The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-01-11
UNCLE SANS GOVERNMENT.
A Description of the Executive Powers OF
the Different Departments.

ADescription of the Executive Powers Of
the Different Departments.
The great mass of work imposed
upon the Executive Power OF the Gov
ernment-embracing so many distinct
subjects, and requiring so many thou
sands of agents to perform-must be ar
ranged and treated in an orderly and
systematic manner To expect the
President to give it his close personal
attention and directly superintend the
doings of each agent, would be absurd.
The magnitude and diversity OF the
work demand its separation into parts,
and the general supervision or manage
ment of each part must be intrusted to
a separate officer. Ca this business
basis, and in accordance with the de-
sign of the Constitution, Congress has
divided the work among ex-
ecutive departments, each in charge of
81 general officer or .head of depart
ment," known, respectively, a. the
Secretary OF State, the Secretary of the
Treasury. the Secretary of War. the
Acknowledgement, the Postmaster-Gen-
eral, the Secretary of the Navy, and
the Secretary of the Interior; and the
work of Teach department is still further
subdivided and distributed among
bureaus and divisions and minor
''offices," in charge OF lesser heads or
chiefs, designated as commissioners"
superintendent, %.'directors, and by
various other general or special titles.
An executive department, then. prop
eriy means n of the grand divisions
ofGovernment work boldly marked ont
or suggested by the express provisions
Of the Constitution. These grand di-
visions readily arrange themselves.
The sovereign relations of the Repub-
lie with foreign powers. and its official
intercourse with the Governments of
the States at home may be regarded
as one distinct grand division; accord
ingly, we have the Department of State.
The coinage, currency, revenue. and
great branch of work: hence, we have
the Department Of the TlEasury. The
mention of armies suggest work that
in time of trouble is likely to tax the
energy of "a separate division: thus, we
very appropriately have a Department
of War. The prosecution of otfenses
against the United States. and other
judicial matters wherein the interests
of the Republic are concerned consti-
tute a general division. represented by
tho IlaDa7 - y,0n4 If J,,ctfaA fIhh rNnct1l
service, as one of the most intricate
and important branches Of Gov
eminent work, certainly forms
another grand division; therefore, we
have the Post-office Department.
Maritime protection, like the military
or land defense, forms a separate di-
vision; and thus we have the Depart
ment of the Navy. The various mat
tiers of domestic concern, not covered
in these other departments, but con-
templated by the Constitution, such as
the census, public lands, patents, and
..odds and ends may be conveniently
grouped into another general division;
and thus we have the very miseel-
~ianeous, yet not misnamed, Depart
ment of the Interior.
To some of these executive depart
ments are intrusted matters which, on
their face at least, do not strictly be-
long to the grand division to which
they have been assigned by law. For
instance, the weather Bureau is a
bureau of the War Department; the
work being intimately connected with
the peaceful interests Of agriculture
and commerce, it is very generally de-
manded that it should be taken from
military control and placed elsewhere.
Edmund Alton, in So. Nicholas.