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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

This Department is under the charge of the Commissioner of Agriculture.

The general design and duties of this Department are to acquire and diffuse among the people of the United States useful information on subjects connected with agriculture, and to procure, propagate, and distribute among the people new and valuable seeds and plants.

The Commissioner of Agriculture is not a member of the President's Cabinet, although at the head of a Department.

It is the duty of the Commissioner of Agriculture to procure and preserve all information concerning agriculture which he can obtain by means of books, correspondence, and by practical and scientific experiments, accurate records of which experiments shall be kept in his office, and by the collection of statistics, and any other appropriate means within his power; to collect new and valuable seeds and plants, which he shall test by cultivation, and propagate such as may be worthy of propagation, and shall distribute them among agriculturists.

the diseases of swine, and infectious and contagious diseases to which all other classes of domesticated animals are subject; for which purpose the sum of $10,000 was appropriated by the act of June 21, 1879.

Also, of the investigation into the habits of the cotton-worm and other insects injurious to the cotton-plant and to agriculture, with a view of preventing their injuries, for which purpose the sum of $5000 was appropriated by the same act of Congress.

The following subordinate officers and employés are provided for the Department of Agriculture:

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The purchase and distribution of seeds shall be confined to such seeds as are rare and uncommon to the country, or such as can be made more profitable by frequent changes from one part of our own country to another; and the pur-5 chase, propagation, and distribution of 6 trees, plants, shrubs, vines, and cuttings 1 superintendent of folding-room........... 1200 shall be confined to such as are adapted 1 lady superintendent of flower-seed room 900 to general cultivation, and to promote the general interests of horticulture and agriculture throughout the United States. He has charge of the investigation of

Temporary clerks, copyists, laborers, watchmen, carpenters, attendants in museum, and two clerks of class two ($1400), who must be practical printers, $15,500.

249

THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT.

UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT.

The Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices.

The Chief Justice receives $10,500 a year, and the Associate Justices $10,000 a year each.

A Clerk and a Marshal are appointed by the Court.

The Clerk receives fees for the performance of the duties of his office; and, unlike other court clerks, there is no maximum fixed of the amount of fees to be retained by him.

The Marshal receives $3000 a year. A Reporter is appointed, whose salary is $2500 a year, and $1500 additional when he shall publish a second volume of the Supreme Court decisions.

The Supreme Court must hold one regular term a year, commencing on the second Monday in October, and such special terms as may be necessary.

JURISDICTION OF THE SUPREME
COURT.

Exclusive jurisdiction of all contro

versies of a civil nature where a State is a party, except between a State and its citizens, or between a State and citizens of other States, or aliens, in which latter cases it shall have original but not exclusive jurisdiction.

Exclusively of suits or proceedings against ambassadors, or other public ministers, or their domestic servants; and original but not exclusive jurisdiction of all suits brought by ambassadors or other public ministers, or in which a consul or vice-consul is a party.

It has power to issue writs of prohibition in 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 United States courts, or to persons holding office under

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UNITED STATES CIRCUIT COURTS.

The judicial districts of the United States are divided into nine circuits, as follows:

The first circuit includes the districts of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.

The second, Vermont, Connecticut, and New York.

The third, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.

The fourth, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

The fifth, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.

The sixth, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

The seventh, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

The eighth, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Arkansas.

The ninth, California, Oregon, and Nevada.

ALLOTMENTS.

The Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court are allotted among the circuits by an order of the Court.

For each circuit a circuit judge is appointed, with a salary of $6000 a year.

Circuit courts are held by the circuit justice or by the circuit judge of the circuit, or by the district judge sitting alone or by any two of the said judges sitting together.

The Chief Justice and each Justice of the Supreme Court must attend at least one term of the Circuit Court in each

district of the circuit to which he is allotted during every two years.

A clerk is appointed for each Circuit Court by the circuit judge.

JURISDICTION OF CIRCUIT COURTS. First. Of all suits of a civil nature where the matter in dispute exceeds the sum of $500, and an alien is a party, or between citizens of different States.

Second. Of all suits in equity, of $500, and the United States are petitioners.

