Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-13
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
HISTORY COMPILED AND FUNC.
TONS DESCRIBED.
Growth of the Institution Since It Was
Office Of Attorney General
In 1889.

Mr.. j. s. Easby-Smith, attorney In charge
of pardons Of the Department of Justice,
has just completed the compilation Of a
| history and description Of the functions Of
| the Department of Justice for the use Of
| the attaches of the department. The de-
partment was not created and organized
until 1870. but the Attorney General
was one Of the four cabinet officers. so
called. which were created in 1850, around
whom grew up legal department OF the
| government. which was known until 1870
as the Attorney Generals office.
| The first Attorney General was Edmund
Randolph Of Virginia. Randolph took
charge Of the office in New York, then the
| seat of the government, in February, 100.
The latest register Of the department shows
| that there are now employed in the differ
! ent offices and bureaus Of the department
proper in Washington about 28O officers and
| employees, and in the various districts
| throughout the United States nearly 1900
field officers and employees. Besides the At
| torney General, solicitor general and as
sistant to the Attorney General. there are
| eight assistant attorneys general and one
| special assistant attorney general.
| According to Mr.. Easily Smith, 1.-The func-
| tons, the powers and duties Of the Attor-
| ney General and Of the Department of JUS
| tice cannot easily be SUMMARIZED; nor can
| they thoroughly be understood without
|
and development. But in addition to this
! history, a brief description of the manner
| in which these functions are exercised
| through the several bureaus or divisions of
| the department will materially assist to an
| understanding of them.
with few exceptions. these bureaus and
| divisions We're not established by statute
nor suddenly marked out and organized by
the Attorney General, but gradually grew
| up and became segregated as the several
| ofhc1als were put in charge Of certain
| classes of work. and are best known as the
| omces or these several officials.
Duties of the Attorney General
1.-THE duties and powers Of the Attorney
General are two-fold: The first. executive
as head OF the Department of Justice, to
! prosecute the law business Of the govern
| ment and to direct and control the subor-
| dinate officers provided for this work. not
| only in the Department of Washington but
| also in the eight-six judicial districts into
which the United States and the territories
| are divided; the second, quasi-judicial to
| interpret the laws for the President and for
the heads of the other executive depart
ments. The first he may perform through
ms assistants and subordinates. In the per
| formance OF the second he may approve
| and adopt the opinions Of his subordinates
| except upon questions involving construc-
ton of the Constitution. but upon such
| questions he must give his own opinion
| Ihe duties of the Attorney General as
| mead or the department are so exacting
the details of the administration of the
business concerning which he must give di-
rectlons are so numerous, and the nec+ssi-
~ or giving verbal advice to the Presi-
dent and to the other cabinet officers is so
| frequent, that he has no time to prepare
pleadings or briefs. or personally conduct or
| argue any except the most important cases
| he signs all communications addressed
10 the President and to the heads of other
departments, all instructions to his subor-
dinates ana all important letters. He gives
| personal directions to the heads of the sew
eral bureaus or divisions of the department
ana, after they have been briefed for him,
considers all applications for executive
| clemency and reports them to the Presi-
| dent, and all applications for appointment
| IN or under the department A considerable
| portion of his time is taken up in inter
| views with callers on business under the de-
partment
The Attorney Generals Assistants.
THE office of assistant to the Attorney
General was created by the deficiency APP
preparation act approved March 3. 1903, the
ilrst incumbent being appointed March II,
1913 He has special charge of all suits and
| other matters arising under the federal
antitrust and interstate commerce laws
and assists the Attorney General and the
solicitor general in the conduct of the gen
eral executive work of the department.
There Is an assistant attorney general as
signed to each of the executive DEPART
ments OF the government. who looks after
the legal business of the department Others
attached to the staff of the Attorney Cen
eral are the solicitor for the Treasury and
State departments, a solicitor of internal
| revenue, chief clerk, general agent and an
attorney in charge of pardons.