Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-03-06
AMES AND BROOKS.
The Great Bribery Debate--DIost
Exciting Event Since the johnson
impeachment.
THE THRONG IN THE HOUSE.

The final act of the Credit Mobiler
drama opened brilliantly. Not since
the johnson impeachment days, and
scarcely during these exciting. times,
has the Capitol been SO densely throng-
ed as to-day, to witness the last scenes
of the trial of two representatives of
the people by the house. Before the
time fixed for opening the doors of the
| hall of the House, the corridors and
| passages of the House were crowded
with the eager public, and against the
doors of the hall solid masses of men
and women were packed. When the
galleries were opened they were filled
almost by magic, and still hundreds
pressed for admission. The wives and
families of uembers-immensely in
creased in number, as is usual on i'm
portant occasions-were among the
crowd, and so imperative was the call
for more room, that Mr.. COX's appeal
that they be admitted to the floor Of
the House was readily granted. Even
this was not enough, and before the
reading of the journal one-third to one
half of the members and all in two or
three of the outer rooms had given up
their seats and desks to ladies. Among
the audience were many Senators,
Cabinet Ministers, and a number of
prominent lawyers and journalists of
New York, attracted by the occasion
and the great debate which was eX-
pected.
I BUTLER's FIRST SHOT.
Judge Poland was the first to speak,
as was his right, being chairman of the
bu.t H.
anything, as might have been expected,
was Gen. Butler, who, while Judge
Poland was getting ready to begin,
had sent to the Clerks desk and read,
for effect on the House and audience,
substitute for the resolution, proposing
that instead of the expulsion of Ames
and Brooks, and the exculpation of all
with whom the former had dealings,
the whole matter should be turned
over to the local courts, with instruc-
tions to proceed against the parties
under the statute which the committee
reported had been violated. Judge
Poland said he did not yield for any
such resolution, but Buffers point was
gained, and he made no further diver
sion on the position of the committee.
JUDGE PoLAND'S HOUR AND A HALF.
Judge Poland's opening argumentin
support of the resolutions eXpelling
Ames and Brooks, and of the report Oh
which they were based, was clear, log
ical, and dispassionate. Proceeding
calmly, and with a moderation which
carried the audience, the reasons which
he argued were apparent, and practical,
aud stated without any effort at effect |
or appeal to the prejudices of the
House. 1t convinced all who heard it
that the committee had labOred cOnsci-
entiously and with sincerity to dis
charge their duty, limiting their recon-
mendatiOn in accordance with the |
restricted forms of the resolutions, and |
had not found Ames and Brooks guilty |
except as the inevitable conclusion of |
the facts which they found and with |
which they conducted the investiga-
tion. Judge Poland, after speaking a I
full hour and half, took his seat in |
the midst of laugh raised at his eX-
pense by Buffers remark that although |
the Judge had promised to divide the |
time equally between the friends and |
opponents of the resolution, If he spoke |
much longer it would be dividing eter-
nifty. Poland, however, was soon even
with Ben, for standing by the side of
Buffers desk he turnd toward him and
in the most pointed terms referred to
him as the contriver of the machinery
by which this great villainy had be-
come operative, the allusion being to
the fact that Butler, as counsel of the
Credit Mobilier, helped to frame the
of Ames' contract.
AMEs' APPEARANCE AND DEFENSE.
Mr.. Ames, who came in the House
early, had all the while been sitting in
the front row of desks, little to the
left of the Speakers chair, and in full
view Of the great audience. When
Judge Poland had concluded, he sent
up to the desk his own statement in
defense and explanation, to be read to
the House by Clerk Mcpherson. The
closest attention was paid to the dOcu-
ment, and as the reading progressed it
was generally admitted that Mr.. Ames
had made q very strong, well defined,
and clearly reasonable defense of his
actions from the earliest. feeble begin
nings of the Union Pacific Railroad
down to the present time; that he
showed better memory than his testi-