Third. Of all suits at common law by United States officers.

Fourth. Suits under import, internal revenue, and postal laws.

Fifth. Suits for the enforcement of penalties as to laws regulating the carriage of passengers in merchant vessels. Sixth. Suits and proceedings for condemnation of property used for insurrectionary purposes.

Seventh. Suits arising under laws relating to the slave-trade.

by law, and concurrent jurisdiction with the District Courts of crimes and offences cognizable therein.

CONCURRENT JURISDICTION.

By an act to determine the jurisdiction of Circuit Courts of the United States, and for other purposes, approved March 3, 1875, it was provided:

That the Circuit Courts of the United States shall have original cognizance, concurrent with the courts of the several States, of all suits of a civil nature at common law or in equity, where the matter in dispute exceeds, exclusive of costs, the sum or value of $500, and arising under the Constitution or laws of the United States, or treaties made or which shall be made, under their authority, or in which the United States are plaintiffs or petitioners, or in which there shall be a controversy between citizens of different States, or a controversy between citizens of the same State, claiming lands under grants of different States, or a controversy between citizens of a State and foreign states, citizens, or subjects, and shall have ex

Eighth. Suits on debenture, customs duties. Ninth. Suits under the patent or copy-clusive cognizance of all crimes and right laws.

Tenth. Suits by or against National banks.

Eleventh. Suits to enjoin the Comptroller of the Currency.

Twelfth. Suits for injuries on account of acts done under laws of the United States for protection or collection of the revenues, or to enforce the rights of citizens of the United States to vote in the several States.

Thirteenth. Suits to recover offices where the question arises out of the right to vote on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Fourteenth. Suits for removal of officers holding contrary to the fourteenth amend

ment.

Fifteenth. Suits for penalties under laws to enforce the elective franchise.

Sixteenth. Suits to redress deprivation of rights secured by the Constitution and laws.

Seventeenth. Suits on account of injuries by conspirators in certain cases. Eighteenth. Suits against any person having knowledge of a conspiracy and neglects or refuses to prevent the same. Nineteenth. Suits against officers and owners of vessels.

Twentieth. Of all crimes and offences cognizable under authority of the United States, except where otherwise provided

offences cognizable under the authority of the United States, except as otherwise provided by law, and concurrent jurisdiction with the District Courts of the crimes and offences cognizable therein. But no person shall be arrested in one district for trial in another in any civil action before a Circuit or District Court. And no civil suit shall be brought before either of said courts against any person by any original process or proceeding in any other district than that whereof he is an inhabitant, or in which he shall be found at the time of serving such process, or commencing such proceeding, except as provided; nor shall any Circuit or District Court have cognizance of any suit founded on contract in favor of an assignee, unless a suit might have been prosecuted in such court to recover thereon if no assignment had been made, except in cases of promissory notes negotiable by the law merchant and bills of exchange. And the Circuit Courts shall also have appellate jurisdiction from the District Courts under the regulations and restrictions prescribed by law.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURTS.

The United States are divided into judicial districts.

The States of California, Connecticut,

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A clerk is appointed for each District Court by the judge thereof, and in the eastern district of Arkansas two are appointed: one to keep his office at Little Rock, and one at Helena.

dis-each place of holding the court. One or In Kentucky, a clerk is appointed for more deputies to any clerk may be appointed, for whose acts the clerk is responsible.

The State of Mississippi into two: the northern and southern.

The State of Missouri into two: the eastern and western.

The State of New York into three: the northern, eastern, and southern.

The State of North Carolina into two: the eastern and western.

The State of Ohio into two: the north-nizable under the authority of the United ern and southern.

The State of Pennsylvania into two:

the eastern and western.

The State of Tennessee into three: the

eastern, western, and middle.

The State of Texas into three: eastern, western, and northern. The State of Virginia into two:

eastern and western.

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RESIGNATIONS.

United States resigns his office, after When a judge of any court of the having held his commission as such at least ten years, and having attained the age of seventy years, he shall, during the residue of his natural life, receive the same salary which was by law payable to him at the time of his resignation.

CLERKS.

