【法】 弹劾条款

Impeachment \Im*peach"ment\, n. [Cf. F. emp[^e]chement.]
The act of impeaching, or the state of being impeached; as:
(a) Hindrance; impediment; obstruction. [Obs.]

Willing to march on to Calais,
Without impeachment. --Shak.
(b) A calling to account; arraignment; especially, of a
public officer for maladministration.

The consequence of Coriolanus' impeachment had like
to have been fatal to their state. --Swift.
(c) A calling in question as to purity of motives, rectitude
of conduct, credibility, etc.; accusation; reproach; as,
an impeachment of motives. --Shak.

Note: In England, it is the privilege or right of the House
of Commons to impeach, and the right of the House of
Lords to try and determine impeachments. In the United
States, it is the right of the House of Representatives
to impeach, and of the Senate to try and determine
impeachments.

{Articles of impeachment}. See under {Article}.

{Impeachment of waste} (Law), restraint from, or
accountability for, injury; also, a suit for damages for
injury. --Abbott.


Article \Ar"ti*cle\, n. [F., fr. L. articulus, dim. of artus
joint, akin to Gr. ?, fr. a root ar to join, fit. See {Art},
n.]
1. A distinct portion of an instrument, discourse, literary
work, or any other writing, consisting of two or more
particulars, or treating of various topics; as, an article
in the Constitution. Hence: A clause in a contract, system
of regulations, treaty, or the like; a term, condition, or
stipulation in a contract; a concise statement; as,
articles of agreement.

2. A literary composition, forming an independent portion of
a magazine, newspaper, or cyclopedia.

3. Subject; matter; concern; distinct. [Obs.]

A very great revolution that happened in this
article of good breeding. --Addison.

This last article will hardly be believed. --De Foe.

4. A distinct part. ``Upon each article of human duty.''
--Paley. ``Each article of time.'' --Habington.

The articles which compose the blood. --E. Darwin.

5. A particular one of various things; as, an article of
merchandise; salt is a necessary article.

They would fight not for articles of faith, but for
articles of food. --Landor.

6. Precise point of time; moment. [Obs. or Archaic]

This fatal news coming to Hick's Hall upon the
article of my Lord Russell's trial, was said to have
had no little influence on the jury and all the
bench to his prejudice. --Evelyn.

7. (Gram.) One of the three words, a, an, the, used before
nouns to limit or define their application. A (or an) is
called the indefinite article, the the definite article.

8. (Zo["o]l.) One of the segments of an articulated
appendage.

{Articles of Confederation}, the compact which was first made
by the original thirteen States of the United States. They
were adopted March 1, 1781, and remained the supreme law
until March, 1789.

{Articles of impeachment}, an instrument which, in cases of
impeachment, performs the same office which an indictment
does in a common criminal case.

{Articles of war}, rules and regulations, fixed by law, for
the better government of the army.

{In the article of death} [L. in articulo mortis], at the
moment of death; in the dying struggle.

{Lords of the articles} (Scot. Hist.), a standing committee
of the Scottish Parliament to whom was intrusted the
drafting and preparation of the acts, or bills for laws.


{The Thirty-nine Articles}, statements (thirty-nine in
number) of the tenets held by the Church of England.