The Attorney-General is the head of the Department of Justice and the chief law officer of the Government. He represents the United States in matters involving legal questions; he gives his advice and opinion, when they are required by the President or by the heads of the other Executive Departments, on questions of law aris

ing in the administration of their respective Departments; he exercises a general superintendence and direction over United States attorneys and marshals in all judicial districts in the States and Territories; and he provides special counsel for the United States whenever required by any Department of the Government.

The Secretary of State is charged, under the direction of the President, with the duties appertaining to correspondence with the public ministers and the consuls of the United States, and with the representatives of foreign powers accredited to the United States; and to negotiations of whatever character relating to the foreign affairs of the United States. He is also the medium of correspondence between the President and the chief executives of the several States of the United States; he has the custody of the Great Seal of the United States, and countersigns and affixes such seal to all executive proclamations, to various commissions, and to warrants for the extradition of

THE DEPARTMENT

The Secretary of the Treasury is charged by law with the management of the national finances. He prepares plans for the improvement of the revenue and for the support of the public credit; superintends the collection of the revenue, and directs the forms of keeping and rendering public accounts and of making returns; grants warrants for all moneys drawn from the Treasury in pursuance of appropriations made by law, and for the payment of moneys into the Treasury;

fugitives from justice. He is regarded as the first in rank among the memers of the Cabinet.

The Secretary of State is also the custodian of the treaties made with foreign States, and of the laws of the United States. He grants and issues passports, and exequaturs to foreign consuls in the United States are issued through his office. He publishes the laws and resolutions of Congress, amendments to the Constitution, and proclamations declaring the admission of new States into the Union. He is also charged with certain annual reports to Congress relating to commercial information received from diplomatic and consular officers of the United States.

OF THE TREASURY.

and annually submits to Congress estimates of the probable revenues and disbursements of the Government. He also controls the construction of public buildings; the coinage and printing of money; the administration of the Life-Saving, Revenue-Cutter, and the Public Health and Marine-Hospital branches of the public service, and furnishes generally such information as may be required by either branch of Congress on all matters pertaining to the foregoing.

The Secretary of War is head of the War Department, and performs such duties as are required of him by law or may be enjoined upon him by the President concerning the military service. He is charged by law with the supervision of all estimates of appropriations for the expenses of the Department, including the military establishment; of all purchases of army supplies of all expenditures for the support, transportation, and maintenance of the Army, and of such expenditures of a civil nature as may be placed by Congress under his direction. He also has supervision of the United States Military Academy at West Point and of military education in the Army, of the Board of Ordnance and Fortification, of the various battlefield commissions, and of the publication of the official Records of the War of the Rebellion. He has charge of all matters relating to national defense and seacoast fortifications, army ordnance, river and harbor improvements, the prevention of obstruction to navigation, and the establishment of harbor lines, and all plans and locations of bridges authorized by Congress to be constructed over the navigable waters of the United States require his approval. He also has charge of the establishment or abandonment of military posts, and of all matters relating to leases, revocable licenses, and all other privileges upon lands under the control of the War Department.

THE GENERAL STAFF.

The General Staff Corps was organized under the provisions of an act of Congress approved February 14, 1903. Its principal duties are to prepare plans for the national defense and for the mobilization of the military forces in time of war; to investigate and report upon all questions affecting the efficiency of the Army and its state of preparation for military operations; to render professional aid and assistance to the Secretary of War and to general officers and other superior commanders and to act as their agents in informing and co-ordinating the action of all the different officers who are subject to the supervision of the Chief of Staff, and to perform such other military duties not otherwise assigned by law as may be from time to time prescribed by the President. The Chief of Staff. under direction of the

President, or of the Secretary of War under the direction of the President, has supervision of all troops of the line and of the Adjutant-General's, Inspector-General's, Judge-Advocate-General's, Quartermaster's, Subsistence, Medical, Pay, and Ordnance Departments, the Corps of Engineers and the Signal Corps, and performs such other military duties not otherwise assigned by law as may be assigned to him by the President. ties formerly prescribed by statute for the Commanding General of the Army as a member of the Board of Ordnance and Fortification and of the Board of Commissioners of the Soldiers' Home are performed by the Chief of Staff or some other officer designated by the President.

Du

SOME OF THE MILITARY BUREAUS.

The chiefs of the military bureaus of the War Department are officers of the Regular Army of the United States and part of the military establishment, viz.:

Adjutant-General's

Depart

The ment is the bureau of orders and records of the Army. Orders and instructions emanating from the War Department and all regulations are issued by the Secretary of War through the Chief of Staff, and are communicated to troops and individuals in the military service through the AdjutantGeneral. His office is the repository for the records of the War Department which relate to the personnel of the permanent military establishment and militia in the service of the United States, to the military history of every commissioned officer and soldier thereof, and to the movements and operation of troops. The records of all appointments, promotions, resignations, deaths, and other casualties in the Army, the preparation and distribution of commissions, and the compilation and issue of the Army Register and of information concerning examinations for appointment and promotions pertain to the Adjutant-General's Office. The Adjutant-General charged, under the direction of the Secretary of War, with the management of the recruiting service, the communication of instructions to officers detailed to visit encampments of militia, and the digesting, arranging, and preserving of their reports; also

is