If the

postmaster for delivery to the writer or owner. party cannot be found, the letter is returned to the Dead Letter Office and filed, subject to future demand of the person entitled thereto. No record whatever is kept of dead letters which do not contain articles of value. They are returned to the writer if practicable, otherwise they are destroyed.

947. The following organizations, established by the statutes, perform their duties under the immediate direction of the Postmaster-General!

V. THE OFFICE OF FOREIGN MAILS.

948. To this office is assigned all business relating to foreign postal arrangements. It is under charge of an officer designated by law as the Superintendent of Foreign Mails. The business of his office embraces all matters regarding contracts for sea transportation with steamship lines; all matters relating to the exchanges of mails with foreign countries; negotiations with such countries looking to the making of postal treaties; and all correspondence with the proper authorities abroad as to matters concerning the fulfillment of postal treaty stipulations.

949. It also has a supervision of postal accounts arising out of the exchange of mail matter with foreign countries. This matter of accounts has been greatly simplified by reason of the Postal Union Treaty entered into at Berne October 9, 1874, and which went into effect July 1, 1875. This treaty was entered into between Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, Spain, the United States, France, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Luxemburg, Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal, Roumania, Russia, Servia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey. These countries form a single postal territory for the reciprocal exchange of correspondence between their post offices, under the title of "Gen

eral Postal Union." Under the provisions of this treaty each country retains the exclusive use of all postages which it collects. Hence all postal accounts formerly kept in the department with these countries have been discontinued. On the 1st of April, 1879, however, the treaty forming the "Universal Postal Union," concluded at Paris June 1, 1878, will go into operation, superseding that of Berne, just referred to. The territory of the union is enlarged under the last treaty, but the benefits of the scheme in the matter of postal accounts are substantially the same.

VI. THE MONEY-ORDER OFFICE.

950. To this office is assigned the general supervision and control of the postal money-order system throughout the United States, and also the supervision of the international money-order correspondence with foreign countries. The office is under charge of an officer designated by law as Superintendent of the Money-Order Office.

VII. THE TOPOGRAPHER'S OFFICE.

951. This office is charged with keeping up the maps in use by the officers and clerks of the various bureaus; with the preparation and publication of new post-route maps and revised editions of others; and with furnishing maps, where necessary, to postmasters and other persons in the postal service. These maps are, however, to be considered as primarily constructed and published for this use, and not for outside distribution or sale, excepting when surplus copies may remain on hand.

• VIII. THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL AGENTS AND MAIL DEPREDATIONS.

952. All cases of mail depredation, or violation of law by private expresses, or by the forging or illegal use of

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 executive 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.)