DEPARTMENT. A portion of a country. In France, the country is divided into de partments, which are somewhat similar to the counties in this country. The United States have been divided into military de partments, including certain portions of the country. Parker v. II. S., 1 Pet. (U. S.) 293, 7 L. Ed. 150.
A portion of the agents employed Iv the executive branch of the United States gov erfiment, to whom a specified class of duties is assigned. They are appointed by the president, by and with the advice of the senate.
The Department of State is intrusted with such matters relating to correspondence, commissions, and instructions to or with public ministers and consuls of the United States, or to negotiations with public minis ters from foreign states or princes, or to memorials or other applications from foreign public ministers or other foreigners, or to such matters respecting foreign affairs as the president shall assign to said depart ment. U. S. R. S. § 202, It has custody and charge of the seal of the United States, and of the seal of the department of state, and of all of the books; papers, records, etc., in and appertaining to the department, or any that may hereafter be acquired by it; id. § 203.
The principal officer is a secretary ; he shall conduct the business of the department in such manner as the president shall direct There are three assistant secretaries of state.
The Department the Treasury has charge of the services relating to the financ es. It is the duty of the secretary to digest and prepare plans for the improvement and management of the revenue, and for the support of public credit ; to prepare and re port estimates of the public revenue and the public expenditures; to superintend the col lection of the revenue; to decide on the forms of keeping and stating accounts and making returns, and to grant, under limita tions established by law, all warrants for moneys to be issued from the treasury in pursuance of appropriations by law ; to make report and give information to either branch of the legislature, in person or in writing, respecting all matters referred to by the senate or house of representatives, or which shall appertain to his office; and, generally, to perform all such services relative to the finances as he shall be directed to perform. The department includes internal revenue; the mint; life saving service; engraving and printing ; national banking system; revenue marine; customs; supervising architect There are three assistant secretaries.
The Department of War is intrusted with duties relating to the land forces. There is an assistant secretary. U. S. R. S. § 214. It has charge of the Military Academy.
The Department of Justice is presided over by the attorney-general, who is assisted by the solidtor-general and four assistant attorneys-general, and by solicitors for cer tain departments. There is provision for the employment, of special counsel in certain cases.
The attorney-general is required to give his advice and opinion upon questions of law whenever required by the president or the head of any executive department, and on behalf of the United States to procure proper evidence for, and conduct, prosecute or defend all suits in the supreme court or in the court of claims, in which the United States or any officer thereof, as such officer, is a party or may be interested. He exer cises general superintendence and direction over the attorneys and marshals of all the districts in the United States and territories, and has power to employ and retain such at torneys and counsellors-at-law as he may think necessary to assist the district attor neys in the discharge of their duties. U. S. R. S. § The Post Office Department has the al charge of matters relating to the postal service, the establishment of post-offices, ap pointment of poitmasters, and the like. The bead of the department is the postmaster general and there are four assistant post masters-general. U. S. R. S. § 394-396; 1 Supp. 927.
The Department of the Nang is intrusted with the charge of the navy. There is an assistant secretary and a judge advocate general. There are in the navy 'department certain bureaus : Yards and docks ; equip ment and recruiting ; navigation ; ordnance; construction and repair ; steam engineering ; provisions and clothing ; medicine and sur gery. It includes the Marine Corps and the Naval Academy.
The Department of the Interior has gener al supervisory and appellate powers over the office of the commissioner of patents, and charge of the land office, Indian affairs, pen sions, education, mines, geological survey, government hoipitals and asylums and capi tol buildings. There is an assistant secre tary.
The Department of Agriculture is presided over by a secretary of agriculture. The de sign and duties of this department are to acquire and diffuse useful information on subjects connected with agriculture, and to procure, propagate, and distribute among the people new and valuable seeds and plants ; Act Feb. 9, 1889; by act of 1890 the Weather Bureau was added. There is an assistant secretary.
The Department of Commerce was pro vided by Act of Feb. 14, 1903, as the Depart ment of Commerce and Labor ; upon the cre ation (infra) of the Department of Labor, it became the Department of Commerce. The department includes supervision of corpora tions, lighthouses, the census, steamship in spection, standards, navigation and foreign and domestic commerce.
The Department of Labor was created by Act of March 4, 1913, to promote the welfare of the wage earners of the United States, to improve their working conditions, etc. It in cludes immigration, naturalization, labor statistics and children's bureau.
As to the succession to the presidency, see