The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-03-03

liam w. Belknsp, then Secretary of War
that they found Il their dnty to lay the sam
before the House. They ais, report that thl
day ut IL O'Clock letter or Ia . President b
the United States was presented to the com
d mittce accepting the! resignation III the Sec
retsry OF War, together With c0tNy or 81
letter OF resignation. which the Presto, snE 10
formed the COMMITTEES was accepted a.bou
1920 this morning. They therefore uns ri
mously report and demand that the sale
! William w. Belknap. late Secretary OF War,
be dealt with according to the law Of the
Hand, sud to that end submit herewith the
Testimony la the case taken, together with
the several statements and exhibits shersto
attached, and also rascrfpt OF the proceed.
ings Of the committee had during tho inyes-
litigation Of this subject aad submit the fol-
lowing rcsolutisns =. Il ,s.r s4la.s3. aSE
tRssoired, That w. W. Belknap, late See.
rotary OF War. be inpesched Of high crimes
and misdemesnors in .oftce. rS;s-'I FL, !,
stRssoIoed. That the testimony Ia tina case
OF William W. Beikuap, late Secretary Of
War, be referred 10 the Judietxry CenMittee,
with instructions to prepare and report With
ont unnecessary delay suitable articles OF
EimpeachmeBs OF said William W. BekRsp,
lats secretary.of War. ~ ~ tfdAs
"ResolUed, ThEt . committee Of i've mem.
bers OF the Hssse be appointed ana In
structed 10 proceed Immediately to the bar of
the Senate azd there innpssch William W d.
Belknap, bate Secretary OF War, In tho name
/ OF the people Of the United. State, Of high
crimes aud misdemeasors whom In Office, and
/ to Inform that body formal articles OF In.
parchment will ia due. time DO presented,
ard to request the Senate to take such order
in tbs premises ss they may deem appro-
propriate." ;ssst... -
Mr.. Clymer then proceeded TO read the
testimony of Caleb P. Marsh, taken yester-
day before the committee, sho wing that he
had paid to Secretary BeIknap about 900
In consideration of his appointment as post
trader st Fort Sill, Indian Territory. The
reading was listened 10 with intense interest
by the members of the House, and by large
audience In the galleries.. In the more pa.
thetic portions Of the narrations Mr. Clymer
was frequently forced by his feelings to pause
until his voice recovered from its tremulous-
ness and himself from bis agitation. At the
close Of the reading, and after the many
members who bad taken up positions near
the clerks desk the better to hear the testi-
mony and accompanying statements had re-
turned to their proper seats, Dir. Cfymer,
who had also gone to bis own seat, again
arose and said with great emotion:
"Mr. Speaker, would not II I could, and
L could not, IL my present condition, if l
would, adf anything to the facts just re-
ported to the House, and this occasion may
be afforded to do 80. They are plain that
everywhere throughout this broad land, and
throughout christendom, wherever the Eng.
lish language is read or spoken, they will for
long years constitute record Of official cor
ruption and crimes such as there is no paral-
lei for In our own history or in that Of any
other country that know of. If in this
hour one sentiment of pity, one word OF
sympathy, could find utterance from me, it
would be because feel that the late Secre-
tary of War is but the proper outgrowth-
the true expoDent-of the corruption, the eG-
travagance, the nismanagement that have
cursed this land for years past. That being
my own reflection, will discharge my duty
best to myself and to this House by demand.
ing the previous question on the adoption of
the resolution"
MIR. Robbins pleaded his mental and physi-
cal prostration from his continuous service
on the committee as the reason why he
lshould not address the House at any length.
He spoke Of the report as presenting case
of great shame and disgrace to all American
citizens. AS to the question of the impeach-
ability of an officer who had resigned, he was
not prepared to speak worthily, ex.
Icept to suggest that it could not
be true that an officer who was being inVesti-
gated, and who had been found by evidence
TO be a criminal, could fee from justice. BE
alluded to what he called the unseemipgly
acceptance of Secretary Belknap's resigna-
ton, and referred to the English cases OF
Warren Hastings and Lord Francis BacoD,
both of whom had been impeached after they
had ceased to hold the offices in which they
committed crimes and misdemeanors. .
Mr.. Bass, of New York, another member
of the committee, questioned the statement
of the chairman (Mr. Clymer) as to this case
having no parallel, and said that he would
not have to leave his own borders ia order to
find not only parallel for it, but that he
could find cases compared with which this
case was as width as the driven snow. He
admitted that mere statement OF this case
rs presented by the testimony was sufficient
TO Justify every member to vote for the reso'
lutions presented.
Mr.. Lamar, of Mississippi, inquired from
Mr.. Bass his opinion as to the impeachabllity
of resigned officer. ..# fH i -'
Mr.. Bass replied that the English authori-
ties seemed to maintain the jurisdiction OF
impeachment in such cases, but that in this
country it was an unadjudicated question, and
one that was not free from doubt; but bis
own best judgment was in favor Of the right
to impeach, and to let the question be aGju.
dictated by the Senate. '.. 1921.
mir. Hoar, of Massachusetts, in reference
to casual remark of the same member as to
this being political question, entirely dis
claimed and repudiated such an idea.- On
the point of the impeachabiity of person
not in Office be referred to. the case of White
more, of South Carolina, in which the House
had determined that formal, actual re.
nunciation of an Office terminated the office,
and that any American citizen could lay
down an office held by him without any &C
ceptance Of his resignation. Judge Story
had laid down the doctrine that il could not
be done in England, but therein citizen
could be impeached therefore the English
cases of Warren Hastings and Lord Bacon
did not apply In America. No man could
be impeached but a civil officer, and when he
ceased to be a civil officer he ceased to be
within the literal description of the Consti-
tuition. In this country the only judgment
that could be rendered In an impeach.
ment case was removal from office and future
disqualification from holdiBg office; but by
the statutes person guilty OF such offences
could be indicted, tried, and sentenced by
the criminal courts of the country. he pro.
tested against hot haste In this matter with.
out having the testimony printed. BE
thought such haste unworthy of this grave
question, and if he stood alone he would
still stand here to say SO. -.
Mr. Blackburn, of Kentucky, another