Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-03-08
sufficient to justify every member to
| vote for tile resolutions nra sanfnd

sufficient to justify every member to
, vote for the resolutions presented.
Mr.. Lamar inquired from Mr..
Bass his opinion Of the impcachability
OF a resigned officer.
| Mr.. Bass replied that English au-
thorities seemed To maintain the jur-
isdiction of impeachment in such
eases. but that in this country IL was am
unadjudieated question and one that
was not free from doubt. His own
best judgment was in favor Of the
fright to impcach. and to let the qucs-
tion be adiudicatcd by the Senate.
Mr.. Hoar, in answer to casual re-
mark. repudiated The idea Of this
being political question. He quot
cd the case Of Whittcmorc. of South
Carolina. IN which the House had de-
tcrmincd that the formal actual res
!isnation of an office terminated the
office. and that any American citizen
could lay down an Office held by him
without any acceptance of his resig-
nation. Judge story had laid down
/ the doctrine that il could not be done
in England. but there any citizen
could be impeached. and therefore
the English cases of Warren Hast
ingS and Lord Bacon did not apply
/ III America. None but a civil officer
could be inpeaclcd. and when he
| ceased to be a civil officer he ceased
| 10 be within the literal description of
! the Constitution. In this country the
only judgment that could be rem
dcrtd in an Impeachment case was re-
mnval from office and future disqual-
! ilication from holding Office. But by
the statutes person guilty of such
/ of,cn-es could be indicted. tried and
sentenced by the criminal courts of
the country. lie protested agains,
I haste in this matter without having
the testimony printed. ,s..---.
/ Mr.. Blackburn said the action Of
| the President in accepting Belknap'.
resignation wa, unprecedented. He
continued denouucing sucli action OH
the part f,bc President. Healso de-
tprrcated making this a political
] question.
. Mr.. Danfortb. another member of
the Committee, thought the accept
ance of the resignation in no wise
i changed the position of Belknap. but
did not think. with Mr.. Clymcr, that
| this conduct was the legitimate out
growth Of the principles of the party
/ in power. and hoped there would not
| be single Republican vote agains,
! the resolutions.
| Mr. kas~on said that II few year.
ago there had gone from his State a
we'll educated and gallant gentle
F! man to fight the battles of his conn-
| try He had gone through the war
and the President had afterward
called him to q seat i'm his Cabinet
placing him at the head of that army
/ of which he had been AN humble but
| somewhat distinguished member.
| To-day. for tile first time. the delega-
| ton from Iowa had heard that the
| General who had been so much re-
| >pcctcd in his own State. and who had
been so much honored by the nation.
/ had been found guilty of receiving
compensation for some act of official
duty. and that compensation had been
continuous. The House would Judge
of the emotion which the members
| from that State had listened To
the reading ofthc evidence. lie had
never heard anything read with
greater interest than tha, report. He
did not claim any exemption from
penalties for Bclknap. hnr found tho
most painful feature disclosed by evil
dence TO the fact that not one word of
il touched the officer in question until
a death. which broke q heart. had oc-
cured. Sensation.
The debate being cl"sed,the House
| proceeded to vote on the resolutions,
and they were unanimously adopted,
The Speaker appointed asa eoln-
nIittce to notify the senate Of the
action of the House Clyner. Robbins,
Blackburn. Bass and Dantorth, these
members comprising the Committee
! ON Expenditures nf the War Depart
mcnt making the report.
The House then adjourned.
! WAsnlNsroN. March a.-1'le Pre-i-
4 dent to-day appointed Secretary