The national Republican., 1861-01-17
Organization of the Departments.
STATE DEPARTMEN


STATE DEPARTMENT.
The whole machinery employed to conduct the
business arising out Of ur foreign relations with
all the Powers Of the world is far more simple
than is generally conceived. The number en-
ployed in the Department Of State Of the United
States is only twenty eight, as follows: One Sec
retary Of State, Hon. Lewis Cass,) one Assistant
Secretary of State, (Hon. John Applcton,) one
Chief Clerk, one Superintendent of Statistics,
twenty two Clerks, one Translator, and one Lii
brarian.
Diplomatic Branch.-This branch Of the State
Department has charge of all correspondence
between the Dep Artment and other diplomatic.
agents of the Unite States abroad, and those Of
foreign Powers accredited to this Government.
In IL all diplomatic instructions sent from the
Department, and communications to commission
ers under treaties Of boundaries, &c, are pre-
pared, copied and recorded and all of like char
acter receive bare registered and filed, their con-
tents being first entered in an ansly'ic table or
index.
Consular Branch.-This branch has charge Of
the correspondence, &C., between the Department
and the con suls and commercial agents of the
United States. In 1t instructions to Il officers
and answers to their dispatches and to letters
from other persons asking for consular agency,
or relating to consular affairs, are prepared and
recorded.
The Di,bursing Agent-He has charge Of all
correspondence and other matters connected with
accounts relating to any fund with the dsburse-
ment of which the Department is charged
The 7ranslator.-His duties are to furnish such
translations as the Department may require. He
also records the commissions of consuls and vice
consuls, when not in English, upon which exe-
quaturs are issued.
Clerk Of Appointments and Commissions.-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.
Clerk ofthe Rolls and Archires.-He takes charge
of the rolls, or enrolled acts and resolutions of
Congress, as they are received at the Department
from the President; prepares the authenticated
copies thereof which called for; prepares for,
and superintends their publication, and that Of
treaties in the newspapers and in book form;
attends to their distribution throughout the
United States, and that of all documents and pub
locations 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.
Clerk of Territorial Business-The Seal Of the
Department, 5c.-He has charge of the seals of
the United States and of the Department, and
prepares and att lches certificates to papers pre-
sented for authorization has charge of the Ter
ritorial business; immigration and registered sea-
men records all letters from the Department,
other than the diplomatic and consular.
Clerk of Pndons and Passports He pre- epares
and records pardons and remissions; and regis
tiers and files the petitions and papers on which
they are founded. Makes out and records pass
ports; keeps daily register of all letters, other
than diplomatic and consular, received, and Of
the disposition made Of them; prepares letters
relating to this business.
Superintendent. of StatisGcs.-He superintends
the preparation of the Annual Report Of the
Secretary of State and Foreign Commerce." as
required by the acts of ls42 and 1885,
ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE.
Hon. jeremiah s. Black, Attorney General ol
the United States; A. B. McCalmont, Esq, Assist
ant. The ordinary business of this Office may be
classified under the following heads:
l. Official opinions on the current business Of
the Government, as called for by the President
by any head of Department, or by the Solicitor
Of the Treasury.
O. Examination of the titles of all land pur-
chased, as the sites of arsenals, custom houses
light and all other public works of the
| United States.
AppllChtloHS lOT puTuOus III Ill cases Vi COL
viction in the courts Of the United States.
A. Applications for appointment in all the ju
dicial and legal business of the Government.
5. The conduct and argument Of all suits II
the Supreme Court of the United States in which
the Government is concerned.
G. The supervision of all other suits arising il
any of the Departments, when referred by tn
head thereof to the Attorney General
To these ordinary heads Of the business of tn
Office is added at the present time the direction
of all appeals on land claims in California.
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
Secretary of the Department Of the Interior
Hon. Jacob Thompson, of the State of Missis
sippi. Its clerical force consists of one Chic
Clerk, Moses Kelly, Esq y two Disbursing Clerks
and ten other regular Clerks; and to its super
vision and management are committed the fol
lowing branches of the public service:
lst. The Public Lands.-The chief of this hu
reau is called the Commissioner of the Genera
Land Office. The Land Bur- au is charged will
the survey, management, and sale of the public
domain, and the issuing of titles therefJr, whethe
derived from combinations of grant, made b.
former Governments by sales, donations, o
gran'e for schools, military bounties, or publi
improvements, and likewise the revision OF Vir
ginia military bounty-land claims, and the issu
ing of scrip in lieu thereof. The Land Office
also, audits its own accounts. The present Com
missioner is Joseph s. Wilson. Its princl a
officers are Recorder, Chief Clerk, who ais
acts as Commissioner ad interim, Priucipal Cler
of Surveys, besides a Draughtsman, Assistau
Draughtsman, and some $50 Clerks of variou
grades
I'd Pensions.-The present head of this burea
is George c. Whiting, Of Virginia. The Com
missioner is charged W tn the examinat on an
adjudication of all claims arising under the va
rious and numerous laws passed by Congress
granting bounty land or pensions for the mill
tary or naval services in the revolutionary an
subsequent wars in which the United States hav
been engaged. He has one Chief Clerk, (Joh
Robb, Esq,) and permanent corps, consistin