postage stamps, are under the supervision of this office, and are reported to it. Special agents of the department make their reports to this office, and all accounts of special agents for salary per diem and expenses are also transmitted for examination and presentation to the PostmasterGeneral for allowance.

To these several organizations may be added another bureau not specifically provided for by law, but finding its authority in department regulations. It is denominated THE OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.

Provision for this officer was originally made by act of June 8, 1872, whereby the Postmaster-General was authorized to appoint an Assistant Attorney-General for the Post Office Department. He is an officer of that department, and has no connection, by the terms of the law, with the Department of Justice, except in the matter of receiving his salary, which is paid from the appropriations controlled by the Attorney-General. By the appropriation act for the current fiscal year a Law Clerk is provided for, who is assigned to this office. No duties are specifically assigned by law to the Assistant Attorney-General for this department. By implication he is the law adviser of the Postmaster-General. In this capacity, therefore, he considers all questions of law referred to him by his superior. He bears a similar relation to the Post Office Department, as regards these, as that borne by the Solicitor of the Treasury to the Treasury Department. In addition to the consideration of questions arising from the constructions of postal laws and regulations, he has assigned him also certain of the claims preferred against the department; also the applications submitted for the remission of fines and penalties; also contracts and instruments proposed for execution.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.

953. By the act of Congress of June 22, 1870, entitled "An act to establish the Department of Justice," the law officers of the several departments were transferred to this department, thereafter to exercise their functions under the supervision and control of the head of the same.

The head of this department is the Attorney-General, whose appointment was originally provided for by the act of September 24, 1789.

His immediate assistant is the Solicitor-General, who in a case of vacancy in the office of the Attorney-General, or of the absence or disability of the last-named officer, has power by law to exercise the duties of the office.

For the further assistance of the head of the department, the statutes make provision for three Assistant AttorneysGeneral.

954. The following-named officers, whose duties attach them to other departments, perform those duties and exercise their functions under the supervision and control of the Attorney-General, viz.:

1. The Solicitor of the Treasury.

2. The Assistant Solicitor of the Treasury.

3. The Solicitor of Internal Revenue.

4. The Examiner of Claims for the Department of State. 955. In addition to these, provision is made by law for a Chief Clerk of the department and two Law Clerks; also for clerks of the several classes in the offices of the . Attorney-General and the Solicitor of the Treasury respect

956. The officers of this department, under the direction of the Attorney-General, are required to give all opinions and to render all services requiring the skill of persons learned in the law necessary to enable the President and officers in the departments to discharge their respective duties, and on behalf of the United States to procure the proper evidence for, and conduct, prosecute, or defend, all suits and proceedings in which the United States is a party or may be interested. (R. S., § 361.)

957. These officers may be sent by the Attorney-General to any State or district in the United States to attend to the interests of the United States in a suit pending in any of the courts thereof or of any State, or to attend to other interests of the United States. (R. S., § 367.)

958. This department is charged with the distribution to the various judges and courts of the statutes, reports, and other judicial documents provided for by law; and it is provided that a register shall be kept showing the quantity of each kind of such statutes and reports received from the Secretary of the Interior and the distribution thereof. (R. S., §§ 386, 387.)

THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL.

959. This officer is required to give his advice and opinion upon questions of law whenever required by the President; (R. S., § 354 ;) also to the head of any execu tive department, when requested, upon questions arising in the administration of such department. (R. S., §§ 356, 357.)

960. He may submit questions of law submitted to him, excepting questions involving a construction of the Constitution, to any of his subordinates, and may require their written opinions, which, if indorsed with his approval, have, as provided by the statutes, the same force as the opinions of the Attorney-General. (R. S., § 358.)

965. The recommendation of the Attorney-General is required by law, in conjunction with the advice and consent of the Secretary of the Treasury, as a prerequisite to the compromise by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue of a suit arising under the internal-revenue laws. (R. S., § 3229.)

His permission in writing is also necessary, together with that of the Secretary of the Treasury, to the discontinuance or nolle prosequi of any prosecution of a person carrying on a distillery on the charge of defrauding or attempting to defraud the United States of the tax on spirits distilled by such distiller. (R. S., §§ 3230, 3257.)

966. Under his supervision and direction it is required that the defense of an officer of either House of Congress shall be conducted in any action commenced against such officer for acts committed in the discharge of official duty in executing an order of such House. (Act March 3, 1875, Stats. 18, p. 401.)

967. To this department is intrusted by law the care and direction of the prosecution of suits for money due the Post Office Department. (R. S., § 381.)

When proceedings at law for the recovery of such moneys are fruitless, the Department of Justice, by virtue of express authority conferred by statute, may direct a suit in chancery in any United States District or Circuit Court to set aside fraudulent conveyances or trusts, attach debts due the defendant, or may obtain any other proper exercise of the powers of equity to satisfy the judgment. (R. S., § 382.)

968. The Attorney-General is authorized, whenever in his opinion the public interests require it, to employ in the name of the United States such attorneys and counsellors at law as he may think necessary to assist district attorneys in the discharge of their duties, and to stipulate with such assistants as to their compensation, maintaining during