New-York tribune., 1868-03-09

bic it may be to send no bills to the White
House for approval while the President Is on
trial. there is work to be done which this cayil
does not affect. The Committee of Ways and
Means must I've nearly ready to report its Reve-
nue and Finance bills; and these will give tho
House annie work for q busy month. The re-
vision OF our Internal Revenue system, the abo-
lition of some taxes, the reduction OF others,
and the circumventiOn OF the swlndlers IN
Whisky and Tobacco, constitute the most ardu-
ous and difficult portion of the labors OF the seq
sion Now is the time to give them careful
and diligent attention.
And il is nowisc necessary, nor even 0Xpedi'
ent that Congress should suspend its dellbera'
tiops during the progress of the trial. AS
dictate of propriety, both Houses may direct
their Enrolling Committees not to present bills
to the President until the question is decided
The Constitution does not require that OillS
shall be laid before him Immediately after
their passage. And the House, in which so
large share of legislation is originated, can
continue its labors if it chooses, with only
partial Interruptions. In the celebrated lui-
peachment trial of Judge Peck III lSJO-3l, Ue
House met generally at ii a. ~, and trans
acted an hours business before proceeding
with their managers to the Senate; and at
last. wearied with the legal fOrmalitles, they
resolved on the 4th Of January 1881, on the
motion of Mr.. StOrrs, that the managers
"attend the trial at such times as the Senate
"appoint, and that the attendance OF the
"House DO dispensed with till otherwise
"ordered;" and they did not "ordcr other
"wiSen till the final arguments OF the counsel
and the managers were commenced. Mr..
Buchanan of Pennsylvania, Choirman of the
Managers, indorscd this action. lie said (see
Gales & Seaton's Register Of Debates, Vol. VII,
page 3jS):
"In the trials of Bount and Pickering the House did
attend in body, but left to the Managers 20 con
duct the Impeachment ON the trial OF Judge lhaie'
they did attend every day. On the trial OF warren
Hastings, the House Of Commons attended ~ tue com
% Se a Of S' the i"o Earl Of the Commons d
not attend until his conviction by the House Of Lords;
sent them that they ready to pronouDce Judgment
on the Impeachcd If the House would attend ana
demand H."
Mr.. Polk of Tennessee, also said page $3.50
"Te considered II unnecessary for the House to attend
the trial"
And in accordance with the views of these
gentlcmen-bOth of them afterward Presidents
of the United States-the House resolved rs
we have stated. But. if this Impeachment is
regarded as 80 much gravcr that the House
should attend the trial regularly, it could
still, following the usage during that part OF
the Chase Impeachment when the members
went as a House to the bar of the Senate, meet
at II a. IN. every day-an hour before the open
ing of the Court of Impeachment That would
give them "the morning hour the hour during
which, by their rules, the Committees report
in turn-the Hour of Action in the House-the
most valuable working hour of their daily ses-
sions And thus the country would see that
even the Impeachment of President did not
suspend or arrest the business action Of Con
gress, to which so many millions arc looking
for benefcent legislation.