The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-03-14
POSTS LETTER BOX.

| This department Is intended to answer
questions that are OF genera; interest. II.
| main cblo,t IS 10 supply out-of- the-wa)
| facts and curious information. question:
| OF personal Interest, only Will not be an
swcfcd. No business or personal addre+sr
will he given. All corresrordence shoulc
Houston Post. owing to the large mum
Der OF questions received answers can mo-
always be given promptly
Does the constitution Of the. United
states require a president to have g
oabinet? II not, how was II established
what are Its duties? TCL.
The constitution empowers the president
to require the opinion in writing of the
principal officers in each of the cxecu-
tive depar tments upon any subject re-
lifting to the duties OF their respective
offices Washington originated the prac-
tice OF consulting all the heads or depart
mcnts on important measures. ana by
later presidents they have generally been
convened for joint consultation. until cab
met meetings TO determine the course OF
the administration on all questions OF Inn
portancc have come to be expected as a
matter OF course The cabinet. however.
as body OF councillors, has no necessary
place In the constitutional system OF the
United States. and each president Will
accord 1t such weight and Importance In
hts administration as he shall see nj.
The president. not the cabinet. is respon-
sible for all the measures of the govern
ment. and whatever is done by one OF the
heads of the departments is considered
as done by the president. through the
proper executive agent. In the United
States also there Is no premier. no lead
ing member of tho administration. by
whom the others are selected. but the
president selects them all. and though
the position of secretary OF state has
generally been regarded as the leading
enc. yet this must depend very much on
the nature and relative Importance of the
questions with which the particular nd
m.nistration has TO deal. and the incum
bent has not in the cabinet recognized
superiority over the other members. The
president selects for his advisers those
who concur In his views. and he Is not
expected to change them because the OPP
position may be strong enough to defeat
his measures in congress. IT has fire.
Quen.ly happened that the presidents
friends have for a considerable period
been In minority in one or both houses
OF congress.
JewiSh csiendar9 ybat is the Na.onic
cycle? N.Y.S.
RE popularity q; the Jewis,, calendar is
Its double character. It is both n lunar
o-n' soiar system i"e lunar year con-
sists OF twelve lunar months. amounting
to 3E4 DAYS elpht hours fortv-e,rht min
utes. ,hirty-eight seconds. But the solar
year consists of s65 days, FIVE hours and a
fraction. Now, It is found that In nine
teen years the difference barween solar
and lunar years amounts to nearly 2T
days. 1t becomes necessary. therefore. to
add n whole month seven times In every
years. in order TO bring the two
kinds of years inso am agreement. This
period Of nineteen years is known as a
minor lunar cycle. or the Metonic cycle.
Therefore In the Jewish calendar an In
tercalary month Is added the third. sixth.
eighth, eleventh. fourteenth. seventeenth
and nineteenth year; after which the
cvcIo cop,ue,cas ,,,ain b,ur.bar nc tina