Litchfield Enquirer

JUDGE PECK.—The protracted trial of this gentleman is at length completed, and we are glad to learn that he is acquitted. The National Intelligencer of the 1st inst. thus announces the termination: "The High Court of Impeachment yesterday pronounced judgment upon the article of Impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives against James H. Peck, District Judge of the United States for the District of Missouri. We have never witnessed a more dignified proceeding in any public body than that by which this question was decided. The article of Impeachment being first read, and the assembled multitude on the floor and in the galleries hushed to the profoundest silence, the Senators were called upon in succession, and the question, put distinctly to each Senator, by the presiding officer, each Senator rising in his place, as called, and answering "Guilty" or "Not Guilty!" When every Senator present had solemnly answered, the President of the Senate rose and announced that twenty-two Senators had pronounced the respondent Not Guilty, and twenty-one had pronounced him Guilty. Two-thirds of the Senators not having affirmed the presentment of the House of Representatives, Judge Peck was of course declared to be Acquitted of the article of Impeachment preferred against him by the House of Representatives."

We annex the proceedings in the Senate, at the closing scene upon this case, as reported in the Intelligencer:—

In Senate, January 31.

On motion of Mr. Foot, the Senate again resolved itself into a Court of Impeachment.

The House of Representatives, with their Managers, and the counsel for the respondent, having come into Court.

Mr. Tazewell moved the following resolution:

Resolved, That this Court will now pronounce judgment upon James H. Peck, Judge of the District Court of the United States for the District of Missouri.

Mr. Tazewell observed, that if there were one member of the Court unprepared for a decision on this impeachment at this time, or preferred any other mode of proceeding to pronounce judgment, he would cheerfully withdraw the resolution.

No objection having been made, the resolution was unanimously adopted.

The names of the Senators were then called over by the Secretary.

The Secretary of the Senate, under the direction of the Vice President, read the article of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives against James H. Peck, Judge of the District Court of the United States for the District of Missouri.

The Vice President rose and said—

Senators: You have heard the article of impeachment read: you have heard the evidence and the arguments for and against the respondent; when your names are called you will rise from your seats, and distinctly pronounce whether he is guilty or not guilty, as charged by the House of Representatives.

The Vice President then, in an audible voice, put the following question to each of the Senators in alphabetical order, commencing with

Mr. Senator Barnard: What say you: Is James H. Peck, Judge of the District Court of the United States for the District of Missouri, guilty or not guilty of the high misdemeanor charged in the article of impeachment exhibited against him by the House of Representatives?

Each Senator rose from his seat, as this question was propounded to him, and answered as follows:

Guilty—Messrs. Barnard, Brown, Clayton, Dickinson, Dudley, Ellis, Forsyth, Hayne, Iredell, Kane, King, Livingston, McKinley, Poindexter, Robbins, Sanford, Smith, of Md. Smith, of S. C. Troup, Tyler, Woodbury—21.

Not Guilty—Messrs. Barton, Bell, Burnet, Chase, Foot, Frelinghuysen, Grundy, Hendricks, Holmes, Johnston, Knight, Marks, Naudain, Noble, Ruggles, Seymour, Silsbee, Sprague, Tazewell, Webster, White, Willey—22.

Mr. Benton and Mr. Robinson were excused from voting. Mr. Bibb, Mr. Chambers, and Mr. Rowan were absent.

The Vice President again rose and observed—

Senators: Twenty-one Senators having voted that the Respondent is guilty, and twenty-two that he is not guilty; and two-thirds of the Senate not having voted for his conviction, it becomes the duty of the Chair to pronounce, that James H. Peck, the Judge of the District Court of the United States for the District of Missouri, stands acquitted of the charge exhibited against him by the House of Representatives.

The Vice President then directed the Marshal to adjourn the Court of Impeachment; and it was accordingly adjourned sine die.