Elements of Civil Government Part 17

The President may receive or refuse to receive ministers and other agents of foreign governments. _To receive_ a minister is to recognize the nation which he represents. He may also dismiss foreign ministers who do not prove acceptable to our government.

He commissions all officers of the United States. The power to make appointments of office is called his _patronage_. A civil service commission, consisting of three commissioners, has been established by act of Congress, to secure efficiency in the public service, and to prevent the appointment of men to office as a reward for party work.

Before applicants for certain offices can be appointed they must pa.s.s an examination prescribed by the civil service commission.

CABINET.

The President's cabinet is a council of ten official advisers, appointed by him and confirmed by the Senate. They are often called heads of departments. The members of the cabinet are the secretary of state, secretary of the treasury, secretary of war, secretary of the navy, postmaster-general, secretary of the interior, attorney-general, secretary of agriculture, secretary of commerce, and secretary of labor.

They may be removed by the President at pleasure, and are directly responsible to him for the conduct of their respective departments.

The President holds frequent meetings of the cabinet for the purpose of conferring upon official business; but he may, if he choose, disregard their advice and act upon his own judgment.

In case of the death, resignation, removal, or disability of both President and Vice President, the presidential office would be filled by a member of the cabinet, in this order: The secretary of state, the secretary of the treasury, the secretary of war, the attorney-general, the postmaster-general, the secretary of the navy, the secretary of the interior.

Each of the cabinet officers receives a salary of twelve thousand dollars per year.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE.--The secretary of state is the head of the department of state, formerly called the department of foreign affairs.

His office is the highest rank in the cabinet, and is next in importance to that of the President. He preserves the original draughts of all treaties, laws, public doc.u.ments, and correspondence with foreign countries. He keeps the great seal of the United States, and fixes it to all commissions signed by the President. He furnishes copies of records and papers kept in his office, impressed with the seal of his department, and authenticates all proclamations and messages of the President.

He has charge of the negotiation of treaties and other foreign affairs, conducts correspondence with foreign ministers, issues instructions for the guidance of our ministers and other agents to foreign countries, and from time to time reports to Congress the relations of the United States with other governments. He is the organ of communication between the President and the governors of the States.

He issues traveling papers, called _pa.s.sports_, to citizens wishing to travel in foreign countries. When foreign criminals take refuge in this country, he issues warrants for their delivery according to the terms of existing treaties. He presents to the President all foreign ministers, and is the only officer authorized to represent him in correspondence with foreign governments.

The secretary of state has three a.s.sistants, called respectively, first a.s.sistant secretary of state, second a.s.sistant secretary of state, and third a.s.sistant secretary of state.

The department of state conducts the foreign affairs of the government chiefly through the diplomatic service and the consular service.

THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE.--The officers of the diplomatic service are called _ministers_, and represent the United States in a political capacity. They negotiate treaties under the direction of the secretary of state, and maintain friendly relations between the United States and the countries to which they are accredited. They are forbidden to engage in any commercial transaction, or to exercise any control over the commercial interests of the United States.

By the laws of nations, foreign ministers in all countries enjoy many rights and privileges not accorded to other foreign persons. They are a.s.sisted by interpreters, who explain speeches made in foreign tongues; and by secretaries of legation, who keep the records, and attend to the minor duties of the ministers.

The diplomatic service consists of amba.s.sadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary, of envoys extraordinary and ministers plenipotentiary, and of ministers resident. These officials rank in the order named, but the duties are the same; the chief difference being in the rank and influence of the countries to which they are accredited.

The amba.s.sadors and ministers of the higher rank receive salaries ranging from seven thousand five hundred dollars to seventeen thousand five hundred dollars each, the latter sum being paid to the amba.s.sadors to such important countries as Great Britain, Germany, France, Russia, Mexico, j.a.pan, etc.

There are very few ministers resident. They generally serve also as consuls general, and receive from four thousand dollars to seven thousand dollars each. Ministers sent to foreign countries upon special service, such as the negotiation of special treaties, are sometimes called _commissioners_.

CONSULAR SERVICE.--The consular service includes about sixty consuls general, some of whom are inspectors of consulates, about two hundred and fifty consuls, and many deputies and other a.s.sistants.

The chief duties of consuls are to enforce the commercial laws, and to protect the rights of American citizens. Consuls reside at the princ.i.p.al cities of the consular districts to which they are accredited. The interests of American shipping and American seamen are specially intrusted to their care. They keep the papers of American vessels while in port; they record the tonnage, the kind and value of the cargo, and the number and condition of the sailors. They hear the complaints of seamen, cause the arrest of mutinous sailors, send them home for trial, and care for mariners in dest.i.tute condition. They take possession of the property of American citizens dying abroad, and forward the proceeds to the lawful heirs.

They collect valuable information relating to the commerce and manufactures of foreign countries, which is distributed among our people by the department of commerce.

