On Tuesday, April 4, 1876, in the administration of President Grant, the managers of the impeachment on the part of the House of Representatives appeared at the bar of the Senate; and after the proper introductory ceremony, Mr. Manager Lord read the " Articles exhibited by the House of Representatives of the United States of America against William W. Belknap, late Secretary of War, in maintenance and support of their impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors while in said office." Belknap was charged with having received a large sum o'f money for appointing John S. Evans to maintain a trading establishment at Fort Sill, a military post.

The questions of law raised during the long trial were most interesting, and bespeak the ability and adroitness of defendant's counsel, J. S. Black, Montgomery Blair and Matthew H. Carpenter. As Belknap had resigned his commission as Secretary of War, and at the time of impeachment was a private citizen of the United States and of the State of Iowa, it was claimed on his behalf that he was not liable to impeachment, and that the Senate was without jurisdic- | tion. The trial was not determined until Tuesday, August 1st, when a vote was taken on each article separately. No one of the impeachment charges being sustained by a two-thirds vote of the Senators, the respondent was acquitted. A supposed sub-strata of social intrigue sharpened the public interest in this case.