The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-19
HOUSE VOTES To
|MPEACH SWAYNE
Twelve Articles of In
peachment Adopted.
VOTE RATHER CLOSE
The Speaker is Authorized to Appoint
Seven Managers to Present the
Case TO the Senate and Con.
duct the Impeachment
Proceedings.
(By the Associated Press

Washington. Jan. 1S.-The House
of Representatives today adopted the
twelve articles of impeachment against
Judge Swayne, of the district court
of the northern district of Florida
which had been presented by its
special committee of investigation
The Speaker was authorized TO appoint
seven managers TO present the case
to the Senate and conduct the inn
parchment proceedings before that
body.
This action was the elimination OF
a debate which has been in progress
for over a. week, and which has de-
Veloped partisan feeling and personal
vituperation. The first vote, that y
table the first three articles, those re-
lating to the Justification of expenses.
wo~t against .Iud0e SWayna by the
narrow margin of five votes. This
49, egaI ,.vu as the test vote as the
charge regarding expenses was the
only one concurred in by the MEM
bers presenting the minority report
The motion TO table these articles
was lost, 160 to 165. Twenty-four
Republicans voted with the Democrats
against tabling and three Democrats
voted with the Republicans TO table.
On rool call three articles were
adopted 100 to 165. Articles four
and five, relating to the free use OF
u private car by Judge Swayne, We're
made the subject of a separate vote
and adopted 49, to 13S. Like action
followed with regard 10 articles siN
and seven, charging him with non
residence in his district. the vote
standing 15S to 1877. This was the
last roll call, as when articles eight,
ri~o md eleven. relating to the Davis
Belden case, and article twelve. relet-
lna - ,he ON cal contempt case. We're
declared adopted on viva voce votes.
The last time the House voted to
present articles of Impeachment was
in 1876, when it voted the impeach-
ment of w. w. Beldknap. Secretary
of War under President Grant.
The Debate on tho Case.
The debate today was chiefly notable
for the closing arguments in the case.
That for Judge Swayne was made by
Mr. Gillett, of California. and that for
Impeachment by Mr.. Palmer. of Penn
sylvania.
Mr.. Gilett made an earnest plea
for the judge, and Mr. Palmer spoke
strongly for purity on the bench and
for impeachment.
Argument iii the Swayne case was
opened by Mr.. Mccall (Mass.) He
reviewed briefly the charges against
Judge Swayne and said he had no
difficulty in reaching the conclusion
that he should vote against all Of the
articles OF imDeachnent.
Mr.. Williams (Miss.) made the point
that the fitllacy of the argument of
Mr. Mccall was that he placed on the
same footing impeachablc offenses by
executive officials and like offenses by
judicial officials.
A Judge. he maintained. bore a two
fold relation to imDeachment-per-
Sonal and official.
Harry ('TpY4SA w1C i'm favor of
presenting every one OF the twelve
charges against Judge Swayne to the
Senate He discussed briefi.7 the nom
resident charge and asserted that
Judge Swayne had never been resi-
dent Of the northern district of Flori-
da. The O'Neal contempt case was
also held by Mr.. Henry to be justifia-
BILE ground for impeachment.
Mr.. Gillette read o telegram signed.
he said, by the leading merchants and
citizens OF Pensacola, condemning
tho impeachment proceedings. and ex-
pressing q sentiment friendly to Judge
Swayne He also read letters to the
Same effect.
Judge Swayne, lie said, would never
have been proceeded against and
'1ersecuted" II II had not been for
the O,Neal contempt proceeding.
Mr.. Gillett spoke of the ear in
cident as having occurred years ago.
ajiu SalQ IL WOulu Dc UTILIZE SSiiouSly
to present such charge. He asked
where they would. and if thev started
into impeacn men for riding in
private car He seid he had state
ments showing it was the intention
that $40 a day should he charged by
judgeS and that he had a statement
from the Secretary of the Treasury,
that other judges had charged SO.
He characterized the charges as
groundless.
PartisanshiD Gone Mad.
Mr.. DeArmond tMo.) said there had |
been an effort TO dispose OF this case, |
not OH its merits, but by drawing a |
line down the centre aisle of the |
House Referring to the letter writ !
ten by judge Pardee and read yes
terday by Mr.. Grosvenor. Mr. De-
Almond said he was in sorrow and /
shame at that exhibition. He asked |
what would be the action of Judge |
Pardee If some one should write TO a |
Juror in his court. He said he was
sorry that a stain should be put upon
a record which one hundred years
could not erase or eradicate.
..If we knew that he (Judge Par
dee) was ole of those like Judge
S,wayne who has been setting
aside the law regarding his
exnense allowance for fhe purpose
OF drawing from the Treasury money
Which does not belong to him, We
could find Il reason for thai letter
where no rcasoa now can be found to-