Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-14
VOTED TO IMPEACH.
Action of the House on Judge swayne
of Florida.

After day of debate, the House of Rep
resentatives yesterday afternoon voted to
impeach Judge Charles Swayne of the
northern district of Florida for high
crimes and misdemeanors" and passed
resolution providing that "a committee of
five go to the Senate, and at the bar. in the
name of the House of Representatives and
of all the people of the United States, do
impeach Charles Swayne and do
acquaint the Senate that the House of Rep
resentatives will in due time exhibit par
ticular articles of impeachment against him
and make good the same and that the COM
mlttee do demand that the Senate make or
DER Tor the appearance of the said Charles
Swayne to answer said peachment''
Speaker Cannon appointed as the commit
tee Messrs Palmer Pa.), Jenkins CWis),
Giliet (Cal), Clayton tAla) and Smith (Ky)
another resolution was adopted provid-
ing that a committee of seven be appoint
ed TO prepare and report articles of inn
peachment against Judge Swayne" This
resolution Mr.. Littlefieid (rep. Mel nm
successfully sought to amend by substitute
ing 'he words committee on the judiciary"
The Debate.
The debate which preceded the passage of
the Impeachment resolution excited consid-
cradle interest, the galleries being well
niied and most of the members of the House
IN their seats. Not since the impeachment
proceedings in 1876, against Gen. w. w.
Belknap, Secretary of War In President
Grants cabinet, has there been similar
scene in the chamber Of the House of Rep
resentatives. Representative Palmer of
Pennsylvania, chairman of the judiciary
subcommittee which conducted the Swayne
investigation, presented the case to the
House, as reported In yesterdays Star He
made logical and clear argument closipf.
with the statement that Judge Swayne
should be impeached for "bigh crimes and
misdemeanors."
Representative Palmer was followed by
representative Clayton of Alabama Repre-
sentative Powers of Massachusetts, Repre-
sentative Henry of Texas and Representa-
tive Lamar of Florida, who took the view
that many reasons had been shown why
Judge Swayne should be impeached.
Views Of the Minority.
Representative Gillett of California and
Representative Littlefield of Maine. while
admitting that Judge Swayne had been
guilty of impeachable offense in falsifying
his expense account as appeared on the
face of the record, held that this was the
only impeachable offense of which Swayne
was presumably guilty.
Mr.. Gillett admitted that in his opinion
Judge Swayne's Irregularities in connection
with his expense account, and his accept
ance of favors from a railroad receiver. the
receiver of a railroad in his bankruptcy
court, were serious offenses
Representative Mann Ull) created some
amusement by calling attention to the fact
that Mr.. Gillett had made a report one way
and speech the other. He asked Mr.. Gill
lett how he intended to vote.
when the roll call comes Mr.. Gillett
replied, 'the gentleman from California will
tell you"
Then" retorted Mr.. Mann, ''I shall be
compelled to cast my vote after the gentle
man from California"
'If you follow the gentleman from Cali
fornia,'' Mr.. Gillett quickly replied, you
may vote correctly"
The impeachment resolution was passed
without division