history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第13部分

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ereof；　and　whether　the　said　Andrew　Johnson　has　been　guilty　of　any　act；　or　has　conspired　with　others　to　do　acts；　which；　in　contemplation　of　the　Constitution；　are　high　crimes　and　misdemeanors；　requiring　the　interposition　of　the　constitutional　power　of　this　House；　and　that　said　committee　have　power　to　send　for　persons　and　papers；　and　to　administer　the　customary　oath　to　witnesses。

The　question　was　taken　on　agreeing　to　the　Resolution；　and　it　was　decided　in　the　affirmativeyeas　107；　nays　39；　not　voting　45。

On　the　2nd　of　March；　1867；　the　subject　of　impeachment　again　came　up　in　the　House；　and　the　following　proceedings　were　had：

Mr。　Wilson；　of　Iowa；　（Rep。）I　am　directed　by　the　Committee　on　the　Judiciary　to　present　a　report　relative　to　the　official　conduct　of　the　President　of　the　United　States。

Mr。　Eldridge；　（Dem。）Mr。　Speaker；　I　wish　to　raise　a　question　of　order：　I　see　by　the　clock　that　it　is　almost　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　I　believe　this　is　the　Sabbath　day。　I　think　we　should　not　do　any　more　business　tonight；　except　it　be　business　of　necessity　or　charity。

The　Speaker。This；　in　parliamentary　view；　is　Saturday。　The　clerk　will　read　the　report　submitted　by　the　gentleman　from　Iowa。

The　clerk　read　as　follows：

The　Committee　on　the　Judiciary；　charged　by　the　House　with　examination　of　certain　allegations；　of　high　crimes　and　misdemeanors　against　the　President　of　the　United　States；　submit　the　following　report：

On　the　7th　day　of　January；　1867；　the　House；　on　the　motion　of　the　Hon。　James　M。　Ashley；　a　Representative　from　the　State　of　Ohio；　adopted　the　following　preamble　and　resolutions；　to…wit：

The　duty　imposed　upon　this　committee　by　this　action　of　the　House；　was　of　the　highest　and　gravest　character。　No　committee　during　the　entire　history　of　the　Government；　has　ever　been　charged　with　a　more　important　trust。　The　responsibility　which　it　imposed　was　of　oppressive　weight；　and　of　a　most　unpleasant　nature。　Gladly　would　the　committee　have　escaped　from　the　arduous　labor　imposed　upon　it　by　the　Resolution　of　the　House；　but　once　imposed；　prompt；　deliberate；　and　faithful　action；　with　a　view　to　correct　results；　became　its　duty；　and　to　this　end　it　has　directed　its　efforts。

Soon　after　the　adoption　of　the　Resolution　by　the　House；　Hon。　James　M。　Ashley　communicated　to　the　committee；　in　support　of　his　charges　against　the　President　of　the　United　States；　such　facts　as　were　in　his　possession；　and　the　investigation　was　proceeded　with；　and　has　been　continued　almost　without；　a　day's　interruption。　A　large　number　of　witnesses　have　been　examined；　many　documents　collected；　and　everything　done　which　could　be　done　to　reach　a　conclusion　of　the　case。　But　the　investigation　covers　a　broad　field；　embraces　many　novel；　interesting；　and　important　questions；　and　involves　a　multitude　of　facts；　while　most　of　the　witnesses　are　distant　from　the　Capital；　owing　to　which　the　committee；　in　view　of　the　magnitude　of　the　interests　involved　in　its　action；　have　not　been　able　to　conclude　its　labors；　and　is　not　therefore　prepared　to　submit　a　definite　and　final　report。　If　the　investigation　had　even　approached　completeness；　the　committee　would　not　feel　authorized　to　present　the　result　of　the　House　at　this　late　period　of　the　session；　unless　the　charges　had　been　so　entirely　negative　as　to　admit　of　no　discussion；　which；　in　the　opinion　of　the　committee；　is　not　the　case。

Certainly　no　affirmative　report　could　be　properly　considered　in　the　expiring　hours　of　this　Congress。

