The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-03-25
The Organization Of th. Executive Departments
OF the GOYernment OF the United States.


oAAtn ANNE
The whole machinery employed 10 conduct the business arising oat
four foreign relations with al the powers Of the world Is fr rnore
Department Of state Of the United states is only seventeen as @iiows:
One Secretary ofsas, (aon. Lewis cass9 one Assistant secretary Of
htor, and one librarian.
Diplomatic Braneh-Ths branch Of the saie Department GAS
pomais agents Of Tie United states abroad, and moss o far IalI po y
ers accredited 70 this government In It all diplomatic Instructions
AM az ne ciarsr1er rss,s1Ssd a ad e op5.,o1s SV lS aM ha tsooraea, ana
being first entered IN an analytic table or index.
Consular BrdncA.-This branch has charge Of the oorresuoudenoe.
&C. between The department and the consuB and commercial agents
10 their dispatches and 10 letters from other persons asking for consul
lar agency, or relating 70 consular anairs, are prepared and recorded
The DibG1s0ng A0sa-He has charge Of all correspondence and
other matters connected with accounts relating 10 any fund with the
disbursement Of which tho department is charged.
The Tran4latorH His duties are to furnish such iranslaaous as the
department may require He also records the commissions of consuh
issued.
otak@ Appointments and oo0rniai0G-He makes out and records
commissions, letters OF appointment, and nominations 10 the Senate;
makes out and records exequaturs, and records, when in English, the
commissions on which they are Issued Has charge OF the library.
Crk Of ae Rolls and ArcAiaes.-He takes charge Of the rolls, or en-
rolled acts and resolutions of Congress, as they are received at the dc.
partmentfron the Presidents prepares the authenticated copies thereof
which are called for prepares for, and supenntcnds their publication,
their distribution throughout the United states, and that Of all docu-
nents and publications In regard TO which this duty Is assigned TO The
department; writing and answering all letters connected herewith
Has charge Of all Indian treaties, and business relating thereto
Clok q 4aaAsnteations and c4yigAis-He has charge Of the
attac,es eertIacates In pa,ers nrescnteI lar anthenticaitaoi ece,yas
aud accounts for the fees, Has charge OF publications transmitted TO
ktu lbtfiA uluNI tt III" itiitMt " ppylkht NNoIu VI III
dexes their titles; records all letters from the department, other than
the diplomatic and consular. t'
olyt If PayaoU and Paap@ts-He prepares and records pardons
and remisslops; and registers and files the petitions and papers on
which they are founded. Makes out and records passports; keeps a
ceiyed, and of the disposition made Of them; prepares iotters relating
10 this business.
ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE,
aon. Jeremiah s Black, Attorney General Of the United States; A b
McCalmont esq, chief clerk. The ordinary business Of tms office may
be classified under the following heads:
L, omCtl opinions on the current business Of the government, as
called for by tho President, by any head OF department, or by the So
2 illumination of the titles of all land purchased, as the sites of
Grsenals, custom houses, light houses, aud all other public works OF
.. Applications for pardons in all cases of conviction in the courts
of the United States.
a. Applications for appointment 10 all the judicial and legal business
8 The conduct and argument Of all suits In the Supreme Court Of
the United States in which the government is concerned.
O. The supervision Of Of all other suits arising N any Of the depart
To these ordinary heads of the business of the Office are added at
FIRST. The direction of all appeals on land claims in California.
Second. The codihcaton and revision Of the laws Of tho District o.
Columbia.
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT..
Secretary Of the Department of the Interior, Hon. Jacob Thomp-
sou, of the State Of Mississippi. Its clerical force consists of one chief
clerk, Moses Kelly, esq., two disbursing clerks, and ten other regu.
lar clerks and 20 its supervision and management are committed the
following branches OF the public service;
lt. The Pubic Lands. The chief Of this bureau is called the Com.
missioner of the General Land Office. The land Bureau Is charged
with the survey, management, and sale Of the public domain, ANA the
issuing OF titles therefor, whether derived from combinations of grants
Of 'X Wilma miItorv h pmot, land NM claims md The iis sInn Of .yin in
lieu thereof. The Land once, also, auiis its own accounts. The
present Commissioner is Hon. I. A. Hendricks, of Indiana. Its prin.
epal officers arc 2 recorder, chief clerk, principal clerk of surveys,
besides a drRugitsman, assistant d~raughismap, and some $50 clerks
of various grades,
I'd. Pension&-Thc present head Of this bureau is George c.
Whiting, of Virginia. The commissioner i charged with the exani
nation and adjudication of all claims arising undor The various and.
numerous laws passed by Congress granting bounty land or pensions
for the g. military lAsary or r NAVAL na, services s,,si IN The, the revolutionary ,au Ut onnry and subsequent aist n
chief clerk, q; Cole, esq.D and a permanent corps consisting of some
Sd, ndiaas-oommissione of Indian Affairs, Charles E. Mix, of
Georgetown, D. g He is provided with a chief clerk and about nneen
4h. Pnent OHte-To this bureau is committed the execution and
performance of all tRcis and things touching and respecting the grant
Ing and issuing of patents iF new and useful %disepyeFies, inventions,
collection and Distribution of seods, plants, and cuttings. IL has a
chief e oerk- :" "a by law the acting Commissioner Of Patents in
the absence Of the Comma, s.y.a snhm ia o nornepsn,
sstant examiners of patents, some J.. wy nm nraVya pi Hon
clerks, besides a considerable number of temporary -. ss,,.f
Joseph Holt Is the Commissioner, and Samuel I. Shugert, esd, -
Besides these four principal branches of this new executive depart
ment, the organic act of 1919 transferred TO it from the Treasury De-
partment the supervision OF the accounts OF the United States marshals
and attorneys, and the clerks Of the United States courts, the manage
.ment Of the lead ad other mines of the United States, and the affairs
of the pentcniary of the United States in the District of Columbia; and
from the state Department the duty of taking and returning the con
lhe Commissioner OF Public Buildings. The hospital Tor the insane OF
the army and navy and Of the District of Columbia is also under the
management of this department; in addition to which, by laws re-
Gently passed, the Secretary of the Interior Is charged with the con
struction Of the three wagon roads leading o.tle Pacific coast
The department requi es an additional building for It's accommoda-
ton, and the erection OF one has been repeatedly recommended during
the last few years for that purpose, AT present the Pension Office is
the other branches of tho department, including the scoretary's Office,
arc all crowded into the Patent ONCE building, the whole of which
will be required at an carly day for the use of the Patent ONCE, for
which it was originally intended.
" TREASURY DEPARTMENT. ,a
The Treasury Department consists Of the Offices of the Secretary of
tho Treasury, two comptrolers, commissioner of the customs, six au-
dtors, treasurer, register, solicitor, lighthouse board, and coast sur
The following Is brief indication of the duties of these several ON
ces, and of the force employed therein, respectively:
So1earys OBce-Iion. Howell Cobb, Secretary of the Treasury,
Hon. Philip Clayton, Assistant Secretary; one engineer in charge; one
architect, and three draughtsmen temporarily employed, aud twenty
three clerks. The Secretary OF the Treasury Is charged with the gem
eraf supervision Of the fiscal transactions OF the government, and OF the