Chapter 171.
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CHAP. 171.— An act to authorize and provide for the disposition of useless papers in the Executive Departments.February 16, 1889. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,Executive Departments. Disposition of useless papers. That whenever there shall be in any one of the Executive Departments of the Government an accumulation of files of papers, which are not needed or useful in the transaction of the current business of such Department and have no permanent value or historical interest , it shall be the duty of the Report to Congress.head of such Department to submit to Congress a report of that fact, accompanied by a concise statement of the condition and character of such papers.
And upon the submission of such report, it shall be the Examination by committee.duty of the presiding officer of the Senate to appoint two Senators, and of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to appoint two Representatives, and the Senators and Representatives so appointed shall constitute a joint committee, to which shall be referred such report, with the accompanying statement of the condition and character of such papers, and such joint committee shall meet and examine such report and statement and the papers therein described, and Report.submit to the Senate and House, respectively, a report of such examination and their recommendation.
And if they report that such files of papers, or any part thereof, are not needed or useful in the transaction of the current business of such Department, and have no permanent value or historical interest, then it shall be the duty of such head Sale, etc.of the Department to sell as waste paper, or otherwise dispose of such files of papers upon the best obtainable terms after due publication of notice inviting proposals therefor, and receive and pay the proceeds thereof into the Treasury of the United States, and make report thereof to Congress.
Approved, February 16, 1889.