The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-02-21
UNCLE SANS GOVERNMENT.
A Description of the Executive Powers Of
the Different Departments.


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. On this business
basis, and in accordance with the de-
sign of the Constitution, Congress has
divided the work among seven ex-
ecutive departments, each in charge OF
a general officer or 'head of depart
ment, known, respectively, as the
Secretary of State, the Secretary of the
Treasury. the Secretary of War. the
Attorney General, the Postmaster-G Gem
eral, the Secretary of the Navy, and
the Secretary of the Interior; and the
work of each department is still further
subdivided and distributed among
bureaus and divisions" and minor
"offices, - in charge of lesser heads or
chiefs, designated as commissioners, "
'superintendents. directors, and by
various other general or special titles.
An executive department, then, prop
erly means one of the grand divisions
of Government work boldly marked out
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
general fiscal affairs suggest another
great branch of work; hence, we have
the Department of the Treasury. The
mention of armies suggest work that
in time of trouble is likely to tax the
energy of separate division; thus, we
very appropriately have a Department
of War. The prosecution of offenses
against the United States, and other
judicial matters wherein the interests
of the Republic are concerned consti-
tutea general division, represented by
the Department of Justice. The postal
service, as one of the most intricate
and important branches of Gov.
ernment work, certainly forms
another grand division; therefore, We
have the Post-office Department,
Maritime protection, like the military
or land defense, forms separate di
vision; and thus we have the Depart
ment of the Navy. The various mat
ters of domestic concern, not covered
in these other departments, but con
templated by the Constitution, such al
the census, public lands, patents, an(
''odds and ends, may be conveniently
grouped into another general division
and thus we have the very miscel
laneous, yet not misnamed, Depart
ment of the Interior.
To some of these executive depart
ments are intrusted matters which, OF
their face at least, do not strictly be
long to the grand division to whicl
they have been assigned by law. Fo
instance, the Weather Bureau is
: bureau of the War Department.; tn
work being intimately connected will
t the peaceful interests of agricultur
and commerce, it is very generally de
2 manded that it should be taken fron
military control and placed elsewhere
l -Edmu1d alton, in st. Nicholas.