By the constitution, the states granted to congress power " to lay and collect taxes, duties, imports, and excises, to pay the debts, and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States;" to borrow money; to regulate commerce; to estab lish uniform naturalization and bankruptcy laws; to coin money, and fix the standards of weights and measures, and punish counterfeiting; to establish post-offices and post roads; to secure patents and copyrights; punish piracies; declare war ; raise armies and navy; to doll out the militia, reserving to the states to appoint their officers; and to gov ern the district of Columbia, and all places purchased for forts, arsenals, etc., with the consent of the state legislatures. All powers not expressly granted are reserved to the states or the people; but the states, though sovereign and independent under the consti tution, with all powers of local legislation, eminent domain (i.e., absolute possession of the soil), and power of life and death, with which neither president nor congress can interfere, cannot make treaties, coin money, levy duties on imports, or exercise the powers granted to congress.
The executive of the federal government is a president, chosen by an electoral college, equal in number to the senators and representatives, elected by the people of the states. He must be a native of the United States, 35 years old, and is elected for a term of four years, and may be re-elected without limit. Ills salary is $50,000 a year. The vice president, who, in case of the death of the president, succeeds him, is president of the senate. If he should die after becoming president, his successor weitid–be–ehesen–by cong-pes.s. The preSident, by and with the consent of the senate, appoints a cabinet, consisting.of the secretaries of state and foreign affairs, treasury, war, navy, interior, the postmaster-general, and attorney-general. These officers have salaries of $10,000 a year, have no seats in congress, and are solely responsible to the president, who also appoints directly, or through his subordinates, the officers of the army and navy—of which he is commander-in-chief—the justices of the federal judiciary, revenue-officers, postmasters, etc.—in all about 100,000 persons.
The judiciary consists of a supreme court, with one chief-justice and seven assistant justices, appointed by the president for life, and district judges tu each district. The• . supreme court has jurisdiction in all cases arising under the constitution, laws, and treaties of the United States; causes affecting ambassadors and consuls, of admiralty and jurisdiction; controversies to which the United States is a party, or between a state and the citizens of another state, citizens of different states, citizens and foreign states. It has original jurisdiction in state cases, or those affecting ambassadors or consuls— in others, appellate. A person may be tried for treason, both against the federal gov ernment, and against the state of which he is a citizen. The president can reprieve or pardon a person condemned by a federal court; but has no power to interfere with the judgments of state tribunals. Besides the supreme court, there are United States dis
trict courts, with judges, district attorneys, and marshals, in districts comprising part or whole of the several states. The citizens of each state are entitled to all privileges and immunities of the several states. Criminals escaping from one state to another are given up for trial on demand of the executive; and the constitution declared, before the rebellion, that " no person held to service or labor in one state, under the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in consequence of any law or regulation therein, be discharged from such service or labor, but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due." The constitution may be amended by a convention called at the request of two-thirds of the states; or amendments may be proposed by a vote of two-thirds of congress, and ratified by three-fourths of the states; but " no state, without. its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the senate." The president, either directly, or through the secretary of state and foreign affairs, appoints ministers, consuls, and consular agents to foreign countries. There are 12 envoys-extraordinary and ministers-plenipotentiary, receiving from $17,500 to $10,000 salary; 4 commissioners, at $7,500; 19 ministers resident, $7,500 to $4,000. The con suls are paid by fees or salaries from $500 to $7,500.
The secretary of the treasury has charge of the treasury, finances, and revenue of the country, with its custom-houses and revenue-cutter service.
Revenue, Expenditure, following table gives the expenditures interest on debt), and the debt of the United States, for 20 different years: The great decrease of the total expenditure in the years 1872 and 1875, compared with 1864, is accounted for by the decrease in naval and military expenses upon the ces sation of the war in 1865.
The revenue of the United States up to the war of secession, 1861, was drawn almost wholly from the sale of public lands and duties on imports. In 1850, the revenue from customs was $39,668,686; from lands, etc., $3,707,112—total, $43,375,798. In 1860, the• revenue from customs was $53,187,511; lands, etc., $2,377,691—total, $56,004,606. The cost of the war compelled the government to add to these resources a system of internal revenue or direct taxation, consisting of stamps, licenses, excise, income-tax, etc.. by which the revenues were increased in 1865 to $309,510,932. The revenue for the year 1875-76 amounted to $438,798,281, including a large balance from the preceding year; the principal items being customs, $148,071,985, and internal revenue, $116,700,732. 'The expenditure was $316,990,549, including $100,243,271 of interest on the debt; $57,034,199 for army and navy; $17,232,240 for civil service; and $48,315,782 for pub lic works. The total debt in 1876 was upward of $2,180,000,000.