The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1868-03-26
The Course OfPrOceeding ina Inl-
Deacllmenf.

of the first article, that the House Of
Representatives shall have the sole
power of impeachment; and in the
third section, that the Senate shall
have the sole power to try all impeach !
ments, By article Il, section 4, the
President, Vice-President, and all civ
il officers of the United States, are
made liable to impeachment. The
impeachable offences are "treasOn, !
bribery and other high crimes and
misdemeanors."
The punishment which can be de-
creed by the Senate, sitting as a court
of Impeachment, is limited to ''remOv
al from Office, and disqualification to
hold and enjoy any office OF honor,
trust or profit under the United
States" But the person convicted is !
liable to trial and punishment under
the law, afterwards. No person can
be convicted owithout the concurrence !
of two-thirds of the members present"
As the President presides in the
Senate, and would succeed the Presi-
dent in case of his impeachment and
conviction, the Constitution orders
that whom the President is on trial,
the Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court shall preside.
There have been, under the COnsti
tuition, four trials by impeachment.
Senator William Blount was charged,
in 1899, with conspiring, while SEN
ator, to carry on military expedition
against Spanish territory, but the Sen
ate decided that a senator was not a
"civil officer" within the meaning of
the Constitution. Judge John Pick
ering, of New Hampshire, Of the
United States District Court, was i'm
peached in 1903, for various acts and
misdemeanors as a judge, and was
found guilty and removed from office.
Judge Samuel Chase of the Supreme
Court, was impeached in 1904 for off
cial misconduct, but acquitted. Judge
James Peck, of the United States
District Court for Missouri, was i'm
peached in 1880, for exercising unlaw-
ful authority as judge, and was ac-
quilted.
The question whether an officer
should be suspended from his official
functions while under impeachment
was discussed in the convention which
framed the Constitution, on the mo-
ton of Messrs ROutledge and Cow
erneur Morris (September Il, 1879
"that persons impeached besuspended
from their offices until they be tried
and acquitted" Mr.. Madison opposed
this, on the ground that the intermedi-
iate suspension would put the Presi-
dent in the power of a single house,
} which might at any moment remove
, him to make room for person more
favorable to their views. Others also
opposed it, and it was voted down by
eight States against three-COnnecti-
- cut, South Carolina and Georgia alone
voting for suspension.
The forms of trial, on impeachment
were set by the Senate, on the i'm
peachment of Judge Chase. The
House passed a resolution impeach-
ing him ain the name Of themselves
and of all the people Of the United
: States" The Senate appointed a
q. Iday when it would receive the artI-
cles of impeachment, and on that day
the managers on the part Of the House
r appeared at one o'clock at the bar OF
the Senate. They were admitted to
seats within the bar,and the sergeant
, alarms having proclaimed silence
? the chief of the managers tor the
? House read the articles of impeach-
] ment. Thereupon the President Of
: the Senate informed the managers
that the Senate "wOuld take proper
order on the subject and inform the
House" The managers thereupOn
D laid the articles of impeachment on
the table and withdrew.
r In proclaiming silence the SER
= geant-at-arms was instructed to use
the following words: "AIl persons
are commanded to keep silence, on
pain of Imprisonment, while the
G grand inquest of the nation is exhibit
. ing to the Senate of the United States
aaticles Of impeachment against -
e The Senate, having received the
articles of impeachment, ISSUES a
J summons to the accused person to
\ tappear before the Senate Of the
y United States, at their chamber in the
# city of Washington, to answer to the
o charges and abide by the judgment
. given.
At twelve o'clock on the day ap-
r pointed for the return of the summons
r all business is suspended and The
= person impcached is called to appear
: He may appear in person or by al
"a attorney, and if he fails in either way
: the Senate may proceed &c potrte
s But record is made Of his appear
! ance.
y At twelve o'clock of the day set fO
n the trial, the senators and presiding
r, officer take an oath that, Gin al
things pertaining to the trial of tht
impeachment" they ''will do impair
. tial Justice according to the COnstitu
a ton of the United States"
d The Senate then gives notice to tn
;; House that it is ready to proceed, ant
. the members of the House take thei
s seats in the Senate Chamber, whicl
q, has been prepared for their accommO
Is dation. Benton, in a note, in hi
n abridgment of the Congressional De
: bates, thus describes the manner il
1t which the Senate chamber was pre-
It pared for the trial Of Judge Chase
% "The Senate Chamber was fitted u.
Il n in a style of appropriate elegance
y Benches, covered with crimson, O
each side, and in line with the chat
of the President were assigned to tn
a members of the Senate. On the righ
Or and in front of the chair a box wa
assigned to the managers, and on tn
Is left a similar box to Mr.. Chase an
his counsel, and chairs allotted to sue
friends as he might introduce. Th
residue of the floor was occupied wit
or chairs for the accommodation Of tt
ot members of the House Of Represent
tives; and with boxes for the rece
ton of the foreign ministers, an
sft military officers of the United State
ne On the right and left Of the chair,
he the termination of the benches of Il
10 members of the Court, boxes we