New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-15
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.

| tOr1Al AppO1nolnentS-lne fFes1ueuts >
| Tenacity for Civil Service Reform
Lobby Warfare-The Savages Turned
Loose on the Atlantic and Pacific Rail-
road Company.
| Especial Correspondence of the Republican,
| WASHINGTON, February g. 1872. :.
THE IMPEACHMENT CASE.
| The House Judiciary Committee have
| appointed this morning for the eighth hear
ing of Mr.. Hastings in support Of his
charges against Judges Field and Hoffman.
Mr.. Bingham, the chairman, stated that
the length of time consumed in these pre-
linnary proceedings was without prece-
dent for tho committee And yet only
| about One-third of the evidence accumu-
lated by Mr.. Hastings has been read. 1t is
probable that the committee will report to
the House recommending the passage of
resolution authorizing them to send for
persons and papers. We say it is probable
that they will recommend such action, but
We mean to say that there is not the
slightest doubt of their adopting this course
eventually. From the first they have ex-
.ercised very just caution against hastily
taking steps not warranted by the evidence,
| and have listened with patience to Mr..
Hastings for nearly twenty hours in order
to get at the real merits of the case. 1t
can not, therefore, be said that what they
do is lightly done. Even had they not
manifested this hesitancy, the known
high reputation tor ability and integrity OF
tba -b., ~
tee would forbid the assertion. From this
category of able men, however, we wish to
except one Clarkson n. Potter, of New
York, appropriately placed at the foot of
the list, and who might with greater pro-
priety be remanded to the House. Yet his
ponderous side whiskers and Broadway
style may, in the estimation of some, largely
compensate for his lack of wit. If. these
qualities will not redeem him, there may be
thrown into the scales a most rowing pro-
pensity of his sagaclous peppers, which in
forms mankind that Potter is on the alert and
an abundant use of mOlasses or some other
agglutinating substance in dressing his
hair-a very impolitic use, for it exposes the
painfully meagre' capacity of his brain.
But Judge Bingham, Messrs. Eldridge,
Butler and Voorhees, would constitute
saving element in any committee
Mr.. Hastings has been requested not to
make public, for the present, any OF the
matters disclosed by him, and this, evi-
IDENTIFY, fer the purpose of guarding against
tampering with the witnesses whose uesti-
mony will be required. For this reason
your correspondent, also, is silent; but he
has for some time past had a knowledge of
the main points involved and many of the
details.
A striking and not insignificant circum-
stance OF this investigation was the election
from the committee room, for nsoIence OF
George G. Gorhan. secretary of the United
States Senate. 1t was not, at first, clear to
the committee why he presented himself
there at all, tor no one sought TO
impeach him. and there was, apparently,
no reason for expecting that he would be
connected with the case. But he seemed to
know full vel! how the land lay, and what
there was to look for. In explaining the
fact Of his presence, he stated to the com
mittee, after they had arisen, that he was a
friend to Judge Field and was naturally
anxious, on that account; that he did not
like to hear his friend sIandered, especially
as there was no one present to answer for
him, and that he did not know whether the
committee were acting in the capacity Of
! a grand jury or some other grand inquest.
AT a subsequent meeting, he again pre-
sented himself and renewed the interrupt
tions began at a former hearing, when GER
tain afidavits were being read proving
some of the facts alleged against him. The
committee then recalled his remark abou
the grand jury or some other grand in.
quest" decided it to be insolence, and voted
his expulsion from the room.
Through the kindness of Mr.. Hastings,
we can throw some light on Gorhams anxi-
ETY. about his friend Field. After the latter
had been appointed United States Cir
cult Judge, through the influence OF
the Bank of California, which IS a
branch Of the Bank OF England he
(Field) drew a bill, taking away from H0tf
man, then Judge of the district court, the
right to appoint his own clerk and confer
ring that right on himself lField), and pro-
cured its passage in Congress by represent
ing that Judge Hoffman was disloyal to the
government Under the law thus procured,
Judge Field appointed Gorham clerk OF the
United States District and Circuit Courts
of California While he was acting as
clerk, it is charged that he embezzled pub
lie funds. was guilty Of extortion in charg-
ing illegal fees, and that Judge Field was
aware Of the fact, yet suffered him to con-
tinue in office Fields knowledge of the
corruption practiced by Gorham, if true,
would not have been a difficult matter to
prove, and Mr.. Hastings states that he is
prepared with abundant and competent
evidence on that point. Gorham subse
quently debauched the Republican com
mittee and fraudulently procured the nom
ination for Governor of the State OF Cali
fornia. Ke resigned his position as clerk,
expecting to be elected Governor by the
Republican party, but was defeated by the
Republicans themselves. In developing the
charges against the judges, facts are dis
closed which point to the existence of a
formidable conspiracy endangering the
safety of the government, and with which
Gorhom is shown to be connected. For
this additional reason it was deemed ad-
visable to exclude him. and, inasmuch as
he seemed anxious to remain and obtain 3
knowledge OF what was likely to be deyei-
nna5 II uas apnarent that l,a falt NOT orl u