The Placer herald., 1873-03-08

WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE.
[FRoM OUR SPECIAL KEsPoNDE
WASHINGTON, d. c., February 25, 1878.
CoIrAx ESCAPES IMpEACnMENr

The House judiciary Committee yesterday
made a report under the resolution instructng
them to examine whether any Government official
had been guilty of completely i'll tho Credit Mo
bilier transactions and deserved impeachment.
The resolution, as everybody knows, meant Vice
President Colfax. Ben Butler who is second on
the Committee, acted as chairman. in place of
Judge John A. Bingham, who, being Credit
Mobilier lame duck took back seat on this
occasion. The report was read by the clerk, and
listened to with breathless interest The galle-
ries were comparatively empty when the reading
was begun, but IN a short time were crowded,
so quick does news travel in and around the
Capitol. The report proved to be an argument
hathe House has constitutional power to ex-
pei Messrs. Brooks and Ames, sustained by
majority of the law committee-Messrs Bing-
ham, Butler, Eldridge, Peters Shoem1 ker and
Voorhees,. MI Wilson also concurred as far as
the question Of impeachment was concerned
NJ. Potter dissented from the report in reference
to impeachment, but favored the discharge of the
committee from the further consideration of the
subject on account of want of time. Mr.. Good
rich also dissented from the report, and holds
that Congress has the power to lmpeach for Of
fences committed prior to HIS term OF office. 1t
is said that Butler and some others would have
been only too glad to recommend impeachment
if the report could have been made unanimous
but, failing in tn It, it was thought best to deter
mine upon the right of the House to eXpel, and
to answer also the argument III the Poland re
port, which is done by insisting that members
cannot expelled for acts committed in for
mer Congress. On the question of disposing OF
the reports, there was quite lively time. But
Ter motion to dismiss the committee from the
further cons deratlon OF the subject, would com
mt the House to the opinions declared III the
report, and the Democrats generally opposed il
while the Radica divided on 1t. Gen. Banks
called the opinions ''atrociouS doctrines" and
wanted more time. Mr.. Amber also demanded
more time for consideration, and amid great
confusion 1t was voted to postpone until to-day.
Mr.. COliax will not be impeached 10y the House
and us IL sequence, will not be tried by the Sen
ate; but he has already been impeachtd tried
and found guilty by higher tribanal than either
House or Senate-the peope-those who make
Senators and Congressman, and his punishment
will be "A disgraced life, that so far as public po-
sition is concerned, he will carry with him to the
grave; nor all the temperance sermons, nor moral
pattudes that he can utter, nor legal technical-
ueS, nor torchlight PROFESSIONS ut South Bend
can wipe out the record. This | say in sorrow
for 1t Is not well to re oice at the fall of any one
THE LAST ACT.
The Credit MobilIer sensation, that promised
to be at least II drama if not "A tragedy. enters on
its last act to-day, and the farce will, | opine,
end to the great satisfaction of all the actors ex
cept the the committee who o-day are more Oh
trial, on account of their report than Messrs.
Ames and Brooks. The Democratic members
yesterday held an informal meeting to compare
notes, so as to agree on some course of action
but no agreement was reached 1t is understood
hat h., Al.
by several propositions. Gen. Morgan will offer
an amendment to the resolutions reported by the
committee to expel all the accused members II
this IS defeated, another will be offered for the
expulsion of Messrs Garfield and Kelley. II
thus fails, Mr. Sherwood will offer another cen
surnS all those who took stock. Messrs. Randall
and Spear Will favor the expulsion of Ames and
Brooks and severe censtlre Of others Eldridge
Is committed to the Batter theory. and Will op-
| pose the resolutions. Voorhees, viii defend Mr..
brooks, assuming that his case stands ndepenl-
ent OF the rest rs his transactions We're not con
| ducted through Ames he latter will sub
amt an argument. lie deprecates the idea of his
being sacrificed to public clamor and ar.,nes
from the law ON bribery that it will b, impossible
| to acQult Others ana convict HIM under It's pro-
visions. Ames Is right IN this particular for If
ne brlbed anybody, the brbed must also be
guilty. The committee will require all their in
| 5enuty to explain this point when Ben Butlrl
| gets after them III his defense of Ames Ames
| and Alley are not III sense so eniy as AT
| hrst seems. lhey are not morally responsible
either from obtuseness of perception or vicious
training they have no idea of that something
called honor; they look upon men as they do
! upon cross-tles and railroad iron. purchaseable
and S"leabIe and consider the placing of stock
where it would do tne most goodi as perfectl, ,
correct and business like, and to that standard
| only can they soar; however, in law they are t.
De held equally responsible as the others who
! KNOW what dlshonor Is, and have not avoided it,
toach. Ii Ames would put III the plea mot
morally responsible, Il think it would be allowed
MIcAwBER BINGHAM.
The Honorable John A.-sometimes called
Demi-John A.-Bingham goes out of Congress,
IN IA few days, and his name has b en- mentioned
by his friends for such multitude of places that
1t Is impossible to guess how he will fare. How
ever, he sldles along under the weight of ''tht
wisdom OF Il thousand years, and ike Wilkins
Micawoer Is patiently waiting Tor something to
turn up for him.
| GRANT on THE ANXIOUS BENCH.
For the second time during the past fews days
| has the President gone to the Capitol for the
purpose of urging action on matters of public
Importance SO as to complete all necessary legis
lation prior to adjournment The Louisiana
case and the fisheries question specially
mentioned. An extra session is probable, ana
yet such "A condition of things may arise as t.
demand it. The Senate will remain in session
! some two weeks after March 4th
LOUISIANA AFFAIRS.
The President is exceedingly anxious that
Congress should take definite act on on the Lou
siana question, as representations have been
made to him that civil war is impending in that
State, and he wishes to be relieved of the respon
sibility of managing matters there
THE CASE OF SENATOR CALDWELL
VIII, in all probability go over till next session
when the work of investigation will have to be
gone over again.
SUBSIDY POM y
Is before the Senate Investigating Committee
trying to prove himself a model of morality anC