HIGH COURT OF IMPEACHMENTS.
Wednesday, January 2, 1805.
The Court having been opened by proclamation,
The return made by the Sergeant-at-Arms was read, as follows:
“I, James Mathers, Sergeant-at-Arms to the Senate of the United States, in obedience to the within summons to me directed, did proceed to the residence of the within named Samuel Chase, on the 12th day of December, 1804, and did then and there leave a true copy of the said writ of summons, together with a true copy of the articles of impeachment annexed, with him the said Samuel Chase.
“JAMES MATHERS.”
After which the Secretary administered to him the oath as follows:
“You, James Mathers, Sergeant-at-Arms to the Senate of the United States, do solemnly swear, that the return made and subscribed by you, upon the process issued on the 10th day of December last, by the Senate of the United States, against Samuel Chase, one of the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, is truly made, and that you have performed said services as therein described. So help you God.”
Samuel Chase, having been solemnly called, appeared.
The President of the Senate (Mr. Burr) informed Mr. Chase, that having been summoned to answer to the articles of impeachment exhibited against him by the House of Representatives, the Senate were ready to receive any answer he had to make to them.
Mr. Chase requested the indulgence of a chair,[19] which was immediately furnished.
After being seated for a short time, Mr. Chase rose, and commenced the following address to the Senate, which he read from a paper that he held in his hand:
“Mr. President: I appear, in obedience to a summons from this honorable Court, to answer articles of impeachment exhibited against me, by the honorable the House of Representatives of the United States.
“To these articles, a copy of which was delivered to me with the summons, I say that I have committed no crime or misdemeanor whatsoever, for which I am subject to impeachment according to the Constitution of the United States. I deny, with a few exceptions, the acts with which I am charged; I shall contend, that all acts admitted to have been done by me were legal; and I deny, in every instance, the improper intentions with which the acts charged are alleged to have been done, and in which their supposed criminality altogether consists.”
The President reminded Mr. Chase that this was the day appointed to receive any answer he might make to the articles of impeachment.
Mr. Chase said his purpose was to request the allowance of further time to put in his answer.
The President desired him to proceed.
Mr. Chase proceeded in his address; and having finished it, was desired by the President, if he had any motion to make, to reduce it to writing, and hand it to the Secretary.
Whereupon, Mr. Chase submitted the following motion:
“I solicit this honorable Court to allow me until the first day of the next session, to put in my answer, and to prepare for my trial.”
The President informed Mr. Chase, that, the Court would take time to consider his motion.[20]
The Senate withdrew to a private apartment, where debate arose on the question, whether it was not incumbent on the Senators to take the oath required by the constitution, before they took into consideration the motion of Mr. Chase, which issued in the adoption of the following resolution:
Resolved, That, on the meeting of the Senate, to-morrow, before they proceed to any business on the articles of impeachment before them, and before any decision of any question, the oath prescribed by the rules, shall be administered to the President and members of the Senate.
On the ensuing day, previously to the entrance of the Senate into the public room, considerable debate took place on the motion of Mr. Chase, without any decision being made.