Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1876-04-28
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
From the "Ssntinel's' Regular Correspondent

yesterday was an unusually livery
day in Washington. The impeach-
ment of Belknap. the post-trader thief,
was to come UP in the Senate; the ar
gnment IN the writ OF snatch his a.
cdss. in the case of Killbourn, me OF
the Washington ''real estate pool'
thieves, was TO come up in the House:
and it was Easter Monday besides.
Early Monday morning Capitol Hill
swarmed with dirty-nosed children,
gamboling on the green grass and
breaking rotton eggs. Many who did
not know it was the .'day we cele-
brate" were at a loss to understand
why this a of juveniles,
and naturally supposed that a circus
hanged. The leading to the
Capitol were thronged, and by IL
o'clock the Senate galleries were
crowded with the most motley mob of
women and men that ever filled a
public hall. BY II O'Clock there was
not standing ROOM. There not being
sufficient room for all the morbidiy
curious women that came. a great
many crowded in the ''gentiemen's
gallery" A more disgraceful scratn-
ble for seats, by these curious women,
eager to get a look at "A criminal, was
never Witnessed at a prize fight. Long
before the hour of meeting OF the SEN
ate as a Court of Impeachment, peel
ers were stationed at the foot OF the
stairs leading to the galleries, and the
streaming tide were told there was no
more vacant seats in the galleries, yet
they hung around during the whole
session, curiously peeking through the
doors, like small boys on the outside
of q circus tent. AT | o'clock tie Sell
ate adjourned, and organized itself into
a Cours of impeachment. ~ com
mittee of TWO was appointed 10 invite
the Chief Justice of the supreme Court
to come in and administer the oath to
those few who were not present when
the others We're sworn in. In a few
moments that dignitary solemnly
strobe in. with his long, black gown
flowing en- train. A litter ran through
the ladies' gallery, doubtless remind
ing them of something ~siini.ar-only
that the Judges was black alpaca in.
stead of white linen. The Secretary of
the Senate was then authorized To no.
tify the House that the Senate was or
ganized "a a Court of Impeachment;
inviting that body to attend. and that
seats had been prepared for them. The
House then resolved into n committee
ofthe wholea and headed by its Speaker,
Sergeant-at-A Arms n Chief Clerk,
marched over to the Senate. There
not being enough sitting rootn, a great
many were compelled TO stand. There
were about go members of the House
presents; which, besides the Senators,
gave the Senat somewhat the appear
ance of an auction sale OF damaged
goods. The impeachment managers
sat separate. and 10 the lett of the Pres
Ident of the Senate. At one O'Clock
Belknap, with his counsel, came In
and sat at a table to the right of the
President. The Sergeant. at. Arms OF
the Senate, az a court, was then di-
receted to make the usual proclama-
ton, which he did tilusly:
Hear We! Hear ye! Hear We! All per-
o n are commanded to keep silence on
pain of imprisonment while the Senate
OF the United States is sitting for the
trial of the articles of impeachment ok
hibited by the House of Representa-
tives against William w. BelKnap, late
Secretary of War.
After hat everything was so still
that YOU could have heard a pin drop.
Belknap was the lion of the hour.
All ayes were turned full upon the
man who had risen from nothing aud
fallen so low through the wiles Il
wicked He sat there trem-
bling, with flushed face and hang-dog
lovk, fully conscious OF his diSgraceful
position, and necessarily gaZed upon
by fully two thousand persons. With
assumed Indifference he attempted to
read the "Rules of Procedure in I'm
parchment Courts" but the ordeal was
too much and he laid the book down,
and as a relief attempted to converse
with his counsel. If he felt as mean AS
he looked his agony must have been
almost unbearable.
The minutes of the Senate, when il
last sat as a Court of Impeachment
were read by Secretary Gorham. The
return of the writ of the Ser2e cant at
Arms, which warranted Belknap's ar
rest, was then read, and the Sergeant.
at Arms was wor rs to its correct
ness. The Senate committee then es-
corted the Chief Justice, with his trail
ing gown, back 10 the Supreme Court
room. The President of the court then
directed thu Sergeant.at-Arms to make
another proclamation commanding
Belknap to appear and answer. The
audience were startled by this cry:
VIM. w. Belknap, WIN. w. Belknap,
VIM. w. Belknap, appear and answer
the articles Of impeachment exhibited
against you by the House of Represen
talives OF the United States.
Belknap did not say Here" buI
one Of his counsel informed the courl
that he was present, and sen to the
S~ecretary's desk a document denying
the jurisdiction Of the court to try the
articles ofimpeachment, on the grounds
that Belknap is a private citizen of the
State of Iowa, and at the time the arti
cles of impeachment were presented tt
the House he was not an officer OF the
Government, has not been since. and il
not now an officer of the Government
and consequently beyond the power o
the Senate to impeach him. Annexed
to this plea was an affidavit, made be
fore an Associate Justice of the Su
preme Court, that he was at that tim,
and is now a private citizen, Yhf