Clerks receive $3500 a year each, made up of fees.

JURISDICTION.

The District Courts have jurisdiction as follows:

First. Of all crimes and offences cog

States, committed within their respective districts, or upon the high seas, the punishment of which is not capital.

Second. Of all cases arising under any act for the punishment of piracy, when no circuit court is held in the district.

Third. Of all suits for penalties and forfeitures incurred under any law of the

United States.

Fourth. Of all suits brought at common law by the United States.

Fifth. Of all suits in equity to enforce the lien of the United States upon any real estate for any internal revenue tax.

Sixth. Of all suits for the recovery of any forfeiture or damages for frauds against the United States.

Seventh. Of all causes of action arising under the postal laws.

Eighth. Of all causes of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction; and of all seizures on land and on waters not within admiralty jurisdiction, and of all prizes.

Ninth. Of all proceedings for the condemnation of property taken as prize, except property used for insurrectionary

purposes.

Tenth. Of all suits by the assignee of any debenture for drawback of duties. Eleventh. Of all suits on account of injuries by conspirators in certain cases.

Twelfth. Of all suits to redress deprivation of rights secured by the Constitution and laws.

Thirteenth. Of all suits to recover offices, except of electors of President and Vice-President, Representatives, or Delegate in Congress, or member of a State legislature.

Fourteenth. Of all suits for the removal from office of any person, except a member of Congress, or of a State legislature, contrary to the fourteenth amendment of the Constitution.

Fifteenth. Of all suits by or against National banks.

Sixteenth. Of all suits brought by any alien for a tort only in violation of the rights of nations, or of a treaty of the United States.

Seventeenth. Of all suits against con

suls.

jurisdiction possessed and exercised by District Courts of the United States.

Any one of the justices may hold a criminal court for the trial of all crimes and offences arising within the District.

This Court has jurisdiction of actions, suits, etc., in equity and law arising under the copyright and patent laws; also of bankruptcy cases, and of divorces.

Original process is confined to inhabitants of the District of Columbia, or to persons found within it.

It has power to proceed in all common law and chancery causes.

It shall not hold original plea of any debt or damage in cases within the jurisdiction given to justices of the peace under $50.

APPELLATE JURISDICTION.

Eighteenth. Of all matters and proceed-tried on information filed in the court Appeals from the police court shall be ings in bankruptcy.

COURT OF CLAIMS.

The Court of Claims consists of a

Chief Justice and four Judges, who receive $4500 a year each.

A chief clerk, at $3000 a year; an assistant clerk, at $2000 a year; a bailiff, at $1500, and a messenger, at $840 a year, are provided.

JURISDICTION.

In general the Court of Claims has jurisdiction of all claims founded upon any law of Congress, or upon any regulation of an Executive Department, or upon any contract, expressed or implied, with the Government of the United States, and all claims which may be referred to it by either House of Congress.

SUPREME COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

This Court consists of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices.

The Chief Justice receives annually $4500.

The Associate Justices receive annually, each $4000.

JURISDICTION.

This Court possesses the same powers and exercises the same jurisdiction as the Circuit Courts of the United States.

Any one of the justices may hold a special term, with the same powers and

below.

It shall hear the allegations and proofs of both parties, and determine the matter at the same term.

justice of the peace. Cases of appeal from the decision of a

Sitting in banc, shall have jurisdiction of all appeals from the decision of the Commissioner of Patents.

Writs and processes may be tested in the name of any justice of the Court.

DISTRICT ATTORNEYS AND MAR

SHALS.

There is appointed in each district (except in the middle district of Alabama, the northern district of Georgia, and the western district of South Carolina) a person learned in the law to act as Attorney for the United States. For the districts excepted the District Attorneys for the other districts of the same States perform the duties.

DUTIES OF ATTORNEYS.

It is the duty of every District Attorney to prosecute in his district all delinquents for crimes and offences cognizable under the authority of the United States, and all civil actions in which the United States are concerned.

The compensation of District Attorneys is made up from fees, regular rates being prescribed by statutes, and it shall not exceed $6000 a year, with some exceptions, wherein an allowance is made for extra services.

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