Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-19

IN the State. War and Navy building
are three of WaShingtons Oldest and
most complete libraries. They afford
interest in a hundred and one diff
ferent ways other than the mere fact
that they contain books. They are the
archives of the State, War and Navy de-
partments.
Best known of these is the library of
the State Department, on the third floor.
wherein the original draft and the original
signed copy of the Declaration of indie
pendence. the Constitution of the United
States and the articles of confederation
are kept This library was founded by
Thomas Jefferson in 1889 and consists of
5000 volumes and $500 pamphlets, and
now is part of the division of rolls and
library, the chief of which is Frank NJ.
McNier.
This division might well be called the
successor to the committee on foreign
correspondence established prior to the
definitive treaty of peace of 17S2 and the
adoption of the Constitution of the United
States, for until recently 1t was the Gus
todian or the papers and journals of the
Continental Congress. the papers of
Washington, Jefferson, Madison and
others which have been transferred by
executive order TO the Library of Con-
gress
In the library of the State Department
are kept all original acts of Congress- all
treaties to which the United States is a
Signatory power, all proclamations and
executive orders all papers relating to the
various claims commissions, arbitrations
and boundary surveys.
The original draft of the Declaration of
Independence is on exhibition to visitors
but the original signed copy of that docu-
ment and the Constitution and the arti-
Ok Sod
made by Franklin and Adams can be seen
in the original draft. which is in Jeffer-
sons handwriting. 1t is in perfect state
of preservation. and rests in an open sa fe
with an engraving of Jefferson and his
plan of his tomb beside it.
Times cruel hand has been laid on the
original signed Declaration of Independ-
ence, which document is very faded and
many OF the signatures are faded out and
lllegible, while others can be read only
with strong glass. Much of this fading
of the Declaration is due to the method
by which the first facsimile was obtained.
ABOUT $50 a press copy of the original
was made and from that a copper plate
was engraved. The taking of the ink
from the document and It's exposure in
later years in the Department of the In
terror, at the centennial exposition in
Philadelphia and in the Department of
State completed the fading process 1t is
now preserved in locked safe and by
order of the Secretary OF State is no Ion
ger on exhibition
In the same locked sage with the Dec
laration is the Constitution of the United
States. tbs famous document is in a
perfect state Of preservation. in spite of
the fact that il is only thirteen years
younger than he Declaration of indie
pendence. With it is kept the original
journal of the constitutional convention
of 1877. Other papers in the same safe
ire MadiSon's debates and the Original
drafts of the various amendments To the
n.3fi
by the states.
Custodian of Congressional Acts.
This little bureau of the State Depart
ment is also the custodian of the original
acts of Congress, and has charge of the
PRONUNCIATION of the laws of the United
States. Originally bills were enrolled in
writing on parchment, but in the last ten
years they have been printed on parch-
ment. which is a great Improvement. In
order that there may be no delay in the
PRONUNCIATION of the laws passed by Con
gress the bureau at once certifies d copy
of each law to the warrant division of the
Treasury Department, and until that
action is recorded no action looking To
the payment of any funds will be taken
by the Treasury Department, and since.
in many cases, millions of dollars are in
volved it will be seen that the utmost
care must be observed in the certification.
AS custodian of all treaties, except pos
tai conventions. the bureau OF rolls and
library of the State Department has
charge OF the PRONUNCIATION of these treat
les Treaties are written in the Ian
Ruages of the contracting parties, and
after signing by the authenticated pienl-
potentiaries are submitted TO the respect
i've governments for ratlf1catlon. anu II
ratified, exchange is made at the place
designated in the treaty and each country
receives a copy signed by the ruler OF the
sther country. Exchange copies OF treat