The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1876-03-10
WHY KELLOGG WAS lMpEACnEp.

I
following remarks, reported in the New
Orleans Democrat, made Ivy Mr.. Witt,
of Orleans, in support Of Impeachment :
The House met at 10 O'clock, Speak or
Estilette in the chair, and the report
and resolutions of the Impeachment
Committee were taken up soon after.
The debate which continued for more
| that six hours was opened by Mr.. Levi
see against the resolution, Mr.. Young
for it, and Mr.. Lowell against it. a
misunderstanding on the part of the
reporter for the Democrat, as to the
hour of meeting prevented him from
hearing these gentlemen, aud from
giving abstracts of their speeches.
Mr.. Wilt would scarcely have had IL
word to say upon this subject had not
an attempt been made by irresponsible
persons to dictate to the members of the
House what their course should be.
Representatives rested under u solemn
responsibility. They We're sworn to
uphold the constitution and the laws.
This was not the case with II private
citizen. He had taken no oath. He
was not accountable for his advice or
his dictation to members. He escaped
every responsibility, however much he
might presume to disregard the con-
tive. AS to the nature of the charges
that had been found against Kellogg,
they were OF the gravest nature. lie
had misused the most sacred Of ntt
funtis-the fund set aside by the fund
ing act to pay interest upon the public
debt. He hatt been greatly instrument
tai in setting apart that fund and Civ
ing to it the sacredness with which, the
law invested it, but he was the very
first to violate the law, to take from the
interest fund fifty thousand dollars TO
pay metropolitan policemen for invntl-
ing the peaceable homes of the people
Of the State. 1.-THE report of the com
mittee of which MIR. Aldigc was chair
man to investigate the administration
OF the Auditor and the Treasurer was
| examined and the evidence sincd, he
(Mr. Wiitz) did not know how any
| member could go back to his constit-
uents without having brought toa pub
lie account the man who was pointed
| to in every line of the testimony as the
| chief of those who tramptcd the law
| under foot. Was it possible that for
| bringing this cuiprit to an account, as
the constitution aud the laws dcIn;,nd-
eli, We were to have II revolution,
as was threatened: Would any
one on that floor, or Off it, charge
him (Mr. Wiltz), Il native of the State
dearly loving her, with a design to pro
woke turbulence or disorder? Was amy
such cutlery as this made when Mr.
Aldigc's committee rcpOrleln rcsUlu
ton to impeach and prosecute the nlino,
offenders-thc Treasurer and Others
in this fragrant breach of law: Ii was
argued that Mr.. Kellogg should have
been allowed Il hearing and II defense
before the committee and before the
House. The House was the grand
inquest Of the State. 1t found impcncll-
tnent as Grand Jury would find an
indictment. Didany one ever hear of !,
party accused being allowed Il hearing
before IL Grand Jury? There was no
precedent in the whole history of par
iiamentary government for such II
procedure. Kellogg was to be tried by
the Senate. There he was to appear.
There he could defend himself as an
ordinary culprit defended himself
before a traverse jury.
The investigating committee had
taken high ground. Passing over instru-
ments in the bold contempt of law
which had been proved, it struck at
the head, he whose sworn duty it was
! to see that no law was violated. They
had determined to make Il conspicuous
example, and they lcveled the axe at
him who was highest in station and
most Responsible; ut him who had used
the who'd weight of his official power
| to make others outrage the law.
Mr.. Wilt read extracts from the evil
den &c taken by the AIdige Com mittcc:
Dubucfet describing an interview at
the Customhouse, between himself,
Kellogg, Packard and others, said the
pressure brought to bear upon him was
80 great that If he had not consented to
take $50, 900 from the interest fund for
the police, 81 would have been put out
Of Office" But the most extra ordinary
part ofthis evidence was the testimony
Of Kellogg himself, who sworc that h.
had no interview at the Customhous.
with Dubuclet. Four other witnesses
declared that the interview did take
place at the Customhouse. These wit
nesses were Antoine Dubuclct, =. +
Herwig, +. Dubuclet, and Laurent
! AuguSte.
a nember-All Republicans!
Mr.. Wiltz-All Republicans. Sothis
man, besides coercing, as it were, tho
Treasurer to violate the law, proved
1 I,s t<s 1,x.