JUSTICE, DEPA RTMENT or. One of the nine executive departments of the United States, at the head of which is the Attorney-General, ap pointed by the President for a term of four years. Although the office of Attorney-General was created in 1759 and the incumbent of the offiee was from the first a member of the Cabinet, it was not until 1870 that it was erected into a separate department. By the act of June 22 of that year, the several officers of the Federal Gov ernment. of 'whom there were some half-dozen or more, were placed under the supervision of the Attorney-General, with the hope of bringing about greater uniformity in the construction and appli cation of the laws. The Attorney-thmeral is the chief law officer of the Government, and. as a member of the Cabinet. ranks fourth in the lino of succession to the Presidency. It is his duty to advise the President on any- questions of law that may arise in the course of the Administra tion, and also to give his opinion when requested by any of the heads of departments upon legal questions concerning matters affecting their de partments. The opinions rendered by the Attor ney-General arc from time to time published by the Government, and next to the decisions of the courts they are regarded as authority on the points covered. The Attorney-General is the legal representative of the Government, in all cases at law to which the United States is a party, and may appear in court in person or direct which one of the Assistant Attorney-Gen erals shall appear. and may employ special coun sel to aid in the conduct of the cases in which the Government is interested. He is further more charged will) the general supervision of the United States district attorneys and marshals; directs and instructs them in their duties, and may employ special counsel to aid the attorneys in the prosecution of cases to which the United Stales is a party. Ile examines the titles to
lands or other property which the Government intends to purchase for forts, dockyards, building sites, or other public purposes, and makes an annual report. to Congress of the business of the department, including statist ical information concerning the civil and criminal eases tried be fore the United States courts, the number of pardons granted by the President. the amount of fines and forfeitures imposed. and such other in formation bearing upon the administration of justice as he may deem proper. Other duties of the Department of Justice are the supervision of the penal and reformatory institutions of the United States. the recommendation of judicial appointments. the examination of the aecounts of the marshals, attorneys, and other judicial officers. the investigation of applications for clemency, the administration of the national bankruptcy law, and the supervision of the com mission to revise and codify the criminal and penal laws of the United States. In MS two Assistant Attorney-Generals were provided for, one of whom assists in the Supreme Court, the other in the Court of Claims. There is also an Assistant Attorney-General for the Interior De partment, one for the Post -Mike Department, and one in charge of Indian depredations claims. III 1870 the office of Sulicitor-General was created, the incumbent being ranked as the second officer of the department. Ile conducts cases in the courts at Washington, and in ease of a temporary vacancy or absence of the Attorney-General, acts in his stead. The act of 1870 also transferred to the new Department of .lustier the soliciters from the Interior. Treasury. and Navy departments, and the examiner of claims from the State De partment.