Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/160

140 of votes, the body of representatives from each state casting a single vote. Two elections by the house have occurred, viz.: in 1801 (under the original provision of the constitution, which required that the candidate having the highest number of votes for president should be president and the candidate having the next highest number vice president), when, there being a tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, the former was chosen president by the house; and in 1825, when John Quincy Adams was chosen. When the election results in no choice for vice president, that officer is chosen by the senate from the two who have received the highest number of votes. In 1837 Richard M. Johnson was thus chosen vice president by the senate. The president may be removed from office on impeachment for and conviction of treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. He is commander-in-chief of the army and navy, and of the militia of the several states when they are called into the actual service of the general government; and has power, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, to make treaties, and to appoint ministers and other public officers of the United States whose appointment is not otherwise provided for. He receives a salary of $50,000 (until 1873, $25,000) a year, and the vice president $10,000. All acts of congress must be presented to him before they can become law, and he may within ten days from its presentation return any bill of which he disapproves to the house in which it originated, stating his objections. If on reconsideration the bill is again passed by two thirds of each house, it becomes law. The president and vice president must be native-born citizens, 35 years of age, and 14 years resident within the United States. The president is assisted by a cabinet of seven ministers, called the secretaries of state, of the treasury, of the interior, of war, and of the navy, the attorney general, and the postmaster general, who are nominated by him and confirmed by the senate. They receive $8,000 a year each. These are the heads of the seven executive departments of the government, viz., state, treasury, interior, war, navy, justice, and post office. There are two assistant secretaries in the department of state, two in that of war, two in the treasury, and one in the interior department. There are three assistant postmasters general, and three assistant attorneys general in addition to the solicitor general, who is the first assistant of the attorney general. These officers are also appointed by the president with the consent of the senate. The principal duties of the secretary of state relate to foreign affairs. Besides other matters relating more directly to finance, the secretary of the treasury superintends the collection of duties and internal revenue; he also has general supervision of the lighthouses of the United States. There are in the department of the treasury a treasurer, commissioner of customs, commissioner of internal revenue, and comptroller of the currency; also a bureau of statistics, which collects and publishes statistics relating to commerce and navigation; and a bureau of the mint, which has under its control all the mints and assay offices of the United States. The secretary of the interior is charged with the supervision of public business relating to: 1, the census; 2, public lands, including mines; 3, Indians; 4, pensions and bounty lands; 5, patents; 6, custody and distribution of publications; 7, education; 8, government hospitals for the insane; 9, Columbia asylum for the deaf and dumb; also certain duties relating to the territories. The most important of these functions are intrusted to the commissioner of the general land office, commissioner of Indian affairs, commissioner of pensions, commissioner and assistant commissioner of patents, superintendent of public documents, and commissioner of education, who are appointed by the president with the consent of the senate. The department of agriculture (which is not an executive department), under the charge of a commissioner of agriculture, is designed to obtain and diffuse useful information relating to agriculture, and to procure and distribute new and valuable seeds and plants. Annual reports are made to congress through the president by the chiefs of the departments above named. The general supervision of Indian affairs is vested in a board consisting of not more than ten commissioners, who are appointed solely by the president “from men eminent for intelligence and philanthropy,” and who serve without pecuniary compensation. They are required to supervise all expenditures for the Indians, and to inspect all goods purchased for them. Inspectors, not exceeding five, are appointed by the president to visit the Indian superintendencies and agencies as often as twice a year and investigate their affairs. There are four superintendents of Indian affairs, who exercise a general supervision and control over the official acts of all persons employed by the government in that service. The national legislature consists of a congress composed of a senate and house of representatives. The senate consists of two senators from each state chosen by the respective legislatures for six years, in such a way that one third of the whole body goes out of office every two years. The act of congress of 1866 provides that in every state each branch of the legislature shall first vote separately and viva voce for senator. These votes are declared in joint assembly on the following day, and if no candidate has received a majority vote of each house, both houses in joint assembly elect a senator by ballot. If a vacancy occur in the senate when the legislature of the state interested is not in session, it may be filled by appointment of the governor until the legislature next meets, when a senator is chosen for the unexpired term. The vice president of the United States is