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Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Edition (1856)

CONTEMPT, crim. law. A willful disregard or disobedience of a public
authority.
2. By the Constitution of the United States, each house of congress may
determine the rules of its proceeding's, punish its members for disorderly
behaviour, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member. The same
provision is substantially contained in the constitutions of the several
states.
3. The power to make rules carries that of enforcing them, and to
attach persons who violate them, and punish them for contempts. This power
of punishing for contempts, is confined to punishment during the session of
the legislature, and cannot extend beyond it; 6 Wheat. R. 204, 230, 231 and,
it seems this power cannot be exerted beyond imprisonment.
4. Courts of justice have an inherent power to punish all persons for
contempt of their rules and orders, for disobedience of their process, and
for disturbing them in their proceedings. Bac. Ab. Courts and their
jurisdiction in general, E; Rolle's Ab. 219; 8 Co. 38 11 Co. 43 b.; 8 Shepl.
550; 5 Ired. R. 199.
5. In some states, as in Pennsylvania, the power to punish for
contempts is restricted to offences committed by the officers of the court,
or in its presence, or in disobedience of its mandates, orders, or rules;
but no one is guilty of a contempt for any publication made or act done out
of court, which is not in violation of such lawful rules or orders, or
disobedience of its process. Similar provisions, limiting the power of the
courts of the United States to punish for contempts, are incorporated in the
Act March 2, 1831. 4 Sharsw. cont. of Stor. L. U. S. 2256. See Oswald's
Case, 4 Lloyd's Debates, 141,. et seq.
6. When a person is in prison for a contempt, it has been decided in
New York that he cannot be discharged by another judge, when brought before
him on a habeas corpus; and, according to Chancellor Kent, 3 Com. 27, it
belongs exclusively to the court offended to judge of contempts, and what
amounts to them; and no other court or judge can, or ought to undertake, in
a collateral way, to question or review an adjudication of a contempt made
by another competent jurisdiction.
This way be considered as the established doctrine equally in England
as in this country. 3 Wils. 188 14 East, R. 12 Bay, R. 182 6 Wheat. R. 204 7
Wheat. R. 38; 1 Breese, R. 266 1 J. J. Marsh. 575; Charlt. R. 136; 1 Blackf.
1669 Johns. 395 6 John. 337.