The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-01-29
The nurdett Impeachment.

The Senate having assembled at hall
past 10 o'clock, the journal OF the last
meeting was read.
W.T.. Burdett appeared and was sworn
in as a member OF the Senate.
A resolution to pay the Committee
Clerks the same compensation us is PAID
the Assistant Clerk OF the Senate was OIL
tcrred. lr,
Senator Dennis moved to amend by
making the per diem 81, which was
adopted.
Senator Caldwell offered the further
amendment that they be paid up to and
including the Both inst, and that thereat-
Ter their services be dispensed with,
which amendment was agreed to.
At II o'clock Manager Good resumed
his argument for the State and apologized
for the necessity which compelled him to
continue the irksome task OF reading au-
thorities. He then referred to the langu.
age embodied in the constitution as to high
crimes and misdemeanors. Tho interpre-
tation given the generic word "misde-
meanors" by such authorities rs Black
stone and Blake was conclusive proof that
II was not COHullcu W AitlS9Ao'S SA'S'.1
1t included public crimes. or wrongs that
were in violation Of the rights and duties
due the community. The Senators would
analyze the testimony and determine
whether the respondent had violated any
OF the rights aud duties owing to the
State and II he had, find him
guilty Of misdemeanor. Should the
Sonn;o conclude from the testi-
mony concerning the transactions OF
Mr.. Burdett, in accepting $1,000 from
the Merchants Bank, in combining with
his son to make investments in the banks
by the aid Of the public moneys, in max
ing a proposition to J. n. Camden where
in he admitted he was doing wrong, but
claimed that William stood between him
and all danger, there was no aniago-
nism to the proper administration OF the
duties OF his office, that there was no mis-
conduct, then there was no misdcmcanor.
Although the accused was not charged
with incompetency, yet that word in the
Constitution fully sustained the position
Of the Managers that the fundamental law
Of the State did not intend that there
should be no impeachment except ior IN
dictable crimes. As to amcnability for
olIenses committed during q prior
term Of office the counsel for the
respondent had relied upon the
plea made in the Barnard case, WHICH was
that the court should not take cognizance
Of the articles embracing matters which
occurred in his former term OF office. In
this case it was denied that the taking oil
bribcs and the perversions Of law had been
purged away by the popular vote, me
people were supreme, but they had limit
cd there own power. by constituting the
Assembly the grand inquest. When the
Constitution therefore specified the oil,
Tense and put the offender in the hands oil
the Assembly, where rCpoScs the power
TO take him out Of their hands The
people put man in office for what they
Know OF HIM the Assembly puts him out
tor what they discover about him. This
was the argument Of Mr.. Van Colt and
was sustained by the Senate OF New York
There was no political bias in the case
II was a clear case OF reform inside
the party. Mr.. Good here detailed the
law in relation to felony, and said II the
Constitution had not intended the i'm
pcachment OF officials to DO analogous, it
would have been so stated in tho Consti.
tuition. But aside from that he claimed
that nearly every charge against the
Treasurer was indictable. He then re-
cited the provisions Of the statute in rela.
ton to reports which distinctly laid down
that II an officer made false report he
should be deemed guilty Of perjury The
Senate had been told by Governor
Jacob that tho semi.annual reports
that could not be found were oI
like character to those that had beer
produced, and those produced did moi
contain the rate and amount Of interest
paid by the several repositories as re
quisedby statute; they merely gave the