The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-05-17
AN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL.
How 1t IL Opened and the Matter Con-
Quoted by the United States Senate

.SIE5 s i E---s u I Iii 4.
How It IL Opened and the Matter Con.
Quoted by the United States Senate
The trial of ex-Secretary of War Bel
KNAPP before. the United States Senate
livery naturally attracts much interest.
The opening scenes in trial OF SO great
importance are interesting. The gal
leries and the body Of the Senate cham.
Der were crowded with spectators. When
the Senate was called to order, the CHIP.
lain, Rev. DR.. Sunderland, in his open
ing prayer, saidy:S = a3i&G02G
"We pray Thee be very especially
nigh to Thy servant who presides in this
place, and in Thy servants, the senators,
in the discharge fsthe high and solemn
functions with which they are here now
vested. May they not fail to see the
right and to dispense justice for the con-
firmation of all that is good and for the
welfare of the nation" DO, ..1.. q. .-
Chief Justice Waite, Of the supreme
court of the United States, entered the
chamber and was shown seat at the
right of the presiding officer. Sergeant
alarms French made proclamation as
follows - -.
"Heaf ye! Hear yel Hear ye AL
persons are commanded to keep silence
on pain of imprisonment while ., the
Senate of tho United States is sitting
for the trial of the articles of impeach-
ment exhibited by the House of Repre-
sentatives against William W. Belknap,
late secretary of war. -. .... =, .-.-
r. The following is the oath administered
to the Senators
r ssYou and each of you do ssolemnly
swearythaS il all things pertaining to the
impeachment of William w. Belllnap,
now pending, you will do impartial JUS
tice to the constitution and Laws"
The Chair then directed the secretary
TO read the return of the sergeantat-
farms on the writ issued on the fifth inst,
ccommand ding the 81; secretary to appear
and a1sxsT etc snsd " ths secretary reaa
"The following writ of summons, ad-
dressed to William W. rBelknap, and
the foregoing precept addressedIto me,
were duly served upon the said William
W. Belknap by delivery to and leaving
with him true and attested copies of the
same at 2,022 G. street, Washington
city, the residence of the said William
w. Belknap. on Thursday, the, sixth day
Of April, 1875, at six O'Clock and forty
minutes in the afternoon of that day.
"JoHN r. FRENCH,
Sergeant of the Senate Of the
United States, ., ,rz1.~ ..-sqR
The Essergeant.at Arms then made
proclamation as follows:
+ civilian w. Belknap, William W.
Belknap, William w. Belknap, appear
and answer the articles of impeachment
exhibited against you by the House OF
Representatives of the United States" "
MI. Carpenter, counsel for the &C:
cused. arose and said: '"A 't'%~ .
Mr.. PRESIDENT - William W. Bel.
KNAPP, o private citizen of the United
States and of the State of Iowa, in obe-
dience to the summons Of the Senate,
sitting as court of Impeachment to try
the articles presented against him by
the House of y Repre- entatives; of the
United States, appears at the bar OF the
Senate, sitting as court OF impeach-
ment, and interposes the following plea,
which I will ask the secretary to read,
and ask that it be fled. It3k W l'FI
The secretary then read as follows:
In the Senate of tho United States,
sitting as court of impeachment =
The United States of America ,vs. VII
liam W. Belknap, upon articles of i'm
peachment of the House of Represents
tives of The United States Of America, OF
high crimes and misdemeanors. And
the said William W. Belknap, named in
the said articles of Impeachment, comes
here before the honorable the Senate OF
the United States, sitting as court OF
impeachment, in his own proper person,
and says that the honorable court ought
not to have or take further cognizance
of the said articles of impeachment ex-
hibited and presented against him by
the House of Representatives of tlo
United States, because he says that be-
fore, and at the time when the said
House of Representatives ordered and
directed that he, the said Belknap,
should be impeached at the bar of the
Senate, and at the time when the said
articles of impeachment, were exhibited
and presented against him. the said
Belknap, by the said House Of Repre-:
lsentatives, he, the said Belknap, was not,
nor hath he since been, nor is he now,
an officer of the United States, but at
the said time was;r ever since hath been,
and now is, q private. citizen OF the
United States and of the State of Iowa,
and that he, the said Belknapri ready
to verify ;wherefore he prays Judgment
whether this court can or will take
further cognizance Of the said articles
of impeachment.
WILLIAM W. BELKNAP.
United States Of America;, District OF
Columbus. : = ~ - % ~
William W. Belknap, being first duly
sworn on oath, says that the foregoing
plea by him subscribed is true IN sub
stance and fact.
-, WILLIAM w. -BE1KNAP.
Subscribed and sworn to before tlne
this seventeenth day of April, 1876.
i DAVID DAVIS,
Associate Justice Supreme Court of the
United States.
An adjournment was made for few
days and the trial continued, the board
of managers of the House of Represen.
tatives, Messrs. Lord, Lynde, McMahon,
jerks, Lapham and Hoar, conducting it.
| Former Treatment Of Insanity.
/ ~