The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-03-10
Impeachment Of Belknan.

In the House on the afternoon of the
I'd, Clymer presented a resolution of i'm
peachment against William w. Bel
knap, late Secretary of War, for high
crimes and misdemeanors in office. In
the midst of great excitement, and with
unusual stiffness in the House, he said:
~ ask permission to make a report
from the committee on expenditures in
the War Department of so grave i'm
portance that | am certain, when it is
heard, the House will agree that am
justified in asking that permission at
this time"
Permission was given, and Clymer,
taking his position at the clerks desk,
read the following report: The COM
mittee found at the very threshold of
its investigation such unquestioned ev-
idence of the malfeasance of General
w. w. Belknap, then Secretary of War,
that they found it their duty to lay the
same before the House. They further
report, that this day letter from the
President of the United States was pre-
sented to the committee accepting the
resignation of the Secretary of War,
together with copy of his letter of res
ignatiOn, which, the President informed
the committee, was accepted about 1920
this morning. They therefore unani-
mously report and demand that said
w. w. Belknap, late Secretary of War,
be dealt with according to the law of
the land, and to that end submit here
the testimony in the case taken, to-
gether with the several statements
thereto attached, and also a report of
the proceedings the committee had dur
ing the investigation of this subject,
and submit the following resolutions:
Resolved, That w. w. Belknap, late
Secretary of War, be impeached of high
crimes and misdemeanors.
Resolved, That the testimony in the
case of Belknap be referred to the Judi
ciary Committee, with instructions to
prepare and report, without unnecessary
delay, suitable articles of impeachment
of said Belknap.
Resolved, That committee of five
members of the House be appointed,
and instructed to proceed Immediately
to the bar of the Senate, and there i'm
peach w. w. Belknap, late Secre tary of
War, of high crimes and misdemeanors
when in office, and to inform that body
that formal articles of impeachment
will, in due time, be presented, and re-
quest the Senate to take such order in
the premises as it may deem appropriate.
Clymer then proceeded to read the
testimony of Caleb P. Marsh, taken be-
| fore the committee. He testified that
he had paid Secretary Belknap about
$40, 900 in consideration of his appoint
ment as post trader at Fort Sill, Indian
| Territory. The reading was listened to
with intense interest by the House, and
by a large audience in the galleries. At
the close of the reading, Clymer said,
with great emotion: "Mr. Speaker, 1
would not, if could, and could not, in
my present condition, if 1 would, say
anything to the facts just reported to
the House. Another occasion may be
afforded to me to do so. They are so
plain that everywhere throughout this
broad land, and throughout Christen-
dom, wherever the English language is
read or spoken, they will for long years
constitute record of official corruption
and crimes, such as there is no parallel
for in our own history, or that of any
country that l know of. In this hour,
if one sentiment of pity or one word of
sympathy could find utterance from
me, it would be because l feel that the
late Secretary of War is but the proper
outgrowth, the true exponent of the
corruption, extravaganza, and misgov-
eminent that has cursed this land for
years past. That being my own re-
fiectiOn, 1 will discharge my duty best
to myself and to this House by demand
ing the previous question, the adoption
of the resolution
After some discussion, the resolutions
were adopted without one dissenting
| voice.