her affairs they believed said person to be unable, under the visitation of insanity, to support himself or herself and family, or himself or herself alone, and unable to pay his or her board and other expenses at the hospital. (R. S., §§ 4845, 4846.)

1163. He may also order the confinement in said hospital of any person charged with crime whom the court may certify to have been found insane. (R. S., § 4851.)

1164. Whenever the Secretary of the Interior is satisfied, upon evidence produced by the president of the Columbia Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb, that any deaf and dumb person of teachable age, properly belonging to the District of Columbia, is in indigent circumstances, it is his duty to authorize such person to enter the institution for instruction; or when he may be so satisfied that any blind person of teachable age is indigent he may cause such person to be instructed in some institution for the education of the blind in Maryland, or some other State, at a cost not greater for each pupil than is paid by such State, and he may cause such expense to be paid out of the Treasury of the United States. (R. S., §§ 4864, 4869.)

THE FREEDMEN'S HOSPITAL.

By act of June 23, 1874, (Stats. 18, p. 223,) the Freedmen's Hospital of the District of Columbia is placed under his direction, and he is required to make all estimates for appropriations and pass upon all accounts therefor. The act also makes him accountable to the Treasurer of the United States for all expenditures.

PATENTS.

1165. The Secretary of the Interior is required to sign all patents to inventors, which shall be issued in the name

of the United States under the seal of the Patent Office, countersigned by the Commissioner of Patents. (R. S., § 4883.)

THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR.

1166. This office has been organized, to some extent, after the manner of the office of the Secretary of the Treas ury. It comprises the following-named divisions:

1. Appointment.

2. Disbursements.

3. Indian Affairs.

4. Lands and Railroads.

5. Pensions and Miscellaneous.

6. Public Documents.

7. Returns Office.

1167. There is also a division in charge of the Assistant Attorney-General.

This officer is connected with the Department of Justice, but is assigned by the Attorney-General to the Department of the Interior as the Law Officer or Solicitor of that department.

His duties, as designated by the head of that department, embrace the consideration of all cases coming up on appeal to the Secretary of the Interior from the decisions of the Commissioner of the General Land Office; also the consideration of questions of law submitted by the Commissioners of the General Land Office, Pensions, Indian Affairs, and Education; also of questions affecting the supervisory control of the Secretary of the Interior over the Commissioner of Patents.

It is made the duty of the Assistant Attorney-General before named also to investigate charges preferred against officials under the control of the Department of the Inte rior, and to consider all questions of law submitted to him

in relation to the discharge by the Secretary of the Interior of his official duties.

1168. The divisions into which the office of the Secretary of the Interior has been organized are not provided for by law, but are founded upon a wise arrangement for the more systematic transaction of business. The heads of the several divisions are designated by the Secretary from clerks of the fourth class, their compensation being increased by authority of law, which provides that the Secretary may in his discretion pay two hundred dollars additional per annum to eight clerks of that class.

I. THE APPOINTMENT DIVISION.

1169. This division has charge of all matters connected with the appointment, removal, resignation, and charges of official misconduct of officers, clerks, and employees of the Interior Department, whether employed in Washington or elsewhere. It has charge also of all applications for office, which are registered and placed on file, ready for reference when required; also of all records of appointments, &c., and of all correspondence relating to these subjects. It has also charge of the business and correspondence pertaining to leaves of absence of officers and employees, and of the official bonds required by law to be executed by appointees to office in this department.

II. THE DIVISION OF DISBURSEMENTS.

1170. This division is under charge of the Disbursing Clerk of the department. He is required to give a bond to secure faithful accountability for all moneys placed in his hands. The duty devolves upon him of disbursing for the following objects of appropriation. In this he is assisted by the clerks forming the division: For salaries of the Secretary, officers and employees, and for the contin

gent expenses of the department; for annual repairs of the United States Capitol and the improvement of the Capitol grounds; for lighting the Capitol and grounds; and for the expenses of the Freedmen's Hospital and the Smithsonian Institution.

1171. Besides the disbursement of the appropriations made for this department, this division prepares for the signature of the Secretary of the Interior all requisitions upon the Secretary of the Treasury for moneys to pay army and navy pensions; to support and maintain the various tribes of Indians in the United States; to pay Indian agents, surveyors-general, registers and receivers of the public lands and the contingent expenses of their offices; and to pay for the surveying of the public lands. It also prepares the requisitions on account of the Government Hospital for the Insane, of the Columbia Hospital for Women, Children's Hospital, Soldiers and Sailors' National Orphans' Home, and the Columbia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, all beneficiaries of the United States located in Washington.

1172. This division also prepares the estimates of appropriations required to be made by Congress annually for the several bureaus of the department, for the payment of army and navy pensions, and for the purchase of Indian. supplies.

III. THE DIVISION OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.

1173. This division is charged with the examination of applications made by Indian agents for permission to purchase supplies for Indians, the examination of contracts entered into for supplies, transportation, &c., and the examination of deeds made to the Indians for lands. It also examines into claims made on account of depredations committed by the Indians. It attends to the appointment of Indian commissions and boards of appraisement.

1174. In this division, also, an administrative examina. tion is made of accounts of Indian agents and others for supplies furnished the Indians. These accounts are first received by the Board of Indian Commissioners and submitted to the executive committee thereof for examination, revisal, and approval. They are then forwarded by the board, with a statement of the reasons for approval or disapproval, to the Secretary of the Interior. The action of the latter, as regards his approval or disapproval of the action of the Board of Commissioners, is founded upon the examination made in this division of his office. These accounts are then referred to the Second Auditor of the Treasury for adjustment, and are finally examined in the office of the Second Comptroller.

1175. This division is also charged with the examination of the accounts of Indian trust funds, and of the interest on investments of the proceeds of lands ceded by the Indians under treaty stipulations.

1176. It has charge of all correspondence relating to Indian affairs, excepting that relating to charges against officers in the Indian service.

IV. THE DIVISION OF LANDS AND RAILROADS.

1177. This division has charge of all correspondence of the Secretary's office relating to public lands and landgrant railroads. It keeps the docket of cases appealed to the Secretary of the Interior from the decisions of the General Land Office, and the record of the Secretary's decisions therein. It prepares for approval lists of swamp, railroad, internal improvement, and other selections of lands, and attends to matters connected with the adminis trative or supervisory powers of the Secretary regarding revolutionary bounty land scrip, &c.