2 U.S.C. § 190l : US Code - Section 190L: Private claims pending before Congress; taking of testimony

Search 2 U.S.C. § 190l : US Code - Section 190L: Private claims pending before Congress; taking of testimony

Any committee of either House of Congress before which any
private claim against the United States may at any time be pending,
being first thereto authorized by the House appointing them, may
order testimony to be taken, and books and papers to be examined,
and copies thereof proved, before any standing master in chancery
within the judicial district where such testimony or evidence is to
be taken. Such master in chancery, upon receiving a copy of the
order of such committee, signed by its chairman, setting forth the
time and place when and where such examination is to be had, the
questions to be investigated, and, so far as may be known to the
committee, the names of the witnesses to be examined on the part of
the United States, and the general nature of the books, papers, and
documents to be proved, if known, shall proceed to give to such
private parties reasonable notice of the time and place of such
examination, unless such notice shall have been or shall be given
by such committee or its chairman, or by the attorney or agent of
the United States, or waived by such private party. And such master
shall issue subpoenas for such witnesses as may have been named in
the order of such committee, and such others as the agent or other
representative of the United States hereinafter mentioned shall
request. And he shall also issue subpoenas at the request of such
private party, or parties, for such witnesses within such judicial
district as they may desire: Provided, That the United States shall
not be liable for the fees of any officer for serving any subpoena
for any private party, nor for the fees of any witness on behalf of
such party. Said committee may inform the United States attorney
for the district where the testimony is to be taken of the time,
place, and object of such examination, and request his attendance
in behalf of the Government in conducting such examination, in
which case it shall be his duty to attend in person, or by an
assistant employed by him, to conduct such examination on the part
of the United States, or such committee may, at its option, appoint
an agent or attorney, or one of its own members, for that purpose,
as they may deem best; and in that event, if the committee shall
not be unanimous, the minority of the committee may also appoint
such agent or attorney or member of such committee to attend and
take part in such examination.