New-York tribune., 1868-03-06
WASHINGTON.


DEPARTMENT-Ross BROWNIES REPORT-THE
CHIEF-JUSTICESHlf'
=, ,sIseNAyH 10 TRIBrNA
WASHINGTON, Thursday, March g. 1883.
Another historic day IN Washington, and another
and very important step in the programme OF I'M
peaohment As early as o'clock this morning all
the avenues leading to the Capitol were thronged Tor
1t was known that the Senate would at o'clock re-
solve itself into the High Court of Impeachment
which is 10 weigh and determine Andrew Johnsons
right 10 continue in Office. Long before noon
the Senate's galleries were crowded with
An attentive concOurse of both sexes. The
ladies' gallery was unusually brilliant and
SITS occupants chartered like 10000 magples
until rap Of the Vice Presidents gavel awed them
into silence, and warned them of prayer from the
Chaplain. which Immediately followed. A rumor
was then put into circulation and it Travelled with
the speed of electricity that ChefJustce Chase had
declined to open the Court today on account OF the
MoArdle case which had engrOssed his attention ana
that of all his associates the Supreme bench; but
this soon proved to be false alarm. The routine
business of the morning hour voted bore by all
In the Senate Chamber. People had come to witness
q momentOus event, and could not naturally have
patience with pension bills and such legislative
trifes as seemed to gross the Senates attention
during the first hour. One o'clock was anxlousiy
watched for, and promptly at lnaJ HOuI ihO CHN~"NN
doors of the Senate Chamber were thrown open ana
botb floor and galleries were hushed into keen ex-
uectanov A moment later the Chief Justice, easily
recognizable in his judicial robes, entered accompa-
MED by Senator PomerOy on his left, and followed
by Judge Nelson, who was IN plain GVlhan dress,
and walked arm in arm with Senator Wilson.
Mr.. Wade, in the chair, Immediately raped hls
gavel suspended legislative business announced
yesterdays resolution for the organization OF the
A. h., ha ItnfV VnGfIn
with his escort walked down the aisle TO the wee
Presidents desk and said:
SENATOR'S am here in obedience to your notice for
the purpose Of proceeding with you IN forming Court OF
Of the United statCs am now ready to take the oath
AssOcate-Justce Nelson then administered the FOL
lowing oath to the Chief Justice:
do solemly swear that IN all things aRReTtaniPg t 70
dent Of the United States, now pending VIII DO impair
tal justice according to the Constitution ana the laws SO
help me God.
The Chief Justice then took the chair which Mr..
Wade had just vacated and ordered the Senators to
be sworn IN succession. BY this time the galleries
were so densey crowded that Of women found it
necessary 10 take seats the steps and in the ases
and the doors were chOked with spectators, and
members from the House lOcked in and crowded the
floor and Hobbies. Prominent among them, and evil
dently pleased with the events that occurring,
and seemingly conscious of the early part which he
had taken in it, was Mr.. Ashley who stood just be-
hind Mr.. Sumner. Speaker Colfax nestled himself in
Mr.. Chambers seat. Messrs EgglestOn and Cary,
from opposite sides of the oor gazed xedly at the
great prologue. The diplomatic gallery was by this
time literally jammed with foreign ministers. EN-
braeing Mr. Thornton and Senator'S wives, including
hrs. Wade
The perfect quiet that fell on floor and galleries,
Abe solemn and measured sentences of the Chief
Justice uttered, became less absolute as SEN
9tor after Senator sworn. Some disappointment
was felt that the Senators not sworn in groups
As on the the first day of Congress, instead of one
by one in alphabetical order, commencing with Mr.
Anthony. The roll proceeded, and as the name was
called the Senator approached the desk of the pre-
siding officer, where the Chief Justice administered
ahe same oath that he himself had taken few mo-
Snents before. Meantime the Managers the part
of the House had come in procession, and were
waiting to enter the Chamber led by Mr.. Bingham.
They evidently expected shorter process of organ
izing the Court As it was they did not make their
appearance inside Of the Bar of the Senate until name
after name was called and Senator after Senator was
qualiked. Only three failed to respond, namely :
Messrs. Doolittle of Wisconsin and Patter-
son Of New Hampshire, who campaigning
IN the East, and Salisbury of Delaware, who was
laboring under an indispOsiton to which he is sub
ject in an unhappy degree The Clerk had reached the
letter u, and only five names remained on the roll
1t seemed as though the organization of the court
was nearly completes but at the call of Mr.. Wade's
name the monotOny of the past half hour was inter
rupted by Mr. Hendricks who rose in his seat and IN
q few incisve sentences undertook to show why Mr.
Wade should not be permitted to sit as member OF
the court that may transfer to him the Executive
Office now held by Andrew Johnson for whose dis
placement the court is organized. He spoke briefly
but stated his case plainly His point was that as
the Constitution provided that the Vice-President
could not sit President of the court because it in
yolved his own succession, so neither could Mr..
Wade, who is the acting Vice President, sit as
q member of the court. Several Senators rose
10 respond, Messrs. Howard and Sherman among
them The Chef-Justice recognized the latter, who,
evidently prepared for what had occurred, replied
that his colleague is a Senator from Ohio that Ohio
s entitled to two representatives in the Court and
to sustain his points, he quoted the Constitution.
Mr. Howard followed. He could see no distinction
between Mr.. Patterson, who was connected with the
President by ties of relationship and Mr. Wade, who
had merely an interest in the result of the trial Mr.
Howard sat down. and again several Senators claimed
the floor. Reverdy Johnson was recognized, and in
a short speech, which commanded breathless atten-
tioD in the chamber, he supported the views Of Mr.
Hendricks quoting as precedent established by the
Senate itsef the case of Mr. Stockton Of NewJersey
in which it was decided that no vote on any
question in which he Is personally interested He
alluded 90 Mr.. Sumner who had labOred hard to get
this decision in the Stockton Mr.. Sumner at
tempted TO get the floor in reply, TO show the want
of analogy between the two cases; but Garet Davis
attracted the eye Of the ChefJustice first and in
speech of about five minutes duration attempted to
show that Mr. Hendricks's objection was well taken
Mr. Morrill,. of Maine, thought that the objection