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THE

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT:

ITS. ORGANIZATION AND PRACTICAL WORKINGS.

INCLUDING THE

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE THREE GRAND DIVISIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT, NAMELY:-THE LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE, AND JUDICIAL DEPARTMENTS, THEIR POWERS AND DUTIES, WITH THE NUMBER,

TITLE, AND COMPENSATION OF ALL PERSONS EMPLOYED

IN EACH, TOGETHER WITH MANY INTERESTING
FACTS AND HISTORIES.

BY

GEORGE N. LAMPHERE.

PHILADELPHIA:

J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO.
1880.

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THE cause which suggested this book was my personal observation of a lack of knowledge on the part of many persons—and my belief that the same is true of whole classes-of the Government of the United States. I have observed many times that but few persons, in comparison, are acquainted with the most general provisions of the Constitution of the United States, and the terms of the Declaration of Independence. Hoping that the matter in this book may prove so interesting as to attract the notice of a considerable number, I have incorporated those two immortal documents, with a view of increasing the number who will have a better knowledge of them. It may not have been suggested to the ordinary reader that those documents are found printed in but few books. Youths in the schools should read and study them, and also the contents of this book, for there can be no higher study for the rising generation than that of the Government under which they live, and will be soon called upon to maintain and perpetuate by their aid and influence.

This effort was made in the hope that information about the Government might become accessible to all classes of the people. I have found by experience that it is very difficult to obtain information in regard to the Government, and it can only be acquired by an examination of numbers of official reports and publications; and then, ofttimes, a person may be misled.

It seems to me that there is a tendency on the part of officers whose duty it is to report upon the operations of the Government to elaborate and issue voluminous reports, which it is very tedious to examine, for information about any particular branch of the Government service. Finding this to be the case led me to thinking about consolidating information concerning the Government in all its branches; something which would show to the general reader the organization and practical workings of the Government..

I have sought to give such information as will not only be valuable to the public at large, but to those officers who are, to a great extent, acquainted with. governmental affairs, as it reaches farther and is more compendious than any work of the kind heretofore published. It is thought that it will be of great assistance to Senators and Representatives, as it will afford them answers to a large proportion of the inquiries made of them by their constituents; and, of course, such answers can be readily found in this volume.

It will also be valuable to all executive officers, as a book of ready reference;

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