[Footnote 21:  Many of these details concerning the executive departments are admirably summarized, and with more fullness than comports with the design of the present work, in Thorpe’s Government of the People of the United States, pp. 183-193.]

[Footnote 22:  Schouler, Hist. of the U.S., vol. i. p. 95.]

[Sidenote:  War and navy.] The war and navy departments need no special description here.  The former is divided into ten and the latter into eight bureaus.  The naval department, among many duties, has charge of the naval observatory at Washington and publishes the nautical almanac.

[Sidenote:  Interior.] The department of the interior conducts a vast and various business, as is shown by the designations of its eight bureaus, which deal with public lands, Indian affairs, pensions, patents, education (chiefly in the way of gathering statistics and reporting upon school affairs), agriculture, public documents, and the census.  In 1889 the bureau of agriculture was organized as a separate department.  The weather bureau forms a branch of the department of agriculture.

[Sidenote:  Postmaster-general and attorney-general.] The departments of the postmaster-general and attorney-general need no special description.  The latter was organized in 1870 into the department of justice.  The attorney-general is the president’s legal adviser, and represents the United States in all law-suits to which the United States is a party.  He is aided by a solicitor-general and other subordinate offices.

QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT.

1.  Speak (1) of the president’s share in legislation; (2) of his relation to the executive department, and (3) of the origin of his title.

2.  The electoral college:—­

a.  The method of electing the president a perplexing question. b.  The constitution of the electoral college, with illustrations. c.  Qualifications for serving as an elector. d.  The method of choosing electors. e.  The time of choosing electors. f.  When and where the electors vote. g.  The number and disposition of the certificates of their h.  The declaration of the result.

3.  What was the method of voting in the electoral college before 1804?  Illustrate the working of this method in 1796 and 1800.

4.  The amendment of 1804:—­

  a.  The ballots of the electors.
  b.  The duty of the House if no candidate for the presidency
     receives a majority of the electoral votes.
  c.  The duty of the Senate if no candidate for the vice-presidency
     receives a majority of the electoral votes.
  d.  Illustrations of the working of this amendment in 1825
     and 1837.

5.  The electoral commission of 1877:—­

  a.  A difficulty not foreseen.
  b.  Conflicting returns in 1877.
  c.  The plan of arbitration adopted.

6.  The presidential succession:—­