with foreign powers, preserves the originals of all treaties and of the public correspondence growing out of international intercourse; grants passports to American citizens visiting foreign states, etc. He has charge of the Great Seal of the United States, but cannot affix it to any commission until signed by the President, nor to any instrument without authority of the President. Secretaries of State-Salary $6,000 per Annum. Thomas Jefferson, Va...... .26 Sep., 1789 James Monroe, Va. John Quincy Adams, Mass.. 6 1809 .25 Nov., 1811 5 Mar., 1817 6 66 1829 John M. Clayton, Del... 6 1849 1831 20 July, 1850 Martin Van Buren, N. Y.. Ed. P. Livingston, La...... This department has subject to it the Diplomatic Bureau, the Consular Bureau and a Home Bureau. The United States are represented by Ministers Pleni-potentiary at the courts of Great Britain, France, Russia, Prussia, Spain, Mexico, Brazil and Chili; by Commissioners at the court of Pekin, China, and at the Sandwich Islands; by a Minister Resident at the Sublime Porte, and at other courts by Chargés des Affaires; and United States' Consuls are stationed at all the important commercial ports in the world. Foreign Ministers accredited to the government of the United States are-Envoys Extra-ordinary and Ministers Pleni-potentiary from Great Britain, Russia, the Argentine Republic, France, Spain, Chili, New-Grenada, Brazil, Mexico and Peru; Ministers Resident from Portugal, Prussia and Belgium; and Chargés des Affaires from Denmark, Austria, Holland, Sweden, Naples, Sardinia, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Foreign Consuls from all commercial nations reside in the several Collection Districts of the Union. The "Department of the Interior" was established by an act of Congress of the 30th March, 1849. The Secretary of the Interior is entrusted with the supervision and management of all matters connected with the public domain, Indian affairs, pensions, patents, public buildings, the census, the penitentiary of the District of Columbia, the expenditures of the Federal Judiciary, etc. Each of these interests is managed in a separate bureau or office, the immediate head of which is styled Commissioner, Superintendent, or Warden, as the case may be. Secretaries of the Interior-Salary $6,000 per Annum. Thomas H. Ewing, Ohio 6 Mar., 1849 | T. M. T. McKennon (dec.). 8 Aug., 1850 James A. Pearce (declined).20 July, 1850 | Alex. H. H. Stuart, Va. ...10 Sep., 1850 The "Department of the Treasury" was created by an act of Congress of the 2d of September, 1789. The Secretary of the Treasury superintends all the fiscal concerns of the government, and upon his own responsibility recommends to Congress measures for improving the condition of the revenue. All public accounts are finally settled at this Department; and for this purpose it is divided into the office of the Secretary who has the general superintendence, the offices of the two Comptrollers, the offices of the Six Auditors, the office of the Commissioner of Customs, the Treasurer's office, the Register's office, the Solicitor's office, and the office of the Coast Survey. Assistant Treasurers' offices are also established at Boston, New-York, Phil. adelphia, Charleston, New-Orleans and St. Louis. Secretaries of the Treasury-Salary $6,000 per Annum. The " Department of War" was created by an act of Congress of the 7th of August, 1789, and at first embraced not only military, but also naval affairs. The Secretary of War superintends every branch of military affairs, and has under his immediate direction the Adjutant General's office, the Quartermaster General's Bureau, the Paymaster's Bureau, the Subsistence Bureau, the Medical Bureau, the Engineer Bureau, the Topographical Bureau, the Ordnance Bureau, etc.; and the department has the superintendence of the erection of fortifications, of making public surveys, and other important services. The "Department of the Navy" was created by an act of Congress of the 30th of April, 1798. The Secretary of the Navy issues all orders to the naval forces and superintends naval affairs generally. Attached to the Department are a Bureau of Docks and Navy Yards, a Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography, a Bureau of Construction, Equipment and Repairs, a Bureau of Provisions and Clothing, a Bureau of Medical and Surgical Instruments, etc.; and the National Observatory at Washington is under the control of the Navy Department. The ministerial duties of these several Bureaux were formerly exercised by a Board of Navy Commissioners. Secretaries of the Navy-Salary $6,000 per Annum. The "Department of the Post Office" was established under the authority of the Old Congress. The Postmaster General has the chief direction of all postal arrangements with foreign states as well as within the federal limits. The general business is managed by three Assistant Postmasters General, who preside respectively over the Contract office, the Appointment office, and the Inspection, etc., office. Postmasters General.