The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-12-16

Washington. December 1.-THE Sen
ate. which under the constitution, is
made the trial court in Impeachment
cases, today received official notice o.
the determination of the House Of Rep
resentatives to present impeachment
charges against Charles s. Swayne.
federal Judge i'm the Northern district
of Florida The matter was brought
to the Senate's attention by House
committee, and the Senate appointed a
committee to prepare the details Of the
proposed Investigation
When, a few minutes before the hour
of the Senates meeting the House COM
mittee appeared at the vice presidents
room to confer with President Protein
pore Frye. there was a general sour
rying about on the part of officials to
find precedents and to make prepa-a-
tons for the ceremony. the like of
which had not been witnessed in the
Senate since the proceedings OF 1876.
against SECRETARY Belknap.
d
ranged, senator Frye was engaged n
conference with the House committee,
consisting Of MeSSrs. Palmer, Jenkins,
Gilett, Clayton and Smith, of Ken
lucky.
Their Official action consisted in a
mere notification to Mr.. Frye of the
committee's desire TO bring the action
OF the House in the Swayne case to the
attention of the Senate at as early on
a., h TODD nj L
reply that the Senate would be pre-
pared to receive the committee at any
q time il might arrive.
A brief Informal exchange of views
as to the time when the Senate should
take up the case ensued. The House
members stated that it would be inn
possible for the committee to present
its articles of impeachment previous to
the holidays and it was suggested tha.
the trial might be POSTPONED until after
March An next, or even until the next
session of Congress.
The. House Impeachment committee
presented itself at the main door of the
Senate. being preceded by Clerk Brown
ing. of the House who was announc I'd
in the usual form by B. w. Layton as
sistant sergeant at arms.
MI Browning read the impeachment
resolution passed by the House. Mr.
Layton then presented the committee
saying: II announce the commit tee
from the House of Representatives ap-
pointed in pursuance of the resolution
just received
The chair announced that he would
receive the committee, whereupon the
committee was taken in charge by Col
onel d. M. Ranslell sergeant-at-arms
OF the Senate, and all the members
conducted down the center aisle to Il
point Immediately in front of the Pres
ident pro-tempore's seat.
Mr.. Palmer spoke for the committee,
saying:
Mr.. President in obedience TO the
order of the House of Representatives,
We appear before you and in the name
or the House of Representatives and uf
all the people of the United States of
America, we do impeach Charles
SSwayne, Judge of the District Court CT
the United States Tor the Northern Dis
trict of Florida, of high crimes and
nllSde1neanorS in office; and we fur
ther inform the Senate that the House
or Representatives will in due time ex-
hib1t articles of impeachment against
him and make good the same. And in
their name we demand that the Sem
ate shall take oiTdcr for the appearance
OF me SAID Charles Swayne to answer
said Impeachment"
The president pro tempore said.
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of the
committee: The chair begs to announce
that the Senate will take order in the
premises, due nosice of which will he
given to the House
The committee imediately retired.
The entire ceremony consumed less
than three minutes of time
After the House committee had re-
tired, Mr.. Platt. Of Connecticut. pre-
Senred a resolution. directing that .'Tha
message of the House of Representa-.
uves relative to the impeachment of
Charles Swayne be referred to a select
committee to consist of five Sena tors
to be appointed by the President pro
tempore.'
The resolution was agreed to, and the
chair designated Messrs. Platt (Con-
necticut), Clarke. Wisconsin; Fair
banks, Bacon and Pettus as membe-s s
of he committee. ALI the members of
the Select committee are members of
the committee on the judiciary.
The Senate then considered the Phil
>ippine government bill and the pure
food bill. Mr.. Foraker presented a tar
iff amendment to the Philippine bill,
but upon complaint of Mr.. Dubois and