The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-07-20
CUsroM.HOUsE NOTES.
.'Them" Four Boxes Collector King says
Only an Order From secretary
Sherman VIII "Fetch"

The Attorney General, with Mr.. Aldige, Of th
Joint Committee, called upon Collector King O
Thursday morning In relation to those
FOUR BOXES OF DOCUMENTS
In the eky psrlor OF the Custom House, but III
Collector not being in no interview was had.
The Collector made his appearance, however
after tedious climb up that iron stairway, an
learning from special deputy Champlin the objec
OF the visit, he addressed to the Auditorial Gem
mittee the following letter:
CUSTOM House, New ORLEANS. La. !
Collectors Office, July 10, 1877. {
Messrs. Aldige, Leeds and Desmarais, Commit
tee, etc:
Gentlemen - Understanding that some or YOU
had called this morning to examine the boxes
supposed to contain Or to have contained the
missing books from the Auditors Office, ! desire
to say to you that / am ready to extend to you
every facility in your search consistent with my
duty ss custodian Of this building and its per-
sonal property. You will remember that hsd
the boxes sealed In your presence. and promised
that they should not be removed without pre-
vious notice to you rs to the time Of delivery and
removal. have also requested the custodian oi
the building to notify The owner, Mr.. Pitkin,
or his agent to remove them. Mr.. Pitkin, ! nm
derstand, Is temporarily absent. You will remem-
Der also that stated TO you that the property
WAS claimed by IN ex-oficer who once occupied
the building. and that, while was willing to sid
right, without some legal process, to allow the
boxes to be opened and examined, In consequence
of which they were tied up and sealed with the
seal OF the government and the seal Of Mr.. Al
dge, one OF the committee. The boxes thus
sealed are now in my custody.
You will remember further that suggested to
you the propriety Of consulting the Attorney
General or some able and experienced lawyer as
to the proper manner Of obtaining these boxes
or procuring access to their contents and that in
the meantime I would hold them under seal, to be
delivered on due notice to You or to be taken or
examined by the proper legal process. You will
further remember that l gave rs my reason for
the course pursued by me, that there was
good deal Of private property in the building. be-
longing to ex-officers and others, and that
doubted my right to examine the contents Of any
boxes without the consent OF the owner or with
out legal process.
The course suggested to the committee was,
thought, proper and conservative, as it made Ii
certain that they could in due time obtain pos
session Of the boxes. Being notified Of their de-
livery, they could have them seized BY the State
at the door Of the Custom-H House. If
not claimed for delivery and not accessible by any
process OF law, / think have no right to deliver
them to your committee to have them examined.
am ready to give you every assistance in my
power consistent with the right OF the owner
and the right Of the State. This, however, is q
branch OF the Treasury Department at Washing
ton, and in this matter will obey any instruc-
lions emanatiug from that source. IT, in Louiei-
ana, the arm Of the law is too short to reach the
boxes OF which you are in quest, will cheer
fully obey any mandate of the United States;
and, If you appeal to that authority, ask of you
TO furnish the Secretary OF the Treasury with
copy of this communication, and my action in
the premises heretofore.
In conclusion, permit me to add that
the boxes will remain in my possession, sealed,
and not to be delivered without notice to your
committee, as previously promised; and further
more, that will extend TO you every facility in
ts officers and employees. II the boxes or books
you seek are here, or have been here, you ought
% know II, and l am ready to aid you in obtain
ng the information.
Respectfully.
JOHN E. KING,
Collector of Customs.
The DEMOCRAT yesterday morning stated
hat the Collector would doubtless refer the
natter to the Treasury Department, and he has
lone it rather than assume the responsibility of
lsving the boxes opened, thereby developing
asst amount of
REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN STUFF
nd some important Returning Board docu-
lents, which, it is said. are in the boxes, and
,hich were taken out OF the State ouse early in
anuary.
1t was stated by prominent Republican in
be Custom House yesterday that the boxes con-
aimed some of the documents which the Re- |
lrning Board did not care to have examined by |
ither of the Congressional committees or Mr.. |
udley Field, and to get them to safe place |
ley were smuggled into the Custom. House |
uilding.
Il is positive known and to the writer. tina. q
considerable amount OF the Returning Board /
Material was for q time placed in the Auditors |
flee
FOR SAFE KEEPING,
nd it is more than probable that the boxes
'cated in the sky parlor Of the Granite Building
re those which were taken from the Auditors
flee in q cab.
1t was noticed yesterday that there was col
'cted IN and about the Collectors Office quite
lumber of prominent Republicans. including
en-. Anderson, Hugh J. Campbell and others,
no held conspicuous positions about the time
le Returning Board we're "goinz through" the
turns, and it was limited by one well up in the
fairs OF that party that their presence had
'mething to do with the course taken by Judge
ing.
while thja matterwas beinr discus eed IN fba hall