The national Republican., 1861-02-12
Organization Of the Departments.
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 tho United
States is only twenty-eight as follows: One Sec
retary Of State, (on. Lewis Cass,) one Assistant
Secretary Of State, (Hon. John Appleton,) one
Chief Clerk, one Superintendent Of Statistics,
twenty-five Clerks, one Translator, and one Lii
brarian.
Diplomatic Brdneh-This branch Of the State
Department has charge Of all correspondence
between the Department and other diplomatic
agents of the United States abroad, and those Of
foreign Powers accredited TO this Government.
In it 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 received are registered and filed, their con-
tents being first entered in an analytic table or
| index.
Consular Branch.-This branch has charge Of
| the correspondence, &c, between the Department
| and the consus and commercial agents of the
United States In it instructions to those officers,
and answers to their dispatches and 10 letters
from other persons asking for consular agency,
or relating to consular affairs, are prepared and
| recorded.
The Disturbing Agent-He has charge of all
|
accounts relating to any fund with the disburse-
ment of which the Department is charged.
| The Transiator.-His duties are to furnish such
translations as the Department may require. He
| also records the commissions of consus and vice
consuls when not in English, upon which exc
| quaturs are issued.
Clerk of Appointments and Commissions.
makes out and records commissions, letters Of
appointment, and nominations to 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 oft Rolls and Arehipes.-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 Busne,s-The Seal Of the
Department, Sc.-He has charge of the seals Of
the United States and of the Department, and
prepares and attaches 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 Pardons and Passports He prepares
and records pardons and remissions; and regis
ters 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 !Statstics-He superntends
the preparation of the q Annual Report Of the
Secretary of State and Foreign Commerce." as
required by the acts Of lS42 and 1856.
ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE.
Hon. jeremiah 8. Black, Attorney General Of
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.
2. Examination of the titles of all land pur-
chased, as the sites of arsensls custom houses,
light houses, and all other public works Of the
United States.
g. Applications for pardons In all cases of con-
viction in the courts of the United States.
4. Applications for appointment in all the ju-
dicial and legal business of the Government.
8. The conduct and argument of all suits in
|
the Government is concerned.
6. The supervision of all other suits arising in
any Of the Departments, when referred by the
head thereof to the Attorney General.
To these ordinary heads Of the business of the
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 Chief
Clerk, Moses Kelly, Esq y two Dsbursing Clerks,
and ten other regular Clerks and to its super
vision and management are committed the fol-
lowing branches of the public strvice:
lst. The Public Lands.-The chief of this bu-
, reau is called the Commissioner of the General
Land Office. The Land Bureau is charged with
the survey, management, and sale of the public
domain, and the issuing ofttles therefor, whether
derived from combinations of grants made by
former Governments, by sales, donations, of
granlo for schools, military bounties, or public
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 principal
officers are a Recorder, Chief Clerk, who also
acts as Commissioner dd interim, Principal Clerk
of Surveys, besides Draughtsman, Assistant
: Draughtsman, and some $50 Clerks Of various
r grades.
I'd. Psnsions.-The present head of this bureau
is George G. Whiting, of Virginia. The Com
I missioner is charged with the examination and
a adjudication of all claims arising under the va
rious and numerous lava passed by Congress
r granting bounty land or pensions for the mill
tary or naval services in the revolutionary and
] subsequent wars in which the United States have
a been engaged. He has one Chief Clerk, John
, Robb, Esq,) and a permanent corps, consisting
of some seventy other Clerks.
. Sd. Commissioner of Indian Affairs
| A. b. Greenwood, of Arkansas. He is provided
with Chief Clerk, and about fifteen other sub
ordinate Clerks.
4th. Patent ONcS.-Hon. Philip F. Thomas, Of