Year: 1866




An Act to establish Department of Aericul-


ture


Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Re-
presentatives of the United States of America in
tablished at the seat of Government of the Unit
ed States department of Agriculture, the ge-
neral designs and duties of which shall be to ac-
quire and to diffuse among the people of the Unit
ed States useful Information on subjects connec-
ted with agriculture in the most general and
comprehensive sense of that word, and to pro-
cure, propagate, and distribute among the peo-
pie new and valuable seeds and plants.


SEC. g. And be it further enacted, That there
shall be appointed by the President, by and with
the advice and consent of the Senate, 'Com-
missioner of Agriculture who shall be the chief
executive officer of the Department of Agricul-
ture, who shall hold his Office by tenure simi
lar to that of other civil officers appointed by the
President, and who shall receive for his cOmpen-
sation salary of three thousand dollars per an
mum.


Sec. g. And be it further enacted, That it
shall be the duty of the Commissioner of Agricul-
ture to acquire and preserve in his Department
all information concerning agriculture which he
can obtain by means of books and correspon-
dence, and by practical and scientific eXperim-
ents, accurate records OF which experiments
statistics, and by any other appropriate means
within his power; to collect, as he may be able,
new and valuable seeds and plants; to test, by
cultivation, the value of such of them as may re-
quire such test; to propagate such as may be
worthy of propagation, and to distribute them
among agriculturists. He shall annually make
general report in writing of his acts to the Presi
dent and to Congress- in which he may recon-
mend the publication of papers forming parts OF
or accompanying his report, which report shall
also contain an account of all moneys received
and expended by him. He shall also make spe-
cial reports on particular subjects whenever re-
quired to do so by the President or either House
of Congress, or when he shall think the subject
in his charge requires it. He shall receive and
division s of the Patent ten Office in the Department
of the Interior, including the fixtures and proper
ty of the propagating garden. He shall direct
and superintend the expenditure of all money ap-
propriated by Congress to the Department, and
render accounts thereof. and also of all money
heretofore appropriated for agriculture and re-
manning unexpended. And said Commissioner
may send and receive through the mails, free OF
charge, all communications and other matter
pertaining to the business of his Department, not
exceeding in weight thirty-two ounces.


Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the
Commissioner of Agriculture shall appoint a
chief clerk, with salary of two thousand dollars,
who in all cases during the necessary absence of
the Commissioner, or when the said principal Of
flee shall become vacant, shall perform the du-
ties of COMMISSIONER and he shall appoint such
other employees as Congress may from time to
time provide, with salaI les corresponding to the
salaries of similar officers in other Departments
may from time to time provide, employ other
persons, for such time their services may be
needed, including chemists, betanists, entomo-
lorists and other persons skilled in the natural
sciences pertaining to agriculture. And the said
Commissioner, and every other person to be ap-
poiated in the said Department, shall, before he
enters upon the duties of his office or appoint
ment make oath affirmation truly and faith
fully to execute the trust committed to him. And
the said Commissioner and the chief clerk shall
also before entering upon their duties, severally
give bonds to the Treasurer of the United States,
the former in the sum of ten thousand dollars,
and the latter in the sum of five thousand dollars,
conditional to render a true and faithful account
to him or his successor in office quarter yearly
accounts of all moneys which shall be by them re-
ceived by virtue of the said office, with sureties
to be approved as sufficient by the Solicitor OF
the Treasury; which bonds shall be filed in the
office of the FIRST Comptroller of the Treasury, to
be by him put in suit upon any breach OF the con-
ditions thereof


APPROVED, April Is, 1852.