The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-06-09
/ IPUBLro-No. e2.1

AN ACT to establish department of agri-
culture.
BE it enacted by the Senate and House OF
Representatives. Of the United States of Aauera-
ca IN Congress assembled, That there is
hereby established at the seat of Govern
ment of the United States a Department of
Agriculture, the general designs and duties
OF which shall be TO acquire and diff1se
among the people of the United States use
fnl Information on subjects connected with
agriculture in the most general and compre-
hensive sense of that word, and to procure.
propagate, and distribute among the people
new and valuable seeds and plants.
Sec. 2. And be IL further enacted That
there shsll be appointed with the President
by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate, Commissioner of Agriculture"
who shall be the chief executive officer of
the Department of Agriculture, who shall
hold his office by q tenure similar to that Of
other civil officers appointed by the Presi-
dent, and who shall receive for his compen-
sation salary of three thousand dollars per
annum.
~ Sec; 3. And be it further enacted, That
Agriculture 10 acquire bnd preserve 10 his
Department all information concerning ag-
riculture which he can obtain by means of
books and correspondence, and by practical
and scientific experiments (aecurate records
of which experience shall be kept in his
Office, by the collection of statistics, and
by any other appropriate means within his
power; to collect, as he may be able, ew
aud valuable seeds and plants; to test, by
cultivation, the value of such of them as
may require such tests; to propagate such
as may be worthy of propagation, and to
diSfributa than aunano aursoufev4raf;c,a NJ
shall annually make a general report in
writing of his acts, to the President aud to
Congress, IN which he may recommend the
publication of paIets forming parts of or
accompanying his report, which report shall
also contain an account of all moneys re-
ceived and expended by him. He shall also
make specisl reports on particular subjects
whenever required to do so by the Presi-
dent or either House of Congress, or when
be shall think the subject in his charge re-
quires it. He shall receive and have charge
of all the property of the agricultural divi-
sion of the Patent Office in the Department
of the Interior, including the fixtures and
property of the propagating garden. He
shall direct aud superintend the expenditure
of all money appropriated by Congress to
the Department, and render accounts there
OF, and also of all money heretofore appro-
priated for agriculture and remaining unex-
pended. And said Commissioner may send
and receive through the mails, free of
charge, all communications and other mat
ter pertaining to the business of his Depart
ment, not exceeding in weight thirty-two
ounces.
Sec. a. Ard Be IL further enacted, That
the Commissioner of Agriculture shall ap-
point chief clerk, with a salary of two |
thousand dollars, who in all cases during |
the necessary absence of the Commissioner, |
or when the said principal Office stall be- |
come vacant, shall perform the duties of |
Commissioner, and he shall appoint such |
other employees as Congress may from time /
to time provide, with salaries corresponding /
to the salaries of similar officers in other |
Departments of the Government; and be |
shall, as Congress may from time to time
provide, employ other persons, for such time
as their services may be needed, Including
chemists, botanists, eyiomologists, and
other persons skilled in the natural sciences
pertaining to agriculture. And the said
Commissioner, and every other person to
be appointed in the said Department, shall,
before he enters upon the duties of this
office or appointment, make oath of affr-
matIcn truly aud faithfully to execute the
trust committed to him. And the said
Commissioner and the chief clerk shall also.
before entering upon their duties, severally
give bonds to the Treasurer of the United
States, the former in the sum of ten thous-
and dollars and the latter in the sum of
five thousand dollars, conditional to render
a true and faithful account to him or his
in Office, quarter yearly accounts
of al moneys which shall be by them re-
ceived By virtue of the said Office, with
sureties to be approved as sufficient BY the
Solicitor of the Treasury; which bonds shall {
be filed in the Office of the First Comptrol- !
ler of the Treasury, to be by him put in !
suit upon any breach of the; conditions ]
thereof
Approved. May Is, 1862.