TENURE OF OFFICE ACT. A term some times applied to an act of Congress passed in 1820, chiefly through the influence of W. II. Craw ford. Secretary of the Treasury, creating a four ;year tenure for a large number of Federal offices, previously held by an indefinite tenure of good behavior. This act is nsually regarded as having prepared the way for the introduction of the spoils system. The name Tenure of Office Act, how ever, is most commonly associated with the important act of 1867. which out of the controversy between Congress and President Johnson. It had been the practice from the es tablishment of the Government in 17S9 to con cede to the President the right to dismiss with out the consent of the Senate all Federal officers appointed by him, inasmuch as the Constitution did not expressly require such consent, and in view• of his sole responsibility for the execution of the laws. But on account of President John son's opposition to the Congressional policy of reconstruction it was feared by Congress that he would use his great power of dismissal to impede its plan of reconstruction, and accordingly the Tenure of Office Aet was passed over his veto on 'March 2. 1S67. providing that the consent of
the Senate should be necessary to the dismissal of any officer appointed by and with the advice and consent of that body. Cabinet officials were also included in this. This was a complete re versal of the policy of the Government with regard to removals from office, and the Presi dent's disregard of the law in removing Secretary Stanton was the main cause of his impeachment by the House of Representatives. (See IMPEACH MENT.) With the accession of General Grant to the Presidency in 1869, the more objectionable features of the act were stricken out, and finally, in 1887. the act as a whole was repealed.