es, or any department or office thereof;
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."

This resolution was adopted by a vote of one hundred and eight to
thirty-eight.

[Illustration: Hon. James M. Ashley.]

Near the close of the session, the Committee on the Judiciary, having
in charge the question of impeachment, made a report. The condition in
which the subject was left by the Thirty-ninth Congress will be seen
from the following extract:

"The duty imposed upon the 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 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, the
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
every thing 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, has 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
completen