The　committee　not　having　fully　investigated　all　the　charges　prepared　against　the　President　of　the　United　States；　it　is　deemed　inexpedient　to　submit　any　conclusion　beyond　the　statement　that　sufficient　testimony　has　been　brought　to　its　notice　to　justify　and　demand　a　further　prosecution　of　the　investigation。

The　testimony　which　the　committee　has　taken　will　pass　into　the　custody　of　the　Clerk　of　the　House；　and　can　go　into　the　hands　of　such　committee　as　may　be　charged　with　the　duty　of　bringing　this　investigation　to　a　close；　so　that　the　labor　expended　upon　it　may　not　have　been　in　vain。

The　committee　regrets　its　inability　definitely　to　dispose　of　the　important　subject　committed　to　its　charge；　and　presents　this　report　for　its　own　justification；　and　for　the　additional　purpose　of　notifying　the　succeeding　Congress　of　the　incompleteness　of　its　labors；　and　that　they　should　be　completed。

James　F。　Wilson；　Chairman。　Francis　Thomas；　D。　Morris；　F。　E。　Woodbridge；　George　S。　Boutwell；　Thomas　Williams；　Burton　C。　Cook；　William　Lawrence；

Mr。　Ancona；　the　only　Democrat　on　the　committee；　presented　a　minority　report；　as　follows：

The　subscriber；　one　of　the　Judiciary　Committee；　to　which　was　referred　by　the　House　the　inquiry　into　the　official　conduct　of　His　Excellency；　the　President　of　the　United　States；　with　a　view　to　his　impeachment　upon　certain　charges　made　by　Hon。　James　M。　Ashley；　begs　leave　to　submit　the　following　report：

The　Committee　refuses　to　allow　a　Report　to　be　made　giving　to　the　House　at　this　time　upon　grounds　which　are　no　doubt　satisfactory　to　themselves；　therefore；　I　cannot　report　the　evidence　upon　which　my　conclusion　is　based；　which　I　would　gladly　do　did　the　Committee　deem　it　expedient。　The　examination　of　witnesses　and　the　records　was　commenced；　as　appears　by　the　majority　report；　about　the　time　of　the　reference；　to…wit：　on　the　7th　day　of　January；　1867；　and　continued　daily。　A　large　number　of　witnesses　has　been　examined；　and　everything　done　that　could　be；　to　bring　the　case　to　a　close；　as　appears　by　the　majority　report：　and　the　majority　have　come　to　the　conclusion　〃that　sufficient　testimony　had　been　brought　to　its　notice　to　justify　and　demand　a　further　prosecution　of　the　investigation。〃　I　have　carefully　examined　all　the　evidence　in　the　case；　and　do　report　that　there　is　not　one　particle　of　evidence　to　sustain　any　of　the　charges　which　the　House　charged　the　Committee　to　investigate；　and　that　the　case　is　wholly　without　a　particle　of　evidence　upon　which　impeachment　could　be　founded；　and　that　with　all　the　effort　that　has　been　made；　and　the　mass　of　evidence　that　has　been　taken；　the　case　is　entirely　void　of　proof。　I　furthermore　report　that　the　most　of　the　testimony　that　has　been　taken　is　of　a　secondary　character；　and　such　as　would　not　be　admitted　in　a　court　of　justice。

In　view　of　this　conclusion　I　can　see　no　good　in　a　continuation　of　the　investigation。　I　am　convinced　that　all　the　proof　that　can　be　produced　has　been　before　the　Committee；　as　no　pains　have　been　spared　to　give　the　case　a　full　investigation。　Why；　then；　keep　the　country　in　a　feverish　state　of　excitement　upon　this　question　any　longer；　as　it　is　sure　to　end；　in　my　opinion；　in　a　complete　vindication　of　the　President；　if　justice　be　done　him　by　the　committee；　of　which　I　have　no　doubt；

A。　J。　Rogers。

The　two　reports　were　ordered　printed　and　laid　on　the　table。

This　session　of　the　House；　and　with　it　the　Thirty…Ninth　Congress；　ended　a　few　hours　later；　the　legislative　day　continuing　till　twelve　o'clock；　noon；　on　Sunday；　March　3rd。　The　House　adjourned　sine　die　at　that　hour；　when　all　unfinished　business　lapsed。

