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5602 _CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE_ APRIL 17. Government, and aliens afilicted with certain diseases be de "Senators, how say you? Is the respondent, Halsted L. Ritter, guilty or not guilty?" ported and returned to the country from which they came; Thereupon the roll of the Senate shall be called, and each to the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization. Senator as his name is called, unless excused, shall a.rise in his place and answer "guilty'" or "not guilty." SENATE The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Secretary will read the first article of impeachment. FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1936 The legislative clerk read article I, as follows: <Legislative day ot Monday, Feb. 24, 1936) ARTICLE I That the said Halsted L. Ritter, having been nominated by the IMPEACHMENT OF HALSTED L. RITTER President of the United States, confirmed by the Senate of the United States, duly quali:fled and commissioned, and while acting The Senate, sitting for the trial of the aTticles of impeach as a United States district judge for the southern district of ment against Halsted L. Ritter, judge of the United States Florida, was and is guilty of misbehavior and of a high crime and District Court for the Southern District of Florida, met at misdemeanor 1n office in manner and form as follows, to wit: On 12 or about October 11, 1929, A. L. Rank1n (who had been a law o'clock meridian. partner of said judge immediately before said judge's appoint The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Sergeant at Arms will ment as Judge). as solicitor for the plainttif, filed in the court of make proclamation. the said Judge Ritter a certain foreclosure suit and receivership proceeding, the same being styled "Bert E. Holland et al. v. The Sergeant at Arms made the usual proclamation. Whitehall Building & Operating <!o. et al." (No. 678-M-Eq.). The respondent, Halsted L. Ritter, with his counsel, Frarlk On or about May 15, 1930, the said Judge Ritter allowed P. Walsh, Esq., and Carl T. Hoffman, Esq., appeared in the the said Rankin an advance of $2,500 on his fee for his serv ices in said case. On or about July 2, 1930, the said Judge seats provided for them. Ritter by letter requested another judge of the United States On request of Mr. AsHURST, and by unanimous consent, the District Court for the Southern District of Florida, to wit, Hon. reading of the Journal of the Senate, sitting for the trial of Alexander Akerman, to ftx and determine the total a.Ilowance for the articles of impeachment, for Thursday, April 16, 1936, the said Rankin for h1s services 1n said case for the reason .as stated by Judge Ritter 1n said letter, that the said Rankin had was dispensed with, and the Journal was approved. formerly been the law partner of the said Judge Ritter, and he Mr. ROBINSON. I suggest the absence of a quorum. dtd not feel that he should pass upon the -total allowance made The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the said Rankin in that case and that 11 Judge Akerman would fix the allowance it would relieve the writer, Judge Ritter, from any roll. embarrassment if therea.!ter any question Bh.ould a.rtse as to his, The Chief Clerk called the roll, and the following Senators Judge Ritter's, favoring said Rankin with an exorbitant fee. answered to their names: Thereafterward, notwithstanding the said Judge Akerman, in compliance with Judge Ritter's request, a.llowed the said Rankin Adams Connally Holt · Overton a fee of $15,000 for his services in said case, from which sum the Ashurst Coolidge Johnson Pittman said ~2,500 theretofore allowed the said Rankin by Judge Ritter Austin Copeland Keyes Radcliffe Bachman Couzens Ktng Reynolds as an advance on his fee was deducted, the .said Judge Ritter, Bailey Davis La Follette Robinson well knowing that at his request compensation had been ftxed by Barbour Dickinson Lonergan Russell Judge Akerman for the sa.ld Rank:.in's services in said case, and Benson Dieterich Long Schwellenbach notwithstanding the restraint of propriety expressed in his saiq Bilbo Donahey McAdoo Sheppard letter to Judge Akerman, and ignoring the danger of embarrass Black Duffy MeGill Shipstead ment mentioned 1n said letter, did ftx .a.n addltion.al and exorbi Bone Fletcher McKellar Smith tant fee for too said Rankin 1n said case. On or about December Borah Frazier McNary Steiwer 24, 1930, when the :flnal decree 1n said case was ·signed, the said Brown George Maloney Thomas, Okla.