The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-05-08
THERE WAS A aIIsAPPREHENSION


Secretary Noble Says He Is willing to Fur
nIsh Information To the Pen nsion COmmittee.
WASHINGTON, May 7.-Secretary Noble
to-day addressed the following explana-
tory letter to Chairman Wheeler. of the
committee on investigation of the Pension
Office:
"Sir-I have learned from the Commits
sioner Of Pensions. by his letter to me OF
the % inst. received at the department on
the 4rh, of his communication to you.
dated May 2. In which he states that he
has been directed by the Honorable, the
Secretary of the Interior. TO refuse to fur
nish the information desired by your com
mittee concerning certain correspondence
upon the lground that the Constitution
and laws of the United States repose in
him. the Secretary, the power of appoint
ment and removal. and that in his the
Secretary'sl opinion be Is not required TO
furnish to Congress or one OF its commit
tees the grounds upon which such ap-
pointments ana removals are made
Nv bile believing that this statement of
the law is such as might rely upon safely,
were so Opposed. rs tho head OF this de-
partment have to inform you that the
Commissioners has misapprehended my
purpose. so far as the Investigation by your
committee is concerned. have no. dispo-
tion to refnse In this instance. either upon
the grounds stated by the Commissioner
or any other. an investigation into the cor
respondence mentioned by You In your let
ter of April 49, but | think yonr demand
should be more definite as to cases and
time; otherwise the labor Will be very
great. and the time and clerical force re-
CURED to perform il more than you proba-
bly, desire or expect 1t is due TO
tho Commissioner to say that when
his letter came to me | referred it
to the Assistant Secretary for considera-
tiOn and report This report was not made
in writing, nor was anything moro said to
me In regard to the business than that it
wOuld require q large clerical force to
secure the copies necessary; any my inten-
tion IN anything l said to the Assistant
Secretary, was no more than that your
committee should be informed of this fact.
and you be asked to specify rs far as pos
sible the particular letters you desired.
when copies would be furnished.
''If. from conversatIen with the Assistant
Secretary or this expression of mine IN con-
pectiOn with his own letter. wherein he
suggested the constitutional ground that
might be assumed, the Commissioner de-
rived the Idea conveyed TO you as my de-
termination. 1t was not from anything
communicated by me. The mistake would
not have occurred had not your committee
addressed the Commissioners in regard to
papers and documents belonging to the
report instead of addressing the head of
tho department directly. Had the Score
tary been inquired of his views they
with directness and certainty.
II am not content to have your commit
tee close Its labors upon any misapprehen-
sion as to my willingness to allow free
investigation, and beg TO saw now that If
you will convey to me q statement of what
the committee desires in regard to cor
respondence as special examiners, and
within what dates you desire il, L will
furnish copies as soon as the force at my
command will allow. Whatever may be
my constitutional rights rs an officer. 1 ad-
here to tho purpose expressed when first
voluntarily appeared before your commit
tee, that. In accordance with the views of
the President. l wish to aid you in your in
vestigation and not to hinder you"
Commissioner Raum has written reply
to Secretary Mobiles letter. in which he
says that Assistant Secretary Bussey IN
formed him that Secretary Noble had de-
cided not to furnish copies of the letters
referred to and directed him to so inform
the committee. In conclusion he states
that he Is in full accord with the Secreta-
rvs expressed wish to give the committee
every aid in making thorough inyestiga-
tiOn OF the Bureau of Pensions, and no in
vites the fullest examIn alton of all his Off
cial acts in connection with the bureau.