—Salary $6,000 per Annum. Amos Kendall, Ky... 1 May, 1835 .25". 1840 6 Mar., 1841 ..13 Sep., 1841 5 Mar., 1845 Samuel Osgood, Mass......26 Sep., 1789 Timothy Pickering, Pa. 7 Nov., 1791 Joseph Habersham, Ga. 2 Jan., 1795 Gideon Granger, Ct. ...........17 Mar., 1802 Reuben J. Meigs, Ohio 1814 John McLean, Ohio....... 6 9 Dec., 1823 William J. Barry, Ky...... 9 Mar., 1829 | Nathan K. Hall, N. Y.....20 June, 1850 66 1849 The "Attornies-General," who are considered as forming a part of the Cabinet, and who are the constitutional advisers and defendants of the gov ernment, are generally men of the greatest acquirements in their profession. The gentlemen who have held this office, are enumerated in the annexed list: Attornies-General.-Salary $4,000 per Annum. .... .... Edmund Randolph, Va...26th Sept. 1789 | Benj. F. Butler, N. Y ..25th Dec. 1835 Robert Smith, Md. 1801 66 1805 1806 1807 1845 1811 1847 10th Feb. 1814 Isaac Toucey, Ct.... 1848 Reverdy Johnson, Md.... 6th Mar. 1849 1850 1831 The Judicial powers of the United States are vested in a Supreme Court and in such other inferior Courts as Congress may from time to time establish. The present judicial establishment consists of a Supreme Court, Circuit Courts, and District Courts. The "Supreme Court," the highest judicial tribunal of the Union, is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices, the Attorney General, a Reporter and Clerk. This court is held in Washington, and has one session annually, commencing on the first Monday in December. The Supreme Court has exclusive jurisdiction in all controversies of a civil nature where a state is a party, except between a state and its citizens, and except also between a state and citizens of other states or aliens-in which latter case it has original but not exclusive jurisdiction. It has exclusively all such jurisdiction of suits and proceedings against ambassadors or other public ministers, or their domestics or domestic servants, as a court of law can have or exercise consistently with the law of nations; and original, but not exclusive jurisdiction of all suits brought by ambassadors or other publie ministers, in which a consul or a vice-consul is a party. It has appellate jurisdiction from final decrees and judgments of the circuit courts in cases where the matter in dispute, exclusive of costs, exceeds the sum or value of 2,000 dollars, and from final decrees and judgments of the highest courts of the several states in certain cases. It has power to issue writs of prohibi tion to the District Courts, when proceeding as Courts of Admiralty and maritime jurisdiction; and writs of mandamus in cases warranted by the principles and usages of law to any courts appointed or persons holding of fice under the authority of the United States. The trial of issues in fact in the Supreme Court in all actions at law against citizens of the United States is by jury. A final judgment or decree in any suit, in the highest court of law or equity of a state in which a decision in the suit could be had, where is drawn in question the validity of a treaty or statute of, or an authority exercised under the United States, and the decision is against their validity; or where is drawn in question the validity of a statute of, or an authority exercised under any state, on the ground of their being repugnant to the constitution, treaties, or laws of the United States, and the decision is in favor of their validity; or where is drawn in question the construction of any clause of the constitution, or of a treaty or statute of, or commission held under the United States, and the decision is against the title, right, privilege, or exemption, specially set up or claimed by either party, under such clause of the constitution, treaty, statute, or commission; may be re-examined, and reversed or affirmed, in the Supreme Court of the United States, upon a writ of error, the citation being signed by the Chief Justice, or Judge, or Chancellor of the court rendering or passing the judgment or decree complained of, or by a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, in the same manner, and under the same regulations, and the writ has the same effect, as if the judgment or decree complained of had been rendered or passed in a Circuit Court; and the proceeding upon the reversal is also the same, except that the Supreme Court, instead of remanding the cause for a final decision, may, at their discretion, if the cause shall have been once remanded before, proceed to a final decision of the same, and award execution. But no other error can be assigned or regarded as a ground of reversal in any such case, than such as appears on the face of the record, and immediately respect the before-mentioned questions of validity or construction of the said constitution, treaties, statutes, commissions, or authorities, in dispute. Chief Justices of the Supreme Court.