thomas came into the
S-c~,tarv's room. He said : " Good morn
ing, Mr. Secretary good morning, gentle
men" The Secretary said "GOod morn
ig-." and believe we all did. The wit
ness then proceeded to read from his
testimony given before the Impeachment
MANAGERS an account Of the conversation
which took place, as follows General
.waom4s said | am Secretary OF ar dd
interim. and am ordered by the President
Of the United States TO take charge
Of The ctiice, and hereby require you to
deliver to me the books and papers. Mr.
Stanton: | order you to your room as
Adiutant- General. General Thomas re-
ucated. am Secretary of War ad interim,
aad Shall not obey your orders; shall
obey The orders Of the President. MIR.
Stanton: AS Secretary Of War, order
yuuto vour room TO the discharge OF your
duties as Adjutaut- General. General
Thomas: ] shall not do SO. Mr.. Stanton
Then YOU can stand there; if you act as
Secretary Of War, you do II at your peril.
General Thomas shall do 1t. Gcneral
Thomas then went 10 the Office of General
Shriver, and had some conversation l did
not near: he was followed by Mr.. Stan
ton, General Moorhead, MIR. Kelley, and
myself; be then had some other CONVEX
sation with Mr.. Stanton, which did not
hear. Further conversation took place as
follows Mr.. Stanton Then you claim to
act as Secretary OF War! General
Thomas: do | shall require the mails OF
the War Department to be delivered TO
me. Witness made memorandum OF
luis conversation at the time, and reduced
il 10 writing Immediately in the oilice, and
lis correctness was testified to by those
present: left General Thomas in the room
OF General ShTiver.
Mr. Stanbery Mr.. Van Horn, will you
please state what was your business IN the
Var Department that morning!
Witness Business!
Mr. Stanbery What business?
Witness: No object except merely to
see the Secretary and converse on pubic
affairs.
Mr.. Stanhery What public affairs?
Witness Matters connected with the
events which were then transplrlng.
Mr. Stanbery : Who did you 60 in COM
pauy with!
Witness: General Clark, of New York !;
when we arrived, General Moorhead was
there Mr.. Kelley, Mr.. Delano, and two
or three others, came IN afterwards uoh'
know what their business was; ala not
state any business to me: l went there
ready to take notes; had large envelope
III my side pocket and pencil; not IN
the habit OF making notes OF private con-
yerSutons no one requested me to take
notes; did il On my own hook; had per-
feet right TO do so; General Thomas went
out first, and was immediately followed Dy
the Secretary, then Moorhead and my
self; the Secretary did not request any
gentleman TO follow him; went on my
own motion; all OF Us did not go; followed
Mr. Stanton il perhaps a minute; cannot
say what took place between General
Thomas and the Secretary before came
il; took my envelope and my pencil in
my hand; probably destroyed the enTe-
lopc; cart say whether ! did or did not
destroy il; had no occasion to keep it;
the document / read from was my testi-
lnoDy taken before the Managers OF I'm
pcachnent il was written outby young
man from my notes.
Mr. Staubery: Where are those notes
Witness latter pause): DO not know ;
the young man is the clerk OF one Oh tn9
committees; have no recollection DO" !
disposed Of the envelope or OF the notes.
Question BY Mr.. Stapbery: In that con-
Tersatiou did Mr. Stanton ask the question
whether he should vacate immediately, VI
did he ask to have time to arrange his prl-
vale papers
Witness answered that nothing was then
said about private papers. The question
did not come up in that conversation. r.
In answer to the question propouDded
by Mr.. Butler, Mr.. Van Horn said that