The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23

been exhibited: no facsimile has ever
been made Of IL except by Photography
1t has undergone no deterioration.
Many of the duties exercised by the
Department in the early days OF the
republic have been taken from II, one
by one. The creation of the Depar' ment
Of the Interior in 1s4s caused the first
pruning. This took away the Patent
Office In 1859 the copyright business
with It's collections was transferred TO
the Library Of Congress. The taking
of the census went to the Interior De-
pa rtment in 1850 and all acts and rec
ords regarding pardons and commute
tons of sentences were transferred TO
the Department OF Justice by President
Cleveland in 1898 by executive order.
The Territories remained under state
Department jurisdiction until 1873
Later. the Governor OF Porto Rico for
a short time addressed his communica-
tons to the same quarter until Congress
placed the island under the Interior De-
pa rtment. For some time also the Sec
rotary Of State directed the sales OF
public lands. II began the work OF col
lectlng valuable foreign trade infcrrna-
ton through the United states Consuls
abroad. but this was transferred in 1908
70 the Department OF Commerce and
Labor.
There are some occasional duties that
the Department has been called on 10
perform and some to which It is liable
but for which occasion has never arisen
Once or twice II has had to send mes
sengers to United States Judges to OBJ
tain the copies of the electoral vote
Ian,gIsoJ yn,s.h he
To Washington not being delivered; but
IL has never been called upon, as the
law provides. to receive and hold the
electoral returns because OF the alb
sence OF the President OF the Senate
from the capital. The Department al
ways sends reminders TO all the Gov
errors of the date upon which the cleo
toral colleges should assemble. An
other emergency duty that Secretary
of State has never been called upon to
perform is that of serving as President
pro TEN. in case OF the death or dis
ability of both the President and Vice
President, nor has he been obliged to
send to the Governors a notice of
Presidential election for the same rea-
son. Only once has he had to receive
a Vice Presidential resignation, that of
John c. Calhoun in 1892. From time
to time he has had to send TO the vari-
Gus States the resolutions OF Congress
amending the Constitution. The an
nounCements Of ratification are sent To
him by the Governors. He at first mott
fed the President, who sent separate
messages to Congress for each State
ratifying, but in 1878 Congress decided
| that the Secretary of State should hold
| the Publications and when sufficient
were received he should cause the
amendment To be published with a list
| of the ratifying States.
The Department has occupied many
| different quarters from its origin to
date Under Livingston 1t was located
| in small house at 10 South Sixth
street, Philadelphia In New York It
was first quartered in 1855 in Fraunces's
Tavern in the room where Washington
| had taken leave of his Generals. In
| 1883 II moved to Livngston's house on
the west side of Broadway near the
| Battery. Later II was transferred to
| house just opposite. When the Govern
ment moved to Philadelphia the Depart
! ment took house first on Market street
| and later on the southeast corner of
Arch and Sixth streets. next in North
Alley and finally at the northeast cor
ner Of Fifth and Chestnut streets.
When the Government wen. to wash
inSton'the only building sufficiently ad-
vanced to receive the records was the
| Treasury Building. In May, 1901, it
moved to the War Office. on Seven
teenth street, opposite G. where il
stayed with a shor, interregnum due to
the burning of the city by the British
until 1920. Then il moved to the pres
| al Of ba usip Of la
Treasury Department subsequently oc-
cupying, 1865. the Washington orphan
Asylum. Fourteenth street near :. and
| taking up it's present home in the state
War and Navy Building in July. 1875.
A new and splendid building is now be-
| ing erected for IL on the Mall
The most romantic episode In the De
partment's history was the saving of the
| records, including the Declaration of In
dependence and the Constitution in the
fire of August % and 90. 1914, when the
British troops raided Washington. Pres
ident Madison sent Monroe. the Score
tary of State. on a scouting expedition
down the Potomac and the latter from
some heights near Benedict deserted
the troops marching on the city. He
sent "A note by vidette to his clerks
ordering them to save the records They
John Grahamc, stephen Pleasanton and
Josiah w King, had some great cal :
vas bags made into which they tumhled
all the most valuable papers Then tn.
bags were loaded on carts and Plcasan-
ton conveyed them first to a mill two
miles beyond Georgetown and later Ia
Leesburg, Va, thrty-five miles distant
They were not brought back until the
British fleet had left the Chesapeake.
The Philosophy of Several Things
The advance in science in recent
years has shaken faith in the founda
tons OF all positive knowledge. New
developments and Investigations in
physics, chemistry. biology have led tc
new explanations of the laws OF matter
OF the construction of the material uni.
verse and to doubts about such funda
mental beliefs as the law of gravltatior
even. The evidence of the senses anC
OF consciousness Is accepted only witt
reserve. II is a useful survey of the
present state of scientific thought
, therefore, that DR., JAMES TOMBSTONE
presents in The Philosophy Of Biologl
Cambridge University Press; q. Il
| M