Year: 1876

WASHINGTON, D. c., June 5th, '76.


Eds. HERALD.-On Monday last the
Senate decided that ex-Secretary Belknap
was amenable to impeachment for acts
done as Secretary of War, notwithstand-
ing his resignation of the office before he
was impeached by the House of Repre-
sentatives. The majo ity in favor of
jurisdiction was eight, just one more than
| predicted in my last letter. Every indi-
cation foreshadowed this result and no
one is surprised at the decision rendered.
The present programme of Gen. Belknap's
counsel is to move to vacate the order of
the Senate, taking jurisdiction on the
ground that it is judicial question and
requires two thirds vote, not having re-
ceived this, they will ask that the case
be dismissed.


The great question that is agitating the
minds of Congressman, in view of the
action of the Senate in the impeachment
case, is the probable duration of the pres
ent session. All sorts of speculations
have been INDUCED in and several plans
have been proposed to avoid remaining at
the capital during the hot months. Belk-
maps counsel wants the trial postponed
until next fall. Many Senators favor
this idea, but it is not likely that the
Senate will agree to adjourn and leave the
House managers to represent them. The
general opinion seems to favor the post
ponement of the trial until July, to give
the Senate time to act upon the appropri-
alton bills and for Congress to take short
recess until after the National Conven-
tions.


The Democrats are terribly agitated
about the charges of bribery brought
against Speaker Kerr They buzz about
like q swarm of bees whose hive has been
upset, and seem to be perfectly dumb.
founded. They had set Mr. Kerr up as
an opponent of honesty in politics, and
his election to speakership was owing to
the unsullied reputation which he bore
among both friends and foes. When his
party called upon him to fill the third
place within the gift of the republic, the
fact was trumpeted over the length and
breadth of the land as triumph Of the
honest element of the Democracy over the
wire pullers and professional politicians
and to see the idol which they have erect
ed, thus rudely assaulted, is more than
they can endure with ordinary equanimi-
ty. Opinion differs very much in regard
to the truth or falsity Of the statements
which Harvey has sworn to before Cly-
mer's committee. He tells a pretty
straight story, and is corroborated in some
respect by other testimony, but the pre-
vailing feeling at the capital, even among
Republicans, is to await further develop
ments before condemniDg Mr.. Kerr
They are willing to give him the benefit
of his hitherto unsullied character and
suspend judgment for the present. This
feeling is in striking contrast to that exhib-
tied by the Democrats when Republicans
have been assailed in reputation, and it
is to be hoped that their present tribula-
ton will be lesson to them, and prevent
the hasty condemnation before trial,
which has been the rule in the investiga-
tions carried on during the present Con-
gress.


Most of the investigating committees
are now idle or are engaged in trifling
matters that excite no general interest
The unfair and partisan manner in which
they have been conducted has destroyed
much of the effect they were expected to
have upon public opinion, and as machines
for making party capital they may be set
down as complete failures.


Sec. Robson will appear before the
Naval committee to-day with reference to
testimony that has been given before the