-Salary $5,000 per Annum. John Jay, N. Y. ..... .......26th Sept. 1789 | John Jay, N. Y. ..19th Dec. 1800 John Rutledge, S. C..... 1st July, 1795 John Marshall, Va......27th Jan. 1801 William Cushing, Mass...27th Jan. 1796 Roger B. Taney, Md.....28th Dec. 1835 Oliver Ellsworth, Conn... 4th Mar. 1796 The "Circuit Courts" are held by a Justice of the Supreme Court assigned to the Circuit and by the Judge of the District in which the Court sits conjointly. The United States is divided into nine judicial Circuits, in each of which a Court is held twice a year. The Circuits are as follows: I. Maine, New-Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island II. Vermont, Connecticut, and New-York. III. New-Jersey and Pennsylvania. IV. Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. V. Alabama, Louisiana, and Kentucky. VI. North-Carolina, South-Carolina and Georgia. VII. Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan. The states of Florida, Texas, Iowa, Wisconsin and California have not yet teen amated to any dimit; but the District Courts have the power of Cirters as a coal Gril't Court held in the District of Columappointed for that purpose. The Chief Justice idge of that District. the wiseral states, of all suits of a civil nature, at where the matter in dispute exceeds, exclusive of 500 dollars, and the United States are plaintiffs is a party, or the suit is between a citizen of the wirera then wat je brought and a citizen of another state. They have zacon of an erities and offences cognizable under the authoret mizie, (except where the laws of the United States otherand oncurrent jurisdiction with the District Courts of the *wer and A sorozabe therein. But no person can be arrested in amatta, in another, in any civil action, before a Circuit or Dis it can be brought, before either of said courts, santart of the United States, by any original process, in any kam dannig than that whereof he is an inhabitant, or in which he shall be tas dat de toe of werving the writ; and no District or Circuit Court has ng saten duty » it to recover the contents of any promissory note, or pricehues to action, in favor of an assignee, unless a suit might have been bruch court to recover the said contents, if no assignment had ezoja in cases of foreign bills of exchange. • Corts have appellate jurisdiction from final decrees and judga od ve Donde, Courts, in all cases where the matter in dispute exBut Ae of fifty dollars. They also have jurisdiction of cerween may be removed into them before trial from the state But no Dienst Judge, (sitting in the Circuit Court,) can give a of appeal, or error, from his own decision; but may assign at we must ta decision. The trial of issues in fact in the Circuit »u ta except those of equity and of admiralty and maritime ts" are held respectively by a district judge alone. w one d`éret for the purposes of holding District or Circuit with the exception of New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and California, each of 14 into two districts; and of Alabama, Tennessee, and Iowa, de, are divided into three districts. There are besides these, Terare temporary, and lose that character whenever a ter PANT DE SER A cork, a public attorney or prosecutor, and a marshaldereva appointed by the President of the United States, with the LESS DRAMA CA, who are appointed by the courts severally. Gurts of the United States have, exclusively of the courts Karhulan, Cognizance of all crimes and offences that are cogni**h, mtory of the United States, committed within their reCuvete or qón the high seas, where no other punishment than **ooding thirty stripes, a fine not exceeding one hundred na ten då smprisonment not exceeding six months, is to be ini wantse excusive original cognizance of all civil causes of y me tome jurisdiction, including all seizures under the laws jare van get at.. or trade, of the United States, where the seizures are To ench are navigable from the sea by vessels of ten or more |