IMPEACHMENT VOTES Three approved, two rejected

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33601, 1 August 1974, Page 17

IMPEACHMENT VOTES Three approved, two rejected

(N.Z P.A -Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, July 31. President Nixon was today confronted with three articles of impeachment over Watergate and the virtual certainty of a Senate trial. Hie House of Representatives Judiciary Committee wound up its first impeachment debate in more than a century late last night. It recommended that Mr Nixon be impeached for obstructing justice in covering up the 1972 Watergate break-in, abusing Presidential powers, and for rejecting Congressional subpoenas for Watergate-related tapes.

Broad bi-partisan support for two of the articles make Mr Nixon s impeachment by the full House appear certain. But in its three long sessions yesterday, ending a tense and exhausting debate lasting six days, and months of investigations and secret hearings, the committee lost the strong bi-partisan unity marking earlier votes. It only narrowly approved — by 21 votes to 17 — the article recommending impeachment on the tapes issue. Two Southern Democrats and five Republicans who previously voted for impeachment switched sides, describing the article as ‘•over-kill” and “going too far" More Democrats and Republicans rallied to the President’s side when the committee overwhelmingly rejected an article to impeach him for the secret bombing of Cambodia by 26 votes to 12. The committee also rejected by 26 votes to 12 an article accusing the Presi-

dent of income tax evasion totalling nearly $500,000. The defeat of both articles had been expected. But earlier in the debate, the committee overwhelmingly approved two major impeachment articles charging Mr Nixon with obtructing justice and abusing his Presidential power. As the committee deliberated yesterday, one of the most influential Republicans in the House of Representatives said that the President's already weakened position in Congress was deteriorating even further A Republican leader, Mr John Rhodes of Arizona, said that Mr Nixon had suffered “a tremendous ero sion of support.”

this week. The report itself, plus minority views, is expected next Tuesday or Wednesday. The Senate Rules Committee was meeting today to work out procedures for the second Presidential trial in its history. Meanwhile, one of the President’s former close aides, John Ehrlichman, was to be sentenced today for his part in the 1971 break-in at the office of a psychiatrist treating the Pentagon papers defendant, Dr Daniel Ellsberg. Ehrlichman, one of the strong men in the Nixon heirarchy during the President’s first four years in office, and three other men, were convicted earlier this month for their role in the break-in — an operation carried out by the “plumbers” unit set up by the White House to plug intelligence leaks. Ehrlichman also faces trial in September with a former White House Chief of Staff H. R. (Bob) Haldeman, the former Attorney-general, John Mitchell, and three others in the Watergate cover-up case. Ironically, as the impeachment committee voted yesterday, Mr Nixon handed over a first batch of the 64 tapes the Supreme Court in an historic ruling last week ordered him to surrender for the cover-up trial. A timetable for the handover of the other 44 tapes will be worked out on Friday. After screening the recordings, Judge John Sirica will pass relevant portions to the special Watergate prosecutor, Mr Leon Jaworski.

A conservative Republican, Mr John Ashbrook, of Ohio, who challenged Mr Nixon for the Presidential nomination in 1972, said that he favoured impeachment Several other Nixon loyalists described themselves as undecided. The final approved article accused the President of ignoring eight committee subpoenas for 147 tape recordings of Presidential conversations in the White House, declaring that he “interposed the powers of the Presidency against the lawful subpoenas of the House of Representatives." The next stage in the impeachment drama takes place behind the scenes, the Judiciary Committee chairman Mr Peter Rodino, conferring with Democratic leaders about the debate in the full House of Representatives — expected to start in mid-August and to last from two to three weeks. Mr Rodino also confers with the House rules committee to lay down guide’ines for debate and procedure for making amendments. Legal sources said that the House was not bound by the articles recommended b' the committee. Members ca> always introduce ne' charges or those that habeen rejected by the con mittee. The Judiciary Committe will meet once more to discuss its report to the full House, possibly some time