Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-03-17
NUMBER 80.


| 40 VIZ ~CnokC VII. dWeuQmeuL
declaring Pinchback not entitled to the
seat was adopted BY vote of 80 to 29 The
resolution as amended was then adopted by
the same vote, and the case of Pinchback
was thus finally settled. Besides the solid
vote OF Democrats, twenty-seven in number,
Messrs. Edmunds and Morrill,, of Vermont !;
Morrill,. of Maine; Paddock, of Nebraska,
and Christiancy, Of Michigan, Republicans,
voted against the claimant
sharp debate took place in the House,
on Tuesday, over the Belknap investigation.
The investigating committee having been
summoned before the Grand Jury, to give
evidence in regard to Belknap's case, with
view to his Indictment, Mr.. Lamar offered
resolution declaring the mandate of the court
to be breach of the privileges of the House,
and directing the members Of the committee
to disregard such mandate.
| Mr.. Blaine, Mr.. Kasson, and other Repub-
licans, opposed the resolution, taking the
| ground that the House and the committee
had no right to embarrass the Grand Jury
in the execution of toe laws Of the land
The debate lasted four hours, at times amid
much excitement. 1t was participated in BY
Robbins, of North Carolina Singleton, OF
Mississippi; Danford, of Ohio; Beebe, of
New York; Bright, of Tennessee; Cox, of
New York Hoar, of Massachusetts, Knott,
Of Kentucky; and Hooker, OF Mississippi
The Republicans intimated that the witness,
Marsh, had been allowed to escape the coun-
try through some motive which the Demo
Gratis had, and it was charged on the Demo
cratic side that the President and Cabinet
were instrumental in driving him out of the
country through intimidation. His escape
was characterized BY Mr.. Beebe as that of
an obscure petty thief, and he suggested that
the Democrats were SO intent on greater
game that they had allowed that miserable
offender to slip through their hands through
the Vaccinations of the Executive and Csbi-
net officers The Democrats, however, he
said, proposed to pursue. not the Marshes.
who were mere trichin9, but the villains in
high places.
Finally the House proceeded to vote on
resolution offered by Mr.. Iloar, of Massachu-
sets, az a substitute for Mr.. Lamar and
which declared that the members subpgnaed
were at liberty to attend the Criminal Court,
and to give such evidence and produce such
documents as relate to the charge against
Belknap for receiving bribe. The substi-
tute was rejected-yeas 81, nays l2S.
Mr.. Lamar's original resolution was
agreed to yeas l30, nays -
The Belknap case again occupied the at
tention of the House, on Wednesday. The
Committee on the Judiciary reported arti-
cles of Impeachment, accompanied by reso-
luton recommitting the articles to the com
mittee, with Authority to take further testi
mony with view to the preparation Of other
articles. The committee also reported two
bills, the first designed to protect witnesses
from punishment, and the second designed to
bring back the missing Marsh. To the reso-
luton there was no objection, and the re-
commitment was made as requested.
The Democrats attempted to rush the
other bills through without debate, but were
foiled, and a brief debate ensued. Mr..
Blaine declared that he was authorized
to say that there never had been any in
structions in the Cabinet to prosecute Marsh.
Marsh's case had never been considered in
the Cabinet, but simply the question of pros
ecuting Belknap.. If anybody said that
Mar>h had been frightened out of the coun
try by anything the Cabinet had done, he
said what had no foundation in fact. The
simple failure of the committee on expendi
lures in the War Department to discharge
Marsh would have retained him here. He
(Blaine) would vote for this bill even if it
were full of outrages, and he begged his Re-
publican friends TO do the same but he ven
tured the prophecy that no matter what
bills of exemption were passed they would
not get Marsh.
Several Democrats-How do YOU know
Mr.. Blaine-I do not know, but | am
Yankee by adoption and can guess, and |
guess that he will not come before the great
dignity OF the House. In regard TO the in
dictment Of Belknap and the halting of the
Judiciary committee about impeachment,
it looks to me as if the late Secretary of War
would escape and drop between the two
stools. lie will neither be indicted, because
it l. against the dignity of the House to
furnish the testimony, nor will he be I'M
peached, because on the whole there i not
enough to impeaeh him on. A whispered
remark from Mr. Hoar As my friend
from Massachusetts suggests, give the case
to this side Of the House, and we will do
both quickly. Applause on the Republican
side.l The bills were then passed.
The true motive of the display by Mes-rs
Clymer, Blackburn and Robbins was proba-
h4N ttAtti tue SlEcCk hullt
those gentlemen were on their way from
the court room to the Capitol, than by either
OF them in subsequent debate. Mr.. Black
burn, with some embellishments of speech
probably usual with Kentucky gentlemen.
said that the President of the United States
should not take the prosecution of this case
ont Of the hands of the Democratic party
This IS what might be called "the true in
wardness' Of the whole affair. The reasons
given in the House for not appearing before
the grand jury were various. Mr.. Clymer
said ''it would strike terror throughout this
land" Mr. Robbins said he went be-
fore the court ''as witness and u South
Carolinian. though the country would suf
fer great detriment. Mr.. Blackburn
thought it was very dreadful matter for
the House to yield anything to the inquisi
torial tribunals Of this district They all
united in the assertion that the ends OF JUS
tice would be frustrated by their giving the
evidence IN their possession, and then im
mediately afterward they all asserted posi-
lively they had no evidence which had not
been reported to the House. Washington
Dispatch.