RENEWAL　OF　THE　IMPEACHMENT。

The　first　session　of　the　Fortieth　Congress　began　on　Monday；　March　4th；　1867；　and　on　the　7th；　in　the　House　of　Representatives；　Mr。　Ashley　（Rep。）　offered　the　following　Preamble　and　Resolutions：

Whereas　the　House　of　Representatives　of　the　Thirty…Ninth　Congress　adopted；　on　the　7th　of　January；　1867；　a　Resolution　authorizing　an　inquiry　into　certain　charges　preferred　against　the　President　of　the　United　States；　and　whereas　the　Judiciary　Committee；　to　whom　said　Resolution　and　charges　were　referred；　with　authority　to　investigate　the　same；　were　unable　for　want　of　time；　to　complete　said　investigation　before　the　expiration　of　the　Thirty…Ninth　Congress；　and　whereas　in　the　report　submitted　by　said　Judiciary　Committee　on　the　2nd　of　March　they　declare　that　the　evidence　taken　is　of　such　a　character　as　to　justify　and　demand　a　continuation　of　the　investigation　by　this　Congress；　therefore：

Be　it　Resolved　by　the　House　of　Representatives；　That　the　Judiciary　Committee；　when　appointed；　be；　and　they　are　hereby；　instructed　to　continue　the　investigation　authorized　in　said　Resolution　of　Jan。　7th；　1867；　and　that　they　have　power　to　send　for　persons　and　papers；　and　to　administer　the　customary　oath　to　witnesses；　and　that　the　committee　have　authority　to　sit　during　the　sessions　of　the　House　and　during　any　recess　which　Congress　or　this　House　may　take。

Resolved；　That　the　Speaker　be　requested　to　appoint　the　Committee　on　the　Judiciary　forthwith；　and　that　the　Committee　so　appointed　be　directed　to　take　charge　of　the　testimony　taken　by　the　Committee　of　the　last　Congress；　and　that　said　Committee　have　power　to　appoint　a　clerk　at　a　compensation　not　to　exceed　six　dollars　per　day；　and　employ　the　necessary　stenographers。

At　the　close　of　the　debate　on　Mr。　Ashley's　Resolution；　it　was　adopted　without　a　division；　its　form　being　changed　to　the　following：

Resolved；　That　the　Committee　on　Judiciary　be　requested　to　report　on　the　charges　against　the　President　as　aforesaid；　on　the　first　day　of　the　meeting　of　the　House　after　the　recess　hereafter　to　be　determined。

Congress　adjourned　a　few　days　later。　It　re…assembled　on　the　3rd　of　July；　and　on　the　11th　the　following　resolutions　was　offered　by　Mr。　Stevens；　（Rep。）　of　Pennsylvania：

Resolved；　That　the　Committee　on　the　Judiciary；　to　whom　was　referred　the　Resolution　and　Documents　relative　to　the　Impeachment　of　the　President；　be　directed　to　report　the　evidence　at　this　session；　with　leave　to　make　further　report　if　they　shall　deem　proper。

That　the　impeachment　enterprise　was　waning；　and　that　its　forces　had　received　little　encouragement　during　the　recess　of　the　Congress　that　had　just　closed；　was　evidenced　by　the　fact　that　there　could　not　be　mustered　ayes　enough　to　put　the　resolution　to　a　vote；　and　Mr。　Wilson；　of　Iowa；　moved　the　following　substitute：

Resolved；　That　the　Committee　on　Judiciary　be；　and　they　are　hereby；　authorized　and　directed　to　have　the　usual　number　of　copies　of　the　evidence　taken　by　said　committee　relative　to　the　Impeachment　of　the　President；　printed　and　laid　on　the　desks　of　Members　of　the　House　on　the　first　day　of　the　next　Congress；　whether　adjourned　or　regular。

The　Resolution　was　adopted　by　a　vote　of　85　to　4