DIRECTOR OF THE MINT. An officer appointed by the president of the United :States, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, who has the control and of the the superin teadence.of the officers and persons employed thereiti, and the general regulation and su perintendence of the business of the several branch mints and of the assay office. Act of Congress, Jan. •18, 1837, sects. 1, 2, 5 U. S. Stat. at Largo, 136.
2. The general direction of the branches of the inlet of the United States shall be under the control and regulation, of the director of the.ntipt at Phila delphia, subject to the approbation of the secretary of the treasury; and for that purpose it'shall la; the duty of the said direotor to prescribe such regula tions, and require such returns, periodically, and occasionally, as shall appear to him to he necessary to carry into effect the purposes of the law esta blishing the.branches ; also, for the purpose of dis criminating the coins which shall be stamped at each braaoh, and at the mint itself; also, for the purpose of preserving uniformity of weight, form, and .fineness in the coins stamped at each place, and for that purpose to require the transmission and delivery to him, at the mint, from time to time, of such parcels of the coinage of each branch as he shall think proper, to be subjected to such assays and tests as he shall diroot. Act of March 3, 1835, 0 4, 4 U. S. Stat. at Large, 775.
3. The direotor of the mint has power to ap point, with the approbation of thetpresident of the United States, assistants to the assayer, 'miter and refieer, chief coiner, and engraver, and clerks for the director [and treasurer], whenever, en represent ation made•hythe director to the president, it-shall he the opinion of the president that suoh assist ants or clerks are necessary; and it is made the duty of the assistants to aid their principals in the execution of their respective offices, and of the clerks to perform such duties as shall be prescribed for them by the director. Act of Jan. 18, 1837, 0 3,
5 U. S. Stat. at Large, 137. Altered as to the words in brackets by resolution of March 3, 1851, 9 Stat. at Large,.647.
4. Whenever any ,officer of the mint shall be temporarily absent on account of sickness or any other sufficient cause, it shall he lawful for the director, with the consent of the said officer, to ap point some person attached to the mint to act in the place of suoh officer his absence, and to employ such workmen and servants in the mint as be•shall, from time to time, find necessary. Aot of Jae. 18, 1837, 0 4, 5 U. S. Stat. at Large, 137.
5. It is the duty of the director to cause assays to he made, from time to, time, of such foreign coins as may he known to our commerce, to determine their average weight, fineness, and value, and to embrace in his annual report a statement of the results thereof. This annual report embraces the operations of the mint and its branches, and the assay office, fur each fiscal year, which termioatee OR the 30th of June, and appears in the report of the secretary of the treasury on the finances. See Act of Feb. 21, 1857, 00 3, 4, 13 U. S. Stat. at Large, 183. The salary of the direotor of the mint, as fixed by the act of Jao. 18, 1837, 0 7, 5 U. S. Stat. at Large, 137, is three thousand five 'hundred dollars.