▁a ▁stat ut ory ▁process ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 7 . ▁While ▁Congress ▁retain s ▁its ▁" in her ent ▁cont empt " ▁authority ▁and ▁may ▁exercise ▁it ▁at ▁any ▁time , ▁this ▁inher ent ▁cont empt ▁process ▁was ▁last ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁Senate ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁in ▁a ▁Senate ▁investigation ▁of ▁air lines ▁and ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Post master . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁one - week ▁trial ▁on ▁the ▁Senate ▁floor ▁( pres ided ▁over ▁by ▁Vice ▁President ▁John ▁N ance ▁Gar ner , ▁in ▁his ▁capacity ▁as ▁Senate ▁President ), ▁William ▁P . ▁Mac C ra cken , ▁Jr ., ▁a ▁lawyer ▁and ▁former ▁Ass istant ▁Secretary ▁of ▁Com merce ▁for ▁Aer onaut ics ▁who ▁was ▁charged ▁with ▁allowing ▁clients ▁to ▁remove ▁or ▁rip ▁up ▁sub po ena ed ▁documents , ▁was ▁found ▁guilty ▁and ▁sent enced ▁to ▁ 1 0 ▁days ▁imprison ment . ▁ ▁Mac C ra cken ▁file d ▁a ▁pet ition ▁of ▁habe as ▁cor pus ▁in ▁federal ▁courts ▁to ▁over turn ▁his ▁arrest , ▁but ▁after ▁lit ig ation , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁ruled ▁that ▁Congress ▁had ▁acted ▁constitution ally , ▁and ▁denied ▁the ▁pet ition ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁Jur ney ▁v . ▁Mac C ra cken . ▁ ▁Stat ut ory ▁proceed ings ▁ ▁Following ▁a ▁cont empt ▁c itation , ▁the ▁pres iding ▁officer ▁of ▁the ▁chamber ▁is ▁instruct ed ▁to ▁refer ▁the ▁matter ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Att orney ▁for