Evening star., 1937-12-08
JOHNSON PAPERS
BROUGHT T0L|GHT
Impeachment Documents
Are Salvaged by TrimbIe
In lndexing Work.

eAAco III eiic QuSt Oh ~ ySaIS, Tie
original papers in the impeachment
and acquittal Of Andrew johnson,
seventeenth President Of the United
States, were brought to light in the
Capitol yesterday.
Inc historic records were salvaged
as the result Of efforts OF South Trim
BILE, clerk Of the House, to have i'm
portant House documents properly
assembled and indexed-a task that
has been in progress three months.
The work, In charge of H. Nevlins
Megill, assistant clerk, now has COW
cred the papers Of the first 13 Con-
gresses-up to the Civil War period
In the fortieth Congress.
The papers include such important
historical documents as the original
reports of Alexander Hamilton, in his
own handwriting and signed by him;
one recommending creation of the
Coast Guard Service, and bearing on
the cost of operating the Federal Gov
ernment for 1889, at an approximate
expenditure of s563,OO0: a report OF
Attorney General Randolph made in
compliance with request Of the House
regarding the judiciary system on De-
cember 81, 1870, which said "the first
object of this duty is to suggest any
defects existing in the Judiciary Sys-
tenn"
Oldest Paper In Group.
Ihe Oldest paper in the group Is
the commission to Benjamin Winchell
as fourth sergeant in the fourth COM
pany for invading Canada and car
rylng war into the heart of the enc.
mys procession and TO proceed there
m This was signed by Mai. Gen.
George p. Lyman of the Connecticut
forces on July "a, 1853.
The official documents covering the
impeachment of Andrew johnson. a
village Demosthenes, who was taught
70 read by his wife and by the fash
OF Booths pistol assembled to ths
presidency, were wrapped in crum-
bling brown paper and listed under
original resolution
AS matter of fact, the resolution
provided for the taking of testimony
by the managers on the part of the
House in the impeachment of the
President. johnson became Presi-
dent on April Is, 1865, when Lincoln
died, and served for 3 years lon
months. The documents include a
transcript OF testimony on April ID,
1868, by 1t. Gen. William T. Sher.
man: on February 26, 1868, by Gen.
w. H. Embry, and on March l3 by
Brig. Gen. Lorenzo Thomas, William
Boutwell, and others.
The House documents, which are
being classified and indexed for the
first time, also include the messages
OF the President of the United States
transmitting documents and papers re-
lating to the proceedings in North
Carolina and Louisiana Gin q metal
case) on the adoption of the respec.
tive State constitutions as OF May ls,
1858.
First Congress Documents.
The files of the First Congress have
just been indexed and boxed. These
first documents bear the signatures Of
Samuel A. Otis, first secretary OF the
Senate. and John Beckley. clerk Of
the House, who was first librarian OF
Congress. They include the act Of
September IL, 1889. to establish seat
of Government in the United States
at some convenient place on the
banks of the Susquehanna River, IN
the State of Pennsylvania, which the
Senate amended limiting the site to
the Counties of Philadelphia, Chester
and Burks, on September 2s, 1888.
These are all the original engron-
ments from which the enrollments
were made and sent to the White
House. They include the first act
concerning the Foreign Service, COW
ering consuls and vice consuls in
foreign parts" There is also found
the first apportionment act for Rep
resentatives in Congress under the
first census, passed by the House on
November "a, 1871.
One of the most valuable docu-
ments is the act declaring war against
Great Britain in 1912, adopted by the
House June 4, 1912, signed by Patrick
Magruder, clerk of the House. and at
tested by Samuel A. Otis. This was
amended by the Senate so as to in
clude the Kingdom of Ireland"
All Of these documents are ON beau.
tful paper and in beautiful hand.
written script, on vellum or pure linen.
and watermarked, "Brandywine, J. q.
g. Co."