· Judge Ritter .allowed the said Rankln, additional to the total Bulkley Gerry Metcal.t Thomas, Utah allowance of $15,000 theretofore allowed by Judge Akerman, a Bulow Gibson Minton Townsend fee of $75,000 for his services in said case~ out of which allowance Burke Glass Moore Truman Byrd Guffey Murphy Vandenberg the said Judge Ritter directly profited. On the same day, De Capper Hale Murray Van Nuys cember 24, 1930, the receiver in said case paid the said Rankin, Caraway Harrison Neely Wagner as part of his said additional fee, the sum of $25,000, a.nd the -said Carey Hastings Norris W&lsh Rankin on the same day privately paid and delivered to the said Chavez Hatch Nye Wheeler Judge Ritter the sum of $2,500 1n cash; e2,000 of said $.2,500 was Clark Hayden O'Ma.honey White deposited in bank by Judge Ritter on, to wit, December 29, 1930, the remaining $500 being kept .by Judge Ritter and not deposited Mr. ROBINSON. I announce that the Senator from Ala tn bank untU, to wit, July 10, 1931. Between the time of such bama [Mr. BANKHEAD], the Senator from Colorado [Mr. 1n1tial payment on said additional fee and Aprll 6, 1931, the saia CosTIGAN], the Senator from Nevada [Mr. McCARRAN], and receiver paid said Rankin thereon ~5,000. On or about April 6. 1931, the said Rankin received the balanoe of the .said additional the Senator from Florida. [Mr. TRAMMELL] are detained from fee allowed hlm by Judge Ritter, sald balance amounting to the Senate because of illness. $45,000. Shnrtly thereafter, on or about April 14, 1931, the said I further announce that the Senator from Oklahoma [Mr. Rankin paid and- delivered to the .said Judge Ritter, privately, 1n GORE], the senior Senator from Kentucky [Mr. BARKLEY], cash, an additional sum of $2,000. The said Judge Halsted L. Ritter corruptly and unlawfully accepted and received for his own the junior Senator from Kentucky [Mr. LoGml, the Senator use and benefit from the said A. L. Rankin the aforesaid sums of from South Carolina [Mr. BYRNES], and the Senator from money, amounting to $4,500. Idaho [Mr. PoPEl are unavoidably absent. Where!ore. the said Judge Halsted L. Ritter was and is guilty of The Senator from Colorado [Mr. CosTIGAN] and the Sen misbehavior and was and Is guilty of a high crime and misde meanor. ator from Maryland [Mr. TYDINGS] have been excused from voting on the impeachment articles. having personally in The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Senators, how say you? the Senate made the request to be excused and assigned Is the respondent, Halsted L. Ritter, guilty ()r not guilty? reasons therefor. The clerk will call the rolL I have been asked to announce also that pairs are not The Chief Clerk called the roll, which resulted as follows: recognized in this proceeding. GUILTY-55 Mr. DIETERICH. I announce that my colleague the A{!ams Chavez Hatch O'Mahoney Ashurst Clark Hayden Radcliffe senior Senator from Tilinois [Mr. LEwlsl i8 detained on Bachman Connally Holt Reynolds important public business. Bailey Coolidge La Follette Robinson The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Eighty-four Senators hav Bilbo Couzens Lonergan Russell Black Dieterich McAdoo Schwellenbach ing answered to their names, a quorum is present. Bone Donahey McGill Sheppard Mr. ASHURST. I ask that the Secretary read the order Borah D~y McK~ Shipstead Brown Fletcher McNary Thomas, Utah entered yesterday by the Senate. Bulkley Frazier Maloney Truman The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, the Bulow George Murphy Wagner clerk will read. Byrd Glass Murray Walsh Capper Gu1fey Neely Wheeler The legislative clerk read as follows: Caraway Harrison Norris Ordered, That upon the final vote 1n the pending hnpeachm.ent NOT GUTI.TY-29 of Halsted L. Ritter, the Secretary shall read the articles of im- Austin carey Gerry Johnson peachm.ent separately and successively, and when the reading of Barbour Copeland Gibson Keyes each article shall have been concluded the Presiding Officer shall Benson Davis Hale King sta.te the questions thereon as follows: Burite Diek1n:aon Bast1Dga Lone 1936 _CONGRESSIONAL .RECORD-SENATE Q603 Metcal! Overton Steiwer Vandenberg fore said Judge Ritter and advised the judge that he wished to Minton Pittman Thomas, Okla. Van Nuys withdraw the suit and asked for dismissal of the bill of com.pla!nt Moore Smith Townsend White on the ground that the bill was filed without his authority. Nye But the said Judge Ritter, fully advised of the facts and clrcwn ABSENT, NOT VOTING, OR EXCUSEI}-12 stances hereinbefore recited, wrongfully and oppressively exerciSed Bankhead Costigan Logan Pope the powers of his omce to carry into execution said plan and agree Barkley Gore McCarra.n Trammell ment theretofore arrived at, and refused to grant the request of Byrnes Lewis Norbeck Tydings the sq.l.d Holland and made efi'ective the champertous undertaking im of the said Richardson and Rankin and appointed the said R1chard The PRESIDENT pro tempore. On the first article of son receiver of the said hotel property, notwithstanding that ob peachment 55 Senators have voted "guilty" and 29 Senators jection was made to Judge Ritter that said Richardson had been have voted ''not guilty." Less than two-thirds of the mem active in fomenting this litigation and was not a proper person bers present having voted "guilty", the Senate adjudges that to act as receiver.