National Republican., 1883-05-15
The Hill Investigation.

Secretary Folger has addressed the follow
ing letter to Mr.. Il. II. Murch: =
Hon. T. II. MuRCH RIGGs House. WASHINGTON,
d. C.-Sir; l have received your letter of the
eleventh instant, in which you ask me TO issue u
subpoena duces tecuur for the production Of GER
tain papers lately named in the requisition by
you, ana which have not been produced.
In answer thereto, say, know Of no process
In my power that may be called subpoena duces
tecum. IL there was such process there is no need
of the use of IT, for have power more than equal
10 that exercised by virtue of subpoena duces
tecum; for can 20 in person, If choose, and luy
my hand upon any paper In the department, or l
can order II brought TO me by the custodian OF 1t
upon pain OF official decapitation II he refuse to
obey that IL there Is any paper which you need
in your investigation which is not produced upon
your request submitted the request needs but to be
repeated TO me TO have the paper forthcoming IL
1t is in the department. 1 have inquired as to
what papers have not been produced which were
named in your requisition;
/ am informed that your requisltion was in ten
different paragraphs, and that each designated
particular papers or information desired. Upon
the morning following the day upon which the
requistion was made, response was given to It.
That response was a full answer to your call, ex-
cept In the following particulars:
You asked for an order OF the secretary OF the
treasury resembling certain contracts promulgated
In April or May, 1877" To this answer was made
that no record evidence appeared Of a formal
order resembling those contracts. am Informed
that this is not only fact, but the belief exists
You also ask for "the proceedings before and by q
certain commission. consisting OF an assistant
Ss 1a Tbe Sn%er SnS s %sSs
that no minutes of the proceedings
before that commission appear to have been
made at least none were on file In the ofice OF
the supervising architect, and further search was
promised to be made for them. That search, as l
Understand II, has been unayailing as no records
or proceedings OF that commission were found
upon the files OF the Office. Upon inquiry, 1t ap.
pears that q stenographer was present Mt some OF
the sessions of the commission, and that some
notes were taken that they were not regarded at
the time OF such importance as TO call for their be
Ing written out and that they were laid aside by
the stenographer for use when they were called
for; that since that time the stenographer has
twice been changed and no trace has yet been
found OF the notes.
Another Item called for was the report Of that
commission. No formal written report OF that
commission is on the files of the department, and
two of the persons who sat upon II say that no
written report was ever submitted.
1t thus appears that the response to your call
complete, except in.these three items that two
of them, II may be safe to say never existed, and
to the third 1t is propable that full notes of the
proceedings were not taken, and such as were
taken, were not carefully preserved, and are not
now TO be found.
You will therefore see that your requisltion has
been as fully complied with as at present appears
TO be possible II you know Of anything that
shows the statements heretofore made to be in
correct, 1 will thank you to inform me at your
earliest convenience, and will endeavor to COR
sary for me TO assure you that no effort will be
spared on the part Of the head OF this department
TO assist you In the prosecution OF the inyestiga-
ton which has been set on foot but which moves
so tardily. Very respectfully.
CHARLES j. FoLGER, Secretary.