delinquencies of contractors, and reporting thereon to the Postmaster-General; of providing mail bags, and of securing the mail against depredations.

During the year 1872 the country had 7,259 mail routes representing a total of 251,398 miles; of which 57,911 miles were by railroad, 18,860 by steamboat, and 174,627 by horse power. The annual mail transportation passed over 664,984,322 miles, i. e., a distance 4,600 times as large as the circumference of the globe. The Third Assistant Postmaster-General is at the head of the Finance Office, and supervises the financial business of the department not assigned by law to the Auditor, embracing accounts with the draft offices and other depositories of the department, the issuing of warrants and drafts in payment of balances reported by the Auditor to be due to mail contractors and other persons. He has supervision of the accounts of officers under order to deposit their quarterly returns of postage. He has also charge of the dead-letter office and of the issuing of postage stamps.

The Postmaster-General estimates the total expenditures for the mail service of the year ending June 30, 1873, to be $30,853,167, and the revenue from the sale of postage stamps, the money order business, etc., to be $24,552,505, leaving a deficit to be supplied by congressional appropriation, of $6,310,592.

THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S OFFICE.

The duty of the Attorney-General is to prosecute and conduct all suits in the Supreme Court, in which the United States is a party, and to give his advice and opinion upon questions of law, when required by the President, or when requested by the head of any department. He is also charged with the general superintendence and direction of all United States attorneys and marshals, as to the manner of discharging their respective duties. He is aided in the performance of his duties by a solicitor-general and two assistant attorneys-general. He further examines the titles of all land to be purchased by the United States as the sites of arsenals, light-houses, custom-houses, and other public works; receives all applications for the appointment of judges, district attorneys, and marshals, and prepares statements to the President on applications for pardons, and the remission of imprisonment of public debtors.

REPRESENTATIVES IN FOREIGN LANDS.

These are Embassadors, Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary, Resident Ministers, Chargè d'Affaires and Consuls. Some of them are officials sent on special occasions and for special and exceptional services. The three first named

are of the highest rank and are sent to the Great Powers. Resident Ministers are sent to less important nations, but like those of higher rank are clothed with large powers to represent our interests. Commissioners, Chargè d'Affaires, Secretaries of Legation and Consuls are of still lower rank. All these officers are appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The powers and duties of these officers are very different in different cases, and can hardly be stated in general terms. They represent the general interests of our government abroad. Consuls, however, have well defined duties, which are as follows:

1. Whenever a vessel belonging to a citizen of the United States arrives at the port where he is stationed, it is his duty to receive the ship's papers, and to see if they are all correct.

2. It is his duty to provide for sick, disabled, and destitute American seamen, and to send them home by some vessel going to the United States.

3. He must hear the complaints of seamen, and settle disputes between the captain and men; and for good cause he may discharge the whole ship's crew.

4. It is made his duty to receive and take charge of the personal property of any citizen of the United States who has died within his Consulate, and to send any balance which may be left after paying his debts and necessary expenses, to the treasury of the United States, to be held in trust for the legal claimants. He must also give notice to the Secretary of State of the death of such person.

5. For the purpose of carrying out and executing certain treaties made between the United States and China, Japan, Siam, and Turkey, Consuls to those countries have been empowered with judicial functions. They were allowed to act as judges, and to try and punish citizens of the United States who had committed crimes there. These, however, were extraordinary powers in special cases, and by no means common to the consular office.

6. In the absence of a minister or diplomatic agent of the United States, the President may authorize a Consul to perform the duties of such foreign minister; but these powers are rarely conferred on them. Their ordinary duties relate to commercial affairs, and to such as are before stated.

7. A Vice-Consul, or deputy Consul, is one appointed to act temporarily in case of sickness or absence of the Consul. His powers, while acting, are the same as those of the Consul, in whose place he acts. Every Consul is required to give bonds for the faithful performance of his duties.

8.

