The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-02-20

the later correspondence between General
Hazen and the Secretary OF War, in regard
to General Hazen's request that a Senate
committee be appointed to investigate the
Signal Service Bureau:
OFFICE CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER,
WAsHINGToN, Feb. IL, 1883.
To the Honorable the Secretary of War:
L have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of
your communication of the 18th inst. in reply
to mine OF the 14th, asking that the Senate be
requested by resolution to appoint a commit.
tee of its members to investigate the affairs of
the bureau. made my request, that the Secre-
tary ask for a Senate resolution providing for an
investigation of certain allegations that have
been made against the administration OF the
signal service, because I want justice done me
and my bureau. If 1 thought the desired end
could be obtained by a court Of Enquiry SO well as
1t can by ii committee of the Senate, | should ask
Tor that. L ask for n committee of the Senate in
stead of Q committee of the House of Repre-
sentatives, because the House of Representatives
expires on the 4th OF March, and VIII not have
time to make the proposed investigation. 1t may
be, as the Secretary suggests, that the Senate
cannot investigate allegations made in the other
house OF Congress-, but there can be no doubt OF
the power of the Senate to investigate enerally,a
bureau concerning which it proposes to legis-
lats. IL is respectfully suggested that a court
OF inquiry cannot report concerning legislation,
as the Secretary knows q bill Is on the calendar
OF the Senate providing for the reorganization
for this service. In my opinion a full investtga-
tion and fair discussion of the merits of the
measure will result in its enactment. Another
bill is also before the Senate which, If 1 read his
annual report correctly, embOdies the views or
the Secretary. 1t provides for the transfer OF
the bureau to the Interior Department. Both
the secretary and myself are charged by law
with the care of the signal service ana with lts
meteorological work. / believe the service
ought to continue to do the weather work, and
L am willing and anxious th0t Congress shall
examine the question to the bottom. There is
nothing here that | want 10 conceal. There is
nothing, believe, that any officer OF the service
desires to hide. Charges have been made to
the country, through the public press, against
a bureau of the War Department,
and L desire, and 1 assume that
shall know the whole truth. A court of inquiry
cannot so well inform the country; and more
than that, such q court effects public opinion
against one who is under charges, 1 know that I
have done nothing wrong in aid of the legsla-
ton which 1 think proper; but l know, also, that
much wrong has been done to me and to The
service by our enemies in opposition to that pro-
posed legislation. 1t has seemed to me that fair
treatment demands that 1 shall have a congress
sional Investigations; that the question of the re-
tention or nOn-retenti0n of the weather bureau
in the War Department shall be met squarely,
ought to be, and not be pushed out by indlrec-
ton. l LOOK to the Secretary of War for his sup
port in my desire. Ifesl sure he is willing to do
my bureau simple justice, and that he, tOo, de-
sires that its status shall be fairly considered.
1t may be that my request for this investiga-
zion, made, as it was, through the Secretary,
WAS without precedent, but it was at least
courteous. desire to say that
I informed the Associated Press of
because | supposed, as a matter of course, there
would be no objection to my asking an inquiry
into the administration of my bureau by the
body having its affairs under consideration.
| again renew my request that the Senate be
asked TO appoint a committee to Investigate
the administration of this bureau and its proper
status in the public service, and that any com
mittee that may he appointed have power TO
send for persons aud papers.
In view of the publication of the two letters
preceding this one to the Secretary from me,
dated Fen, IA, 1883, and another from the Sec
rotary 10 me, dated Feb. Is, 1888, | respectfully
ask that this letter be given to the press. am,
very respectfully, your obedient servant,
w. b. HAZEN, Brig. and Brey't. Maj. Gen.
Chief Signal Officer, U. s. A.
SECRETARY LINcoLN's REPLY.
Secretary Lincoln replied as follows:
WAR DEPARTMENT, Feb. II, 1888.
Sir-I have the honor to acknowledge the re-
eeipt of your letter of yesterday, in which you
renew your request for the appointment of a
commission by the Senate to investigate the ad-
minlsJratiOn of the Signal Bureau and its proper
status in the public service. I have read your
letter Will care, but do not fnd in 1t sufficient
reasons for disregarding the considerations upon
which / felt compelled TO disapprOve your orig
inal application. Whatever may be the impor-
lance of the Investigation by the Senate for the
purpose of ascertainlng the proper status of your
bureau in the public service with reference to
the propriety of the passage OF one or another of
the bills now pending, it seems to me clear that
1t is the province of each house of Congress to
determine, without suggestions from this de-
partment, what measures, If any, IL will take to
obtain lnTOrInatlOn In aQulLlOn 10 UnaU already
possessed by it on which to base its action,
and that it would be an unprecedented and
improper step for this deDartmentto request the
Senate to obtain such information through the
extraordinary instrumentality of a committee
of investigation. The action OF Congress on the
bills mentioned will probably be guided by gem
eral nfOrmation and considerations of general
policy on which charges relating to the personal
or official conduct of the officers now engaged in
carrying on the work of the weather service
have no bearing. The charges to which you
called my attention in your letter of the 14th
inst. were the stated cause of that letter being
written, ana constituted, as l understood, the
subject matter which it was especially desired
should be Investigated. Their gravity was ex-
pressed by yourself with great emphasis. They
involved not so much the status OF the Signal
Bureau in the public service as the official
fidelity of some OF its officers. L would
certainly wish no injustice done to the
service or to any of its officers, and I re-
greet to observe the expression of your feeling
that Justice might not be done by the court
of inquiry. 1t has appeared to me, however,
that the right of appealing to such a tribunal,
composed, as 1t must be, of brother Officers, was
a singular privilege of officers OF the army and
navy. Such a court, of course, would not report
concerning legislation, but the matter of legisla-
ton can be left safely to the wisdom of Congress.
The duty OF this department is to administer
properly the laws pertaining to 1t as they are,
ana to use, if necessary, the means provided by
law to ascertain whether or not lmputatioEs
like those in question are well founded.
l agree with You, that an investigation of the
truth of these i'm putati0ns must be had, but /
cannot concur in your views OF the propriety of
this department appealing TO the Senate TO direct
it, 1t is provided by article lis, section l ,342,
Revised Statutes, that ga court of inquiry to ex-
anime into the nature of any trans
action, or accusation, or imputa-.
ton against any officer or soldier,
may be ordered by the President or by any COM
handing officer; but for reasons stated, that
court of inquiry "shall never be ordered by any
commanding officer, except upon the demand of
she officer or soldier whose conduct is to he in
ouired of" In case, therefore,, that a court of
inquiry is not asked to investigate and report
upon any matters which may be laid before it
impugning the official fidelity of officers engaged
in the performance of the duties OF your bureau,
I shall feel it my duty to advise the President TO
appoint u court for that purpose.
Referring to your request that your letter of
Yesterday be given to the press, you have my
assent to its publication, accompanied by this.
have, therefore,, to be, very respectfully,
Your servant,
ROBERT r, LINCOLN,
Secretary of War.