The Portland daily press., 1868-04-30

habeas corpus in Florida, in causing the ar
rest of the Maryland Legislature, ana Great
/ ing military commissions IN time Vi Pea'e'
| Congress by endorsing all OF these actS,
confirmed the doctrine that NOW ni ;..e a.,
ways be considered, and that the mere lnfrac-
| ton Of law was not in itself a ground for pun
| ishment. 80
manner what he termed the astronomical
| punishment" suggested by Mr.. Boutwell,, as
| proper for the President. He said if the hon
orable and astronomical manager could set
over the laws of nature, the Constitution
would not stand in his way, for the removal
from office was prescribed without limit as to
the distance to which the culprit should be re-
moved. Great laughter) He went on for
some time, describing in a manner which eiic-
tied roars of laughter supposed flight OF Mr..
Boutwell, as baliff, with the criminal in charge
to his hole in the sky.
Mr.. Evarts then took up the subject OF the
position and power of the President, and held
that he was the direct representative OF the
people, who elected and supported MN, ana
for whom he held his powers IN trust. Evils
and disturbances always result from the
accession to that office of one not elect
ed by the people and destitute of any
personal or political support. This ex-
ceptional weakness for the Presidential
office is now heightened by the extraordinary
division of party strength in Congress, and SO
the constitutional safes uard to its independ-
ence is unayaiiing; to urge the unequal con-
test now would, he claimed, be fatal to the
maintenance hereafter of their position under
the Constitution r t-aeasf
Mr.. Evarts next spoke of the peculiar politi-
cal situation of the city from which has sprung
the present proceedings; he referred to the
chaos caused by the rebellion, and TO the I'M
precedented social change wrought by the
emancipation of 100000 slaves. He said the
question as to the part to be taken by different
branches of the Government as to the appre-
citation of the CONSTITUTE and laws in the
work of reconstruction, were untried, i'm
mensely difficult and readily productive of
honest differences of opinion. He dwelt at
length on the complication caused by political
aspirations, and claimed that all these consid
erations were not motives to avoid or delay the
action OF impeachment, to cure the evils of
which political action would itself remedy; he
referred to an article in the Tribune as an ex-
ample of the feeling entertained by many,
that impeachment was warranted for political
reasons, and argued in refutation of the view
thus taken; he held that the essence of the
Constitution was the authority OF the people,
and that its arrangement of the different
branches of the Government was based on the
idea that the terms of authority granted were
so short that evils could be patiently endured
for few years. until the people could, by the
ballot, remedy them.
At this point, o'clock, the Court and Senate
adjourned. 81 Ea
HousE-Mr. Stevens offered the following
resolution
Resolced. That FIVE hundred copies of each
of the Constitutions of South Carolina and Ar
kansas be printed for the use of the members
of the House.
Mr.. Stevens asked whether the rule could
not be dispensed with in order that the resolu-
ton might be acted upon at this time.
The Speaker replied that the resolution must
be referred to the Committee on Printing.
Mr.. O'Niel presented memorial of the Phil
adelpha Board of Marine Underwriters asking
for continuance of an appropriation for the ex-
tension of the works of the coast survey and
urging its Importance to the commercial and
other interests of the country also the memo.
rial of the Philadelphia Board of Trade recon-
mending the same and petition of Underwriters
and citizens in the same direction.
The members of the House then accompanied
the impeachment managers to bar of the SEN
ate. ~ a-1-4 tta 81