Banking and Insurance.—The progress and results of banking legislation, from the earliest period to the latest Act of Congress bearing thereon, are set forth under BANK, BANKS IN THE UNITED STATES, each title showing the latest offi cial statistics available. Under the title of INSURANCE will be found mention of the kinds in operation, with an approxi mate view of present conditions.
Revenue and Expenditure.—The fol lowing table shows the receipts and dis bursements of the Government for the fiscal year 1921: Defenses.—See ARMY; MILITARY OR GANIZATION, UNITED STATES; NAVY.
Pensions.—The number of pensioners on the roll at the end of the fiscal year 1920 was 592,190. The number of Civil War pensioners was 243,520, or a de crease of 27,871 during the year. There were 290,100 Civil War widows on the pension rolls. Of the War of 1812, there were on June 30, 1920, 71 surviving widows, and of the war with Mexico, 148 survivors and 2,432 widows. The pen sioners of the Spanish-American War numbered 30,432. The total amount disbursed for pensions throughout the year was $213,295,314.
Post Office.—The revenue of the postal service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1919, amounted to $436,239,126. The Act of Congress passed on November 7, 1917, increasing the postage rates, ex pired by limitation on June 30, 1919. The expenditure for the year was $362,497, 635. In 1919 and 1920 mail service by aeroplane was developed to a point of practical value. Service was maintained between New York and Chicago, and other large cities. There were in 1919 565,509 depositors in the postal savings banks, with deposits of $167,323,260.
Population.—The population of the United States from 1790 to 1890 was as follows: 1790 3,929,214 1800 5,308,483 1810 7,239,881 1820 9,638,453 1830 12.866,020 1840 17,069,453 1850 23,191,876 1860 31,443,321 1870 38,558,371 1880 50,155,783 1890 62,947,714 The following table shows the popula tion by States, compiled from the census reports for 1900, 1910, and 1920: See also CENSUS.
Governnient.—The form of govern ment of the United States is based on the Constitution of Sept. 17, 1787, to which 10 amendments were added Dec. 15, 1791; an 11th amendment, Jan. 8, 1798; a 12th amendement, Sept. 25, 1804; a 13th amendpaent, Dec. 18, 1865; a 14th amend ment, July 28, 1868; a 15th amendment March 30, 1870; a 16th amendment, Feb. 13, 1913; a 17th amendment, May 31, 1913; an 18th amendment, Jan. 16, 1920, a 19th amendment, Aug. 26, 1920. By the Constitution the government of the nation is intrusted to three separate authorities, the Executive, the Legisla tive, and the Judiciary. The executive power is vested in a President, who holds his office during the term of four years, and is elected, together with a Vice President chosen for the same term, in the mode prescribed as follows: "Each State shall appoint, in such manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of senators and representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress; but no senator or representa tive, or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States, shall be appointed an elector." The Constitu
tion enacts that "the Congress may de termine the time of choosing the electors, and the day on which they shall give their votes, which day shall be the same throughout the United States"; and fur ther, that "no person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained the age of 35 years, and been 14 years a resident within the United States." The President is commander-in chief of the army and navy and of the militia in the service of the Union. He has the power of a veto on all laws passed by Congress; but, notwithstand ing his veto, any bill may become a law on its being afterward passed by each House of Congress by a two-thirds vote. The Vice-President is ex officio President of the Senate. The presidential succes sion is fixed by chapter 4 of the acts of the 49th Congress, 1st session. In case of the removal, death, resignation, or inability of both the President and Vice President, then the Secretary of State shall act as President till the disability of the President or Vice-President is re moved or a President is elected. If there be no Secretary of State, then the Secre tary of the Treasury will act; and the remainder of the order of succession is: Secretary of War, Attorney-General, Postmaster-General, Secretary of the Navy, and Secretary of the Interior (the office of Secretary of Agriculture was created after the passage of the act. The acting President must, on taking office, convene Congress, if not at the time in session, in extraordinary session, giving 20 days' notice. This act applies only to such Cabinet officers as shall have The whole legislative power is vested by the Constitution in a Congress, consisting of a Senate and House of Representatives. The Senate consists of two members from each State, chosen by the State Legislatures for six years. Senators must be not less than 30 years of age; must have been citizens of the United States for nine years; and be residents in the State from which they are chosen. Besides its legislative capacity the Senate is invested with the power of confirming or rejecting all ap pointments to office made by the Presi dent, and its members constitute a High Court of Impeachment. The judgment in the latter case extends only to the re moval from office and disqualification. Representatives have the sole power of impeachment. The House of Representa tives is composed of members elected every second year, by the vote of all citizens over the age of 21 of the several States of the Union, who are qualified in accordance with the laws of their re spective States. By the 15th Amend ment to the Constitution, neither race nor color affects the right of citizens. The franchise is not absolutely univer sal; residence for at least one year in most States (in Michigan and Maine three months) is necessary; in some States the payment of taxes, in others registration.