much of the happiness of civil fociety, are neceffarily connected with the impartial and uninterrupted administration of justice; they have anxiously reflected on the difficulty and importance of the fubjects committed to them; that from faid petitions and other documents, it appears to them, that the faid ALEXANDER ADDISON, while acting as prefident of the court of common pleas of Allegheny county, did heretofore, at different times interrupt and prevent John B. C. Lucas, an affociate judge of the county aforefaid, from fully and freely exercifing and discharging his ofcial duty as fuch affociate; that if the ufurpations aforefaid, of the faid ALEXANDER ADDISON, be quietly acquiefced in by the Legislature, there is reason to apprehend, that the conftitutional independence of the affociate judges of the courts of common pleas, within the faid circuit will be annihilated, and all the utility which the public has a right to expect from their fervices, prevented or entirely deftroyed; that it is in vain, that our contitution and laws have eftablished courts, confifting of five judges, mutually to aid and counfel, or to act independantly of each other, as the law, their judgments and confciences fhould require, if one of them may, whenever actuated by paffion or caprice, with impunity affume to himfelf all the authority to which the whole of them only are competent; and that to fecure the free uninterrupted and impartial adminiftration of juftice within the faid circuit, it is neceffary that the Legislature, as far as their authority extends, fhould endeavour promptly to remedy the evils, and redrefs the grievances exhibited in the petitions and documents aforefaid. The committee therefore fubmit the following refolution, viz.”

"Refolved, That a committee be appointed, to prepare and draft an article or articles of impeachment, againt the faid ALEXANDER ADDISON, prefident as aforefaid, for a misdemeanor or mifdemeanors in office."

On the 23d February, this report was adopted, and the committee who brought it in ordered to be a committee, for the purpofes expreffed in the refolution.

On the 9th March, Mr. Jeffe Moore, from the committee appointed to draft the articles of impeachment, reported two articles, which on the 11th were adopted, by a committee of the whole Houfe.

On the 18th March, on the motion of Mr. Laycock, feconded by Mr. Ewalt, the articles of impeachment against ALEXANDER ADDISON, as reported by the committee of the whole, were read in the House and amended, by striking out the words " an affociate udge" and inferting the words "one of the judges" in both articles. And on the 19th it was ordered, that the faid articles be engroffed and figned by the Speaker; and a committee be ap

pointed, to exhibit the fame to the Senate, and to manage the trial thereof. Mr. Boileau, Mr. Jeffe Moore, Mr. F. Smith, Mr. Mitchel and Mr. R. Porter, were appointed a committee to exhibit the articles, and manage the trial.

On the 25th March, the following letter of Mr. ADDISON, to the Speaker, was read in the House of Representatives :

SIR,

Pittsburgh, 19th March, 1802.

I learn from the newspapers, that a refolution has paffed the Houfeof Representatives, for preferring an impeachment against

me.

Prefuming that the zeal of the House for public justice, is perfectly confiftent with a difpofition, to afford me every proper means of preparation for defence. My anxiety to meet this accufation as early and fully as poffible, induces me to request that the clerk of the House be directed to furnish me with a coру of the petitions, with the names annexed; and of the affidavits or other evidence, on which this refolution is founded; and a copy of the article or articles of impeachment; and a lift of the witnesses by which it is intended to support the impeach

ment.

For an officer at fuch a distance as I am, to procure the attendance of the witnesses that may be neceffary for his defence on an impeachment, might be an intolerable burden. It would be in fact, faying that every man who accepts an office, does it at the risk of being ruined, when any malicious man chooses to make oath against him. And as I am not conscious of any misdemeanor in office, nor acquainted with the evidence against me, I think myself entitled to be prefumed innocent 'till the contrary appear on an open trial, at which I may have an opportunity of being present. I therefore beg leave further to request, that the managers of the impeachment may be inftructed to procure the attendance of fuch witnesses, as Í may fatisfy them, are neceffary for my defence at the expence of the State. This I have the more reafon to expect, as the State is interested for its own honor in the acquital of an officer in my station; if he be really innocent, as I fincerely think I am, and as I trust the House will rejoice in being convinced of. I beg further, that information be given me of the names of the managers of the impeachment, and with which of them I fhall correfpond; and alfo of what order the House may think proper to take on this letter, (which, for this purpose I requeft the favor of you, to

lay before the Houfe as foon as poffible,) and that the which I defire, may be forwarded to me by the first cafion or by post.

I am Sir, with due respect,

your most obedient fervant,

papers

proper oc

ALEXANDER ADDISON.

The Honorable Ifaac Weaver, jun. Efquire,
Speaker of the House of Representatives. S

On the second reading of this letter, Mr. Jeffe Moore moved and read as follows

Refolved, That this Houfe, having already preferred articles of impeachment against ALEXANDER ADDISON to the Senate, do not apprehend, that at present they can properly grant the requests in his letter to the Speaker.

Mr. Wayne moved to poftpone this in order to introduce the following as a substitute.

