Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1876-08-05
BELKNAP IMPEACHMENT TRIAL.
Vote Of Not Guilty ON All the
Articles.

WASHINGTON, August 1.--Soon
after twelve O'Clock to-day the Sea-
ate resuming It's session as a court of
impeachment proceeded to vote on
the first article OF impeachment in
the Belknap ase The galleries set
apart for men were well filed; there
was a sprinkling of diplomatic rep
resentatives in the diplomatic gallery
and the ladies gallery was comfort
able filled. Seated on chairs placed
behind the rows of Senatorial seats
and on the sofas were perhaps fifty
or sixty members of the House, in
Guiding Messrs. Garfield, Lawrence
and Martin /. Townsend; Chief JUS
tice Waite, Hon. VIM. M. Evarts,
counsel for President johnson dur
ing his impeachment trial, Ex-Sena-
tor Fowler, of Tennessee; Ex-Sena-
tor Stewart, and Col. G. g. Sheats,
Ex-Sixth Auditor, also occupied
seats OF the door of the Senate. All
the managers were in their seats. but
no one represented General BelknaL.
except Hon. Matt III. Carpenter, oc-
cupied seats at the table of the coun-
sci for the respondent. Mr.. Carpen-
ter kept a tally list before him on
which he recorded the votes as they
were given, apparently with much
satisfaction. When the name of
Senator Logan was called, who voted
mot guilty." many Of the members
OF the House ose and left the cham
Der, being apparently convinced that
the respondent would be acquitted.
When the result was announced on
the first ARTICLES voting guilty and
IS not guilty--several enthusiastic
females in the ladies' gallery gave q
few feeble claps Of the hand, but at
once desisted, finding no one to join
them.
The vote on the second article Of
impeachment resulted yeas SO, nays
25-Mr. Maxey having come in and
voted mot guilty" on the first arti-
Gle voted in the same way on all the
other articles.
A VERDICT OF mot GUILTY."
Most if not all the Senators voting
against conviction explained thai
they did so because they did not be-
Flieve the Senate had jurisdiction in
the premises, General Belknap being
a private citizen, and not an officer
Of the government, when impeOched
by the House Of Representatives.
But n Democratic Senator (Mr.
Eaton, Of Connecticut), voted ssnot
guilty. and he took the same view
as regarded want of jurisdiction. As
81 Senators voted, Al (two-thirds)
votes necessary to convict.
Mr.. Morton was not present, hay
ing met with a slight accident this
morning by the overturning of q
heavy chair in which he was sitting.
Gen. Belknap's son, q young man
OF perhaps twenty-five or three, was
In the chamber where the vote was
being taken on the first article and
was evidently considerably agitated.
When the result was announced he
exhibited unmistakable signs of de-
light. Gen. Belknap himself was
"waiting for the verdict''at Mr.. Car
penter's law office, on + street, and
the moment the result was announce
ed a mounted messenger in waiting
was despatched to carry him the glad
tidings. Mr.. Carpenter was warmly
congratulated, he having made a
special plea before the court against
Jurisdiction.
While the vote OH the fifth article
was being taken, Mr. Morton was
aided into the Senate chamber and
took his accustomed seat He voted
"guiity." OF the rs Senators voting
not guilty, % did SO without refer
ence to the evidence, but because
they did not believe the Senate had
jurisdiction in the case. Senators
Wright and Conover voted 'snot
guilty. because they did not regard
the charges as sustained by the evil.
demo.