Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-12-23
Impeachment,
2. An accusation or charge brought against a
public officer for mAladmnstration in his Office
Webster.

g. An accusation or charge brought against
public officer for INSTRUMENTATION in his Office
Webster.
The impeachment Of Governor Holden
by the House of Representatives has put
on foot many inquiries in regard to the
effect of this action and the manner of the
further prosecution of that official.
The enquiry is often made whether it is
thought Governor Holden will be i'm
peached, when really the probabilities of
his conviction is sought to be ascertained.
Governor Holden has been impeached.
The House resolved that be be :mpeached
of high crimes and misdemeanors IN Office.
Speaker JARVIS, in giving his charge to
the Committee Ct the House, who were ap-
pointed to go to the bar OF the Senate
and acquaiut that body of the action CT
the House, said: You are hereby ap-
pointed to appear at the bar of the Gen.
g ate, in the name of the House of Repre-
sentatives and oil the good people of
North Carolina, to impeach William ".
Holden, Governor Of North Carolina,
q" of high crimes and misdemeanors III
az Office
Representative WEIGH in appearing at
the bar Of the Senate, after referring to
the business which brought the Commit
tee there, said: II inpeach him in the
name Of all the Representative, of North
Carolina, whose national character ae
I" has dishonored. l impeach him in the
"name OF all the people OF North Caro-
" lima whose laws, rights aud liberties he
g has subverted.''
SO, too, Representative SrARRow, IN re-
porting to the House, after returning
from the Senate, said: 6 :, = We
" impeached, as We were directed to do,
" William W. Holden, Governor Of North
" Carolina, &C."
The formal impeachment OF the Cover
nor is therefore complete. It remains
now for the Senate to organize itself into
q court of impeachment for this trial By
an act Of the Legislature, ratified
10th day Of April, 1869, the Chief Justice
Of the State must preside when the Gov
ernor is impesched. The Lieutenant
Governor being effected by the result the
reason Of this regulation is apparent. In
the impeachment trial of President JOHN
SON, Senator WADE, of Ohio, the Presi.
dent pro tenn of the Senate, who would
have been President of the United States
in case of the conviction of Mr.. JOHNSON,
insisted upon his right to take his seat on
the floor of the Senate during the trial
and to participate therein. Objection was
made and overruled, and he took part in
the trial and voted for conviction. If this
was, indeed. his privilege, its breach would
have been more honored than its observ-
ance.
The Chief Justice has no special
powers resulting from his official position.
He is only the presiding officer of the
Senate while sitting for tho trial of i'm.
peachment of the Governor, and has no
powers differing from those of the Lieu
tenant Governor while presiding over the
Senate as a Court of Impeachment, which
he would do were any other than the Gov
ernor to DO tried.
It is the duty of the Presiding Officer of
the Court of impeachment, whether it be
the Lieutenant Governor or the Chief
Justice, to direct all necessary prepara-
tions in the Senate Chamber to make and
issue by himself or by the Clerk of the
Senate, all orders, mandates, writs and
precepts authorized by law or by the Sen.
ate to direct all forms of procedure dur
ing the trial, and to decide in the first in
stance. without division, all questions Of
evidence and incidental questions, bat the
same shall. on demand OF one-ifth of the
members present, be decided by yeas and
nays. The Chief Justice has no voteupon
Any question during the trial, bat pre-
nounees decision only as the organ of the
Senate with its assent.
The Governor is not required to sppear