Our commerce has been extended to almost every part of the globe, and for this reason we need a great number of these officials. Their services are required at all great seaports, and at

many smaller ones. The compensation varies according to the amount of business to be transacted by them, from $7,500 down to $500. Some do not receive any salary, but are allowed the fees they are authorized to charge for their services.

9. It is his duty to give his government and countrymen all such information as he possesses in relation to the laws and practices of the country to which he is sent, which it would be important for them to know; and especially is it his duty to look after the interests and welfare of his countrymen when they are within his Consulate and to see that no wrong or injustice is done to them by the people or government where he resides.

THE MILITARY ACADEMY.

This institution was established by act of Congress, in 1802, and is located at West Point, on the Hudson river.

It was established and has been continued at a great expense, for the purpose of teaching and training up young men in the science and art of war, that in any emergency the country might have a sufficient number of men, educated and skilled in all such arts and sciences as appertain to war. Hence, mathematics, engineering, gunnery, drawing, natural and experimental philosophy and military tactics, are among the principal branches taught. Every State and Territory is entitled to send as many cadets as it has Senators and Representatives in Congress. The District of Columbia is allowed one. To give every part of the country an equal chance, it was enacted that each Congressional district in each State and Territory should be allowed to send one cadet, to be educated at West Point. These are generally nominated for appointment by the Congressmen from their respective districts, and the President appoints. The cadet must be an actual resident of the district for which he is appointed.

In addition to these, it is provided by the same act, that ten more cadets may be appointed at large; i. e., without regard to Congressional districts. In order to be admitted as a cadet, the candidate must be well versed in reading, writing, and arithmetic; must not be under 14 nor over 21 years of age; and must sign articles, agreeing to serve the United States eight years. After he has finished his studies and has graduated, he is considered as a candidate for a commission in the army, according to the duties he may be competent to perform.

DEPOTS OF WAR MATERIAL.

As early as 1794, Congress enacted that three or four arsenals and magazines, with an armory attached to each, should be established for the safe keeping of military stores. An arsenal is a

place where arms and military stores are kept. An armory is a place where arms are made or repaired. The armories where arms are manufactured are at Springfield, in Massachusetts, and at Harpers' Ferry, in Virginia. But there are many others where they are repaired.

In 1808, the President was authorized to purchase sites and to erect as many more arsenals and manufactories of arms as he might deem expedient. Each of these establishments is placed under the direction of the Ordnance Department. In each armory there is employed a master armorer, who superintends the workmen. In addition to those already named there are arsenals and armories at Pittsburgh and Bridesburgh, in Pennsylvania; at Washington City; at Watervliet, in New York; Watertown, Mass.; Columbus, Ohio; at Indianapolis, Ind., and at Rock Island, Ill.

MILITARY HOSPITALS AND ASYLUMS.

In 1851, Congress passed an act for the establishment of military asylums, for the purpose of making the same provision for wounded and disabled soldiers as had already been made for that class of seamen, These institutions are located in different sections of the country where deemed most eligible and convenient for those who need such a place of refuge. They are placed under the government of a board of commissioners, consisting of the general in chief, and eight other military officers of high rank, who submit their acts to the Secretary of War for his approval.

The officers of these asylums must be taken from the army, and consist of a governor, a deputy governor, and secretary, who is also treasurer. The funds for their support are raised by a tax of twenty-five cents per month on the soldiers, to which are added the fines and penalties adjudged against soldiers by courts martial, with forfeitures for desertion, &c.

Persons receiving pensions from the government may be admitted into these asylums upon condition that they surrender their pensions to the use of the institution while they remain in it.

The commissioners are authorized to buy sites and buildings for these institutions, and to receive donations of them. They also furnish them with whatever is necessary for the comfort of the inmates, and make such laws and regulations for their government as they deem proper.

Deserters, mutineers, and habitual drunkards, are excluded from the benefits of these asylums.

INSANE ASYLUM.

Among these benevolent institutions provided by a generous government for the support of those who have faithfully served their country, the insane asylum ought to be noticed. The title