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1 Trial of Samuel Chase, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Impeached by the House of Representatives for High Crimes and Misdemeanors before the Senate of the United States 1805

handle is hein.trials/aazh0001 and id is 1 raw text is: IMPEACHMENT OF SiAMUEL CHASE. MfEASUREs PRELIMINA.RY TO THE TRIAL: ON the fifth day of Januafy 1804, Mr. J. Randolph, a member' (if the House of Representatives of the United States, rose and address- ed that body to the following effect : He observed That no people were more fully impressed with the importance of preserving unpolluted the fountain of justice than the citizens of these states. With this view the constitution of the United States, and of many of the states also, had rendered the magistrates who decided judicially between the state and its offending citizens, and be- tween man and man, more independent than those of any other country in the world, in the hope that every inducement, whether of intimida- tion or seduction, which could cause them to swerve from the duty as- signed to them, might be removed. But such As the frailty of human nature, that there was no precaution by which our integrity and ho.-or could be preserved, in case we were deficient in that duty which we owed to ourselves. In consequence, sir, said Mr. Randolph, of this unfortunate condition of man, we have been obliged, but yesterday, to prefer an accusation against a judge of the United States, who has been. found wanting in his duty to himself and his country. At the last session of Congress, a gentleman from Pennsylvania did, in his place, (on a bill to amend the judicial system of the United States) state cer- tain facts, in relation to the official conduct of 'ip eminent judicial cha- racter, which I then thought, and still think, t House bound to notice. But the lateness of the session (for we had, if L mistale not, scarce a fortnight remaining) precluding all possibility of bringing the subject to any efficient result, I did not then think proper to t-ke any steps in the business : Finding my attention, however, thus dra '- o a considera- tion of the character of the officer in question, I made it my business, considering it my duty, as well to myself as those whom I represent, to investigate the charges then made and the official character of the judge, in general. The result having convinced me that there exists ground of impeachment against this officer, I demand an enquiry into his conduct, and therefore submit to the House the following resoltion:

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