South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1876-04-14
Forty-Fourth Congress.

In the Senate. on thu 5th, in the
morning hour, a resolution was adopted
inviting the chief justice Of tho United
States to attend in the Senate ut 1
o'clock p. NJ. and administer the oath TO
Senators in the matter or impeachment
Of w. w. Belknap, late Secretary Of
War. At the hour named, Chief Justice
Waite appeared, escorted by Senators
Edmunds and Thurman, and admins.
tered an oath 20 the Senators present
that In all things appertainiug 10 the
trial they would DO impartial Justice &C.
cording to the constitution and the laws.
The House managers afterward appear.
ed, and through their chairman, Mr..
Lord, asked for the issue of a process
against the accused, which was granted,
returnable on Monday, April IA. ut
o'clock. A resolution was then adopted
that the Senate, sitting as q court OF
impeachment, adjourned till 1880 r.
NJ. o. Monday, the 18th instant. The
bill TO fix the postage on third class mail
matter was then taken up aud debated
until tue hour of adjournment.
I'm the House, resolution was adopt
cd directing the Secretary of the Treas.
ury to furnish the House with nm item.
lied accountof tho expenditures under
the item of 100000, appropriated for
lights and fuel for the fiscal year ending
June 30,lS76. ?
In the Senate. on the 9Th. the bill to
abolish capital punishment was indefi.
nitely postponed.
In the House.. Mr.. Wood, of New
York. l cali for the regular order.
Mr.. Faulkner. desire TO make a
personal explanation.
Mr.. Wood, of New York. withdraw
the call for the regular order to allow
the gentleman from West Virginia to
make an explanation.
The Speaker. The gentleman from
West Virginia asks.consent OF the House
to make brief personal explanation.
Is there objection? The Chair hears
none. The gentleman from West Vir-
ginia will proceed.
PERSONAL. ExREANATIoN..
Mr.. Faulkner. propose to call the
attention of the House to an article that
appeared in the Washington Republican,
which Ibelievc is tie recognized organ
of the Administration in this city. The
editor heads this article, in large CAPT
tails. Serious charges against c. j.
Faulkner, and proceeds in the course
OF it to state what those charges are. /
hardly think that 4 should dignity that
article to tho extent OF having it read Mt
the Clerks tablc,so rs to be incorporated
In the Congressional Record, but, if any
gentleman so desires, that can be done. l
propose simply 10 notice one or two of
the matters contained in that article.
Mr.. Speaker. should have'been very
much disappointed, might indeed say
l should have been mortified, ir, in the
Food OF obloquy and defamation which
Tor the last two months has. from the
same source. been poured upon almost
every active and leading man on this
side OF the House. l. had not come in 70.
some share Of a5nse from this reckless
and habitual defamcr. 1t might we'll
have been construed into evidence of my
lns'gniiicancy which might have been
wounding to my personal pride. 1t il,
however, some consolation to me that
with an official life extending through
many years, and challenging the most
unsparing scrutiny. and with an eager
disposition upon the part of these hyenas
oil Ia press 70 feed upon filth and gar.
oaSe. they have found nothing worthy
oil attack except the perverted and cast.
~ explained matters contained in this
article in the Washington Republican.
All article marked by consummate iqno.
rance and which would be wholly un-
worthy OF any notice here if it did not
connect itself with proceedings before,
THIS House and committee OF this
House.
This leading organ Of the Admins.
ton, in his. ignorance. has COMPOUNDED
TWO transactions that have no possible
connection with each other. 1 will refer
to them separately.
Early in the session, some OF nv i'm.
poverished constituents men who had
been in the employment of tue Govern.
ment as mechanics and laborers at Har.
per's Ferry about the opening Of our
civil conflict in 186l-sent down their
petitions to be paid their wages for
March & April, 1861, which they alleged
had been honestly earned and which
had never been paid by the Government.
| forwarded these claims to the proper
T.,
The reply came that these demands
could not be pail by the Department
first, because the claimants were believ.
ed 20 be disloyal and, secondly, because
the appropriation of that year had been
carried to the surplus fund. and was no
longer under the control of that Depart.
ment; and twas further stated that re.
hef could be given only by Congress.
accordingly had the subject referred to
the Committee on Military Affairs. where
these claims are now pending, subject
to their consideration and action. This
embraces oil my connection with that
subject.
The other Transaction, which this
common defamer has so ignorantly con.
founded with the one just stated was
this: In 1858 Dennis Murphy. of nv
county, was appointed military store.
keeper and paywaster at Harper's Fer