Refolved, That the Clerk of the House be directed to make out copies of the refpective papers and documents requested by ALEXANDER ADDISON, and referred to in his letter to the Speaker, and cause them to be tranfmitted to him as foon as convenient.

This was negatived, only fixteen Members voting for it. Mr. Penrofe then moved to amend Mr. Moore's refolution, by adding to the end thereof the words "and that a transcript of this refolution together with the letter of Alexander Addison to the Speaker of this Houfe, be tranfmitted to the Senate." But this was negatived, and Mr. Moore's agreed to, together with a refolution, moved by Mr. Wayne, that the Clerk tranfmit to ALEXANDER ADDISON, Efquire, a tranfcript of the refolution, relative to the order taken upon his letter.

On the 22d March the Clerk of the Houfe of Reprefentatives prefented to the Senate a copy of the resolution of the House of Representatives, of the 19th March.

On the 23d March, the managers pesented to the Senate the articles of impeachment; which on the 27th March, the Senate re ferred to a committee.

On the 29th March this committee reported to the Senate the following refolution:

Refolved, That the Senate will meet at the Court-house, in the borough of Lancaster, on the first day in September next, and on the following Thursday commence the trial of ALEXANDER ADDISON, prefident of the courts within the fifth diftrict of Pennfylvania, on the articles of impeachment,

exhibited against him by the House of Reprefentatives, in their name and in the name of the people of Pennsylvania, and that the Speaker be directed to iffue an order, requiring him the faid ALEXANDER ADDISON, to attend on the day laft aforefaid, to anfwer the articles of impeachment aforefaid, and that the faid order be ferved on him, and a copy of the faid articles of impeachment be delivered to the faid ALEXANDER ADDISON, forty days before the day appointed for trial.

Mr. Rodman then moved that the Senate proceed to the trial on the fecond Tuesday of December next.

Mr. Gurney moved for the second Tuefday in May.

Mr. Findley moved that the further confideration of the report be poftponed, and especially recommended to the confideration of the next Legislature.

Mr. Rodman's propofition was adopted, and the report altered accordingly.

Mr. Gurney moved that the Speaker be requefted to furwith MR. ADDISON with copies of all fuch papers, which have been adduced to fubftantiate the charges against him. This was negatived.

Mr. Findley moved that the further confideration of the report be poftponed generally. This was negatived.

The report was then adopted, as altered on the motion of Mr. Rodman, fixing the fecond Tuesday of December as the day of trial.

During the recefs of the Legislature the following process was ferved on ALEXANDER ADDISON, Efquire, and returned with the annexed deposition of the serving thereof:

PENNSYLVANIA, ff.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to the Sheriff of Alleghany County Greeting:

We command you that you fummon ALEXANDER ADDISON, late of your county, prefident of the courts of common pleas, in the circuit confifting of the counties of Weftmoreland, Fayette, Washington and Allegheny, fo that he be and appear at the bar of our Senate, in the borough of Lancafter, on the fecond Tuelday of December next, to answer articles of accusation and impeachment, for high misdemeanors in office, exhibited against him by our Houfe of Representatives, in their name, and in the name of the people of Pennsylvania; and have you then and there this precept.

+

Witness, John Pearfon, Efquire, Speaker of our faid Senato at Lancaster, this feventh day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand, eight hundred and two.

(Atteft)

GEO. BRYAN, Clerk of the Senate. (Endorsed)

ALLEGHENY COUNTY, ff.

JOHN PEARSON.

Memorandum. This third day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and two, before me, George Wallace, one of the affociate judges of the court of common pleas of Allegheny county, perfonally came William Wufthoff, fheriff of the faid county, who being duly fworn, depofeth and faith, that on the first day of July, between the hours of eight and nine •P. M. he had read the within fummons to ALEXANDER ADDISON within named, and delivered to faid ALEXANDER ADDISON, a true copy thereof.

Witness, my hand and feal, the day and year aforefaid, So anfwers,

WILLIAM WUSTHOFF, Sheriff.

On the 13th of December 1802, a committe was appointed in the House of Reprefentatives, to enquire and report what proceedings the Houfe ought to adopt, relative to the articles of impeachment preferred by the late Houfe of Reprefentatives against Alexander Addison, Efquire; they reported on the 15th:

That the committee, to whom was referred, "the extracts from the Journals of the Senate, concerning the impeachment there alledged to be pending against Alexander Addison, president of the feveral courts of common pleas, consisting of the counties of Westmoreland, Fayette, Washington and Allegheny, to enquire and report what proceedings this House ought to adopt relative to the faid impeachment, and the charges therein contained;" after maturely confidering thofe charges and the evidence (so far at least as they could obtain it) on which they are grounded, do not apprehend that they are fuch as the conftitution requires to be profecuted by an impeachment. For the conftitution ordains, that "The Governor, and all other civil officers, under this commonwealth, fhall be liable to impeachment for any misdemeanor in office: but judgment in fuch cafes fhall not extend further than to removal from office, and disqualification to hold any office of honor, trust or profit under this com monwealth ;" and that "the judges of the fupreme court, and