Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-02-07
FROM WASHINGTON.
Vice-President COlfaN and the
Credit IObiIier Scandal Talk
About ImpeRchmrHI.
Special Dispatch TO The Baltiml re SIM.

| WASHINGTON, Jan. 2S.-The view
taken that no original action could lie
in the Senate against Mr.. ColfaN. was
sustained by the course of that body
| to-day. The request made by Mr..
Colfax for a special committee to III
vestigate his Credit Mobilier transac-
tions was shown by Mr.. Thurman to be
one which the Senate had no authority
to grant. The Senate evidently was OF
the opinion that if any proceedings ut
all were called for against the Vice
President, it was for the House to take
the initiative by impeaching him.
There was no excitement whatever dis
played in the matter by Senators. and
the request of Mr.. Colfax was almost
unanimously refused.
After he preferred his request the
Vice President left the chair, and was
not seen in the Senate Chamber for the
remainder of the day. 1t is undenia-
BILE that the recent testimony before
the Poland Credit Mobiler committee,
including particularly that given to-
day, places The Vice-President in q
very awkward position before Con-
gross and before the country 1t is
very certain that perjury has been
it ma. be to give utterance to such a
suspicion, it Is a fact that not few of
those who have been among the warm
est personal and political friends of the
Vice President are not satisfied as to
which party tins crime can be fastened
upon. The Vice-President expresses
the utmost confidence in his ability to
clear himself entirely of all damaging
charges and suspicious. 1t is now
very plain that the opportunity which
he asked of the Senate to-day can be
afforded him by no other process than
that of impeachment.
Rumors were very thick about the
Capitol this afternoon that the motion
to impeach the Vice-President would
certainly be made IN the House of
Representatives, The general impress
sion that no movement to this end can
be made by the House in advance of
the report of its committee is erro-
neous. The investigation into the
Credit Mobilier being conducted with
open doors. all the statements which
have been made duplicating Mr.. Colfax
and others are matters of common no.
toriety. 1t is, therefore, within the
province of any member of the House
to rise in his place, recite the allega-
tions against Mr.. Coxfax, and move
for instructions to the Judiciary COM
mittee to report articles of impeach-
ment. The House, being in the pos
session of the same information as has
been spread before the country, can
instruct or refuse TO instruct the iu-
dietary committee according TO its dis
crctiOn.
Although the rumors which were
floating around the Capitol this after
noon were repeated with more con-
tidence in the saloons tonight, it has
not as yet authenticity transpired that
any member of the House proposes at
this time to call for articles of impeacl1-
ment against the Eice-President. Yet
if that officer is sincere in his express
sion of a desire to court the fullest IN
vestgation, it would appear that he
must himself favor the only method
by which that investigation can be OBJ
tanned. 1t has been reported that
Senators Patterson and Wilson would
ask the appointment of q Senate COM
mittee, which they have the undoubted
right TO do, to investigate the charges
made against them. This mixing up
of the cePresident and Nice-Presi-
dent eject in these very unpleasant
transactions is regarded here as ex-
tremely unfortunate by those OF all
shades of political opinion. and the
wish and hope Of all would be that
gentlemen who had been SO highly
honored hv their fellow-coilntrymen
had It III their power 10 prove the alb
sence OF aught that could reflect in the
slightest degree upon theirhonesty and
inteGrity-