Jefferson's Manual - Impeachment

Impeachment

In recent years, Jefferson’s Manual has mistakenly been cited to support the idea that state legislatures can initiate congressional impeachment proceedings. It is commonly repeated that Thomas Jefferson wrote in Section 603 of his Manual of Parliamentary Practice for the Use of the Senate of the United States that “In the House there are various methods of setting an impeachment in motion,” including “by charges transmitted from the legislature of a State or territory." The source of this error is a misreading of the House of Representatives' "House Rules and Manual," as disseminated online. That House document does contain the complete text of Jefferson's Manual, but it also includes commentary (and authorities for that commentary) on subsequent congressional practice. The assertion that state legislatures can initiate impeachment proceedings is part of the "House Rules and Manual," but it was never part of Jefferson’s own text. The House document (not Jefferson’s Manual) labels this section “§603 Inception of Impeachment Proceedings in the House.” The House document is available online in both Text and PDF versions. The Text version is the source of the misunderstanding, since Jefferson’s words on impeachment and the congressional gloss are indistinguishable. In the PDF version, however, it is clear that Jefferson’s Manual is printed in large font, while the subsequent commentary appears in smaller type. Jefferson’s Manual in its original form, with its final Section LIII on “Impeachment” may also be viewed online.