but the act which gave it the present form and constitution was passed April 30, 1810. By that act the General Post-office is placed under the direction of a Postmaster-general. He has two assistants, and such clerks as are necessary to perform the business of his office. He establishes post-offices, and appoints such postmasters, as he may deem expedient, on routes established by law. He gives all persons employed in his department instructions upon their duty. He provides for the carriage of the mail on all such post-routes as are established by law. When he thinks proper, he may designate the route, where there are more than one, between places designated by law for a post-road. He requires the accounts, vouchers, and balances of the several postmasters quarterly. He pays all the expenses arising from the conveyance of the mail, the collection of the revenue of the department, and other expenditures; he prosecutes offences against the department; he renders a quarterly account of the receipts and expenditures to the Secretary of the Treasury; he superintends all the business of the department, and in case of death, resignation, or removal, is succeeded by the senior assistant till a successor is appointed.

§ 641. The Postmaster-general, and all in the general post-office, as well as all who have the care, custody, or conveyance of the mail, must take an oath to perform all the duties required of them, and abstain from every thing forbidden by them, in relation to the post-offices and post-roads within the United States.

§ 642. To place the conveyance of the mail entirely under the supervision of the Postmaster-general, all private mails are forbidden, and all persons are prohibited, directly or indirectly, from conveying letters from place to place.1

§ 643. The expenditures of the Post-office Department are paid from its receipts in postage. In this re

1 Act of April 30, 1810, Section 16.

spect this department differs from all the others. Its funds do not make up a part of the general revenue of the country, nor are its expenses paid from it. Its receipts and its expenditures are kept within itself. In this manner, as its funds extended, new mail routes have been established; the mail greatly expedited on the old ones, and their frequency increased. Indeed, the great increase of postage and post-routes show, more than any other, the augmentation of numbers, business, wealth, and intelligence of the people.

§ 644. The Postmaster-general is assisted by two assistants, an examiner, register, solicitor, three bookkeepers, and sixty-two clerks.1

§ 645. The business of the office is divided into three divisions; at the head of the 1st is the First Assistant; of the 2d the Second; of the 3d, the Chief Clerk.

§ 646. 1. Of the First Division. Under this division are included the Book-keeper's Office, Solicitor's Office, Pay Office, Examiner's Office, and Register's Office. The senior assistant is charged with duties appertaining to the Finance Department; with the supervision of cash disbursements, with the comptrolling of incidental expenses, when audited by the Chief Clerk; with examining and reporting to the Postmaster-general, when deficient, the deposites of the weekly, monthly, and quarterly proceeds of the depositing post-office.

§ 647. Book-keeper's Office. The principal bookkeeper is charged with five legers, containing 3000 postmasters' accounts, the contractors' accounts for the same region, as well as the general accounts of the department, a journal and abstract of the day-book for the same district. 2. The second book-keeper is, in like manner, charged with four legers, containing near 3000 postmasters' accounts, the contractors' accounts for the same section, a journal and a day-book, as before. 3. The third book-keeper is charged with four 1 Force's National Calendar, 137. 2 Idem. 136.

legers, containing 2500 postmasters' accounts, and other accounts and books as before.

§ 648. Solicitor's Office. The solicitor has the final settlement of all accounts, and the collection of all balances due, the commencement of suits, and the correspondence with the United States Attorneys and others in relation thereto. Also, the statement of postmasters' accounts, and the correspondence on questions of difference with them.

§ 649. Pay Office. It is the duty of the pay-clerk to examine the accounts of all contractors for the transportation of the mail; ascertain the annual and quarterly payments to be made on their contracts; issue the drafts in their favor, on the postmasters belonging to their routes; to keep the pay-books of the pay due, of the sums drawn from the post-offices, and of the drafts and checks transmitted, and furnish certificates of the sums required to the assistants. He is also agent for the payment of the officers and others of the department; he has four assistant clerks.

§ 650. The Examiner's Office. The chief examiner is charged with the opening, auditing, and examining of all postmasters' accounts; notifying and reporting all delinquents; with notifying postmasters of the errors in their accounts; receiving and depositing remittances, and returning those not receivable.

§ 651. The Register's Office. The chief register prepares all the accounts of the department for the Treasury, with their proper vouchers, with a general account current of the transactions of the department, and superintends the copying and adjusting the accounts for the Treasury. The register is assisted by three assistants and three clerks.

Second Division.

§ 652. This division is under the direction of one of the Assistant Postmasters-general. His duties are to

take charge of the establishment and regulation of postoffices: the appointment, supervision, and instruction of postmasters; the security of remittances by mail; the examination of mail routes, to determine the location of new offices; the reporting of applications and complaints to the Postmaster-general.

§ 653. Office of Appointments and Instructions. This is attached to the second division, and has nine clerks; of these, four are corresponding clerks, whose duties consist in the examination and endorsement of memorials, letters, &c., &c. One clerk, whose duty it is to prepare the letters of appointment, discontinuance, bonds, &c., &c. One clerk, who writes notices of appointments, change, &c. One letter-book clerk, who records and despatches the letters from this office; and two other clerks.

§ 654. Dead Letter Office. This office is under a superintendent and four clerks. The superintendent examines dead letters containing articles of value; enters and numbers them, and transmits them to the owners: in other cases, he numbers them, enters them, and files them. He also corresponds on the subject. Letters that have no enclosures are burnt.

§ 655. Office of Mail Depredations. To this office is assigned the business of attending to all cases of mail losses and depredations, &c., &c.

Third Division.

§ 656. The Chief Clerk is charged with the duties of this division.

Office of Mail Contracts. The business done in this branch is always prepared, and submitted to the Postmaster-general for his examination and decision. There are four corresponding clerks in this department; one contract clerk; one route-book clerk; two letter-book clerks; one fine clerk.

To the Post-office Department are attached two watchmen, and three messengers.

MINT DEPARTMENT.

§ 657. The Mint of the United States was established by the act of April 2d, 1792.

The officers of the Mint are a Director, Chief Coiner, Assayer, Engraver, Melter and Refiner,' and a Treasurer, and as many clerks and workmen as are necessary. The duty of the Director is to superintend and manage the business, and all the officers and persons employed in it. The Assayer assays all the metals which require it, and delivers them to the chief coiner. The Chief Coiner coins them in such quantities as the director requires. The Engraver sinks and prepares the dies for the coin, with the proper devices and inscriptions. The Melter and Refiner take charge of all copper, and silver or gold bullion, delivered out by the Treasurer after assaying, and reduces the same into bars and ingots for the rolling mills, and then delivers them to the coiner or treasurer, as the director deems expedient. The Treasurer receives and gives receipts for all metals which may be lawfully brought to the Mint to be coined; and for ascertaining their quality, he delivers from every parcel so received a number of grains to the assayer, who assays such of them as require it.

§ 658. Every officer and clerk of the Mint, before he enters opon the duties of his office, takes an oath or affirmation, before some judge of the United States, faithfully and diligently to perform the duties thereof. The Assayer, Chief Coiner, Melter and Refiner, and Treasurer, give bonds to the Secretary for the faithful and diligent performance of their several duties.

§ 659. Every person is allowed to bring gold and silver bullion to the Mint to be coined, and it is assayed and coined as soon as practicable after it is brought; If it is of the standard of the United States it is coined free of expense; but the treasurer is not obliged to re1 Act of March 3d, 1795.

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