In Turkey and China, American citizens who are charged with crime are tried by the American consul. Consuls and consuls general receive salaries ranging from two thousand dollars to twelve thousand dollars each, according to the importance of the cities where they are located.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT.--The secretary of the treasury is the head of the treasury department. He manages the entire financial system of the national government. He suggests to Congress plans for raising revenue and maintaining the credit of the United States, and makes detailed reports on all the operations of his department.

He superintends the collection of revenue; the coinage of money; the operation of national banks; the conduct of custom-houses, where taxes on imported foreign goods are collected. The schedule or table showing the duties levied on foreign goods is called the _tariff_; this is fixed by act of Congress. The management of the public health service, and the operation of the coast guard, maintained along the seacoast for the rescue of persons from drowning and for the enforcement of navigation laws, are also under the charge of the secretary of the treasury. His greatest responsibility is the management of the national debt, which still amounts to many hundred millions of dollars.

BUREAUS.--The secretary of the treasury is a.s.sisted by three a.s.sistant secretaries of the treasury, a comptroller, six auditors, a treasurer, a register of the treasury, and numerous other responsible officers in charge of the bank currency, internal revenue, the mint, the erection of public buildings, and other important bureaus and divisions of the treasury department.

The _comptroller_ directs the work of the six auditors, and superintends the recovery of debts due the United States.

The _auditor for the treasury department_ settles--that is, examines and pa.s.ses on--all accounts in the collection of customs duties and internal revenue, the national debt, and other accounts immediately connected with the operations of the treasury department.

The _auditor for the war department_ settles the army accounts.

The _auditor for the interior department_ settles pension accounts, accounts with the Indians, and all other accounts arising in the department of the interior.

The _auditor for the navy department_ settles the accounts of the navy.

The _auditor for the state and other departments_ has charge of the accounts of the secretary of state, the attorney-general, the secretary of agriculture, the secretary of commerce, and the secretary of labor, and of all the officials under their direction; the accounts of the United States courts; and those of various inst.i.tutions which are not under the control of any department.

The _auditor for the post-office department_ examines and pa.s.ses on the accounts of the postal service.

The _treasurer_ is custodian of the funds of the United States. All funds and securities are kept in vaults made for the purpose, or deposited in reliable banks for safe keeping.

The _register of the treasury_ has charge of the account-books of United States bonds and paper money. They show the exact financial condition of the United States at all times. The register's name is upon all bonds and notes issued by the government.

The _comptroller of the currency_ supervises the national banks. A _bank_ is a place for the safe keeping and lending of money. A bank holding its charter--that is, its power to do business--from a State government is called a State bank. Two kinds of banks are chartered by the national government: the _national banks_ and the _federal reserve banks_.

By the laws of the United States, any five or more persons with sufficient capital may organize a national bank. A national bank may issue its notes--that is, its promises to pay--as currency, to an amount not exceeding the amount of United States bonds deposited by the bank with the national government. Each federal reserve bank is a large central bank organized by the banks of a certain district. It issues notes as currency, secured by commercial notes, drafts, etc.

The _commissioner of internal revenue_ supervises the collection of income taxes and of taxes laid upon tobacco; liquors, etc., manufactured in this country.

The _director of the mint_ has charge of the coinage of money, and reports to Congress upon the yield of precious metals. There are mints at Philadelphia, Carson, San Francisco, Denver, and New Orleans, and a.s.say offices also at other places.

The Const.i.tution vests the power to coin money in the national government alone.

The _director of the bureau of engraving and printing_ supervises the execution of designs and the engraving and printing of revenue and postage stamps, national bank notes, and the notes, bonds, and other financial paper of the United States.

The _supervising architect_ selects plans for the erection of custom-houses, court-houses, post-offices, mints, and other public buildings of the United States.

The _surgeon-general of the public health service_ has charge of the marine hospitals, and helps to enforce the laws which aim to prevent the introduction of contagious diseases into the country. He calls conferences of state health boards.

The _solicitor of the treasury_ is the chief lawyer for the department.

He has charge of prosecutions for violations of the customs laws, and other crimes against the financial interests of the United States.

Like similar lawyers for other departments, he is included in the department of justice, under the attorney-general.

WAR DEPARTMENT.--The secretary of war is the head of the war department. He has charge of the land forces, under the direction of the President. He supervises the expenditure of money voted by Congress for the improvement of rivers and harbors, and for the United States Military Academy at West Point, as well as for the support and operations of the army. In the management of his department he is aided by an a.s.sistant secretary of war.

BUREAUS.--The war department has numerous offices and bureaus, each in the charge of a responsible officer, and all under the supervision of the Chief of Staff, who is the military adviser of the secretary of war.

The _adjutant-general_ issues the military orders of his superiors, conducts the army correspondence, issues commissions, and keeps the army records.

The _quartermaster-general_ provides quarters, food, clothing, and transportation for the army, and has charge of barracks and national cemeteries. He also supervises the payment of the army and the military academy.

The _surgeon-general_ superintends the army hospitals, and the distribution of medical stores for the army.