partment of Labor; 31 Solicitor of the Treasury; 32 and Solicitor of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.3 32 4. Organization (a) Attorney General.-The Attorney General is head of the Department of Justice, and as such is the chief law officer of the federal government. He appears in the Supreme Court of the United States in cases of exceptional gravity and importance; exercises general superintendence and direction over the United States district attorneys and marshals in the various judicial districts of the United States; provides special counsel for the United States in cases of importance or when the character of the interests involved requires such action.33 Exercises supervision over World War transactions not criminal. Directly under the Attorney General are also: (1) Attorney in Charge of Pardons.-The Attorney in Charge of Pardons has, under the immediate direction of the Administrative Assistant Attorney General, charge of all applications for executive clemency, except those of the Army and Navy. He conducts all correspondence with respect thereto, and prepares memoranda and recommendations for submission to the Attorney General and the Executive. . (2) Bureau of Investigation.—Investigates alleged offenses against the laws of the United States, except those arising under the National Prohibition Act (otherwise provided for as explained in chapter XVII) and counterfeiting laws; directs the work of special agents and bank accountants employed to detect crimes and collect evidence looking to prosecution, and obtains information in aid of any suit in which the government is interested. (b) Solicitor General.-The Solicitor General assists the Attorney General in the execution of his duties, and by special provision of law exercises all such duties in case of a vacancy in the office of the Attorney General, or his absence or disability. Under the direction of the Attorney General, the Solicitor General has special charge of the business of and appears for and represents the government in the Supreme Court of the United States. When requested by the Attorney General, the Solicitor General prepares opinions rendered to the President and the heads of the executive departments, and may conduct and argue any case in which the United States is interested, in any court of the United States, or may attend to the interests of the government in any state court or elsewhere, conferring with and directing the law officers. of the government throughout the country in the performance of their duties when occasion requires.34 (c) Assistant to the Attorney General.-The Assistant to the Attorney General has special charge of all suits and other matters arising under the federal 31 Act March 4, 1913, c. 141, § 7 (Comp. St. § 525a). 32 R. S. § 349, as amended by Act Jan. 19, 1878, c. 329, § 1 (Comp. St. § 521); R. S. § 3229 (Comp. St. § 5952). 33 R. S. § 354, amended by Act Feb. 27, 1877, c. 69, § 1 (19 Stat. 241 [Comp. St. § 529]); R. S. §§ 356, 359, 362, 363 (Comp. St. §§ 530, 533, 537, 538). 34 R. S. §§ 347, 349 (Comp. St. 516, 521). anti-trust laws, and performs such duties as may be required of him by the Attorney General. (d) Assistant Attorney General.—Has charge of authorizations for appointments and the salaries pertaining thereto, when not otherwise fixed by law; also of promotions and demotions, both within the department and in the field; general supervision over United States attorneys and marshals. He further has supervision over all other departmental administrative matters, including the following offices: (1) Chief Clerk and Administrative Assistant.-The Chief Clerk and Administrative Assistant has direct administrative control over the clerical and subclerical forces; responsibility for the enforcement of general departmental regulations; expenditures from contingent appropriations; the purchase and distribution of departmental and field supplies; the preparation of the Annual Report of the Attorney General and other publications and requisitions upon the Public Printer. He also performs such other administrative functions as may be assigned. (2) General Agent.-The office of the General Agent has charge of the Division of Accounts, the field examiners, estimates, deficiencies, and all fiscal matters generally of the department and the courts; supervises the examination and investigation conducted by the field examiners of the offices and records of federal courts. The General Agent is the budget officer of the Department of Justice, and the estimates of appropriations and deficiencies are prepared under his direction for submission to the Budget Bureau. The Division of Accounts, which is in charge of the General Agent, operates under and by virtue of specific statutes. The division has charge, among other matters, of the preparation of pay rolls and the examination and audit of all There is compiled in the Division of Accounts the statistical information required by law, showing the business transacted in the courts of the United States. (3) Appointment Clerk.-The Appointment Clerk has charge of all matters. relating to applications for positions, recommendations and appointments, including certifications by the Civil Service Commission; conducts correspondence pertaining thereto; prepares nominations for submission to the Senate; also commissions and appointments for the officers and employees of the department in Washington, and for United States attorneys, marshals, and other court officers. This office also compiles the register of the Department of Justice (including the offices of the United States courts) and matter relating to that department for the Official Register of the United States, the Congressional Directory, etc. (4) Disbursing Clerk.-The Disbursing Clerk pays all vouchers, claims, pay rolls, and accounts, prepared in and audited and approved for payment by the Division of Accounts, from the appropriations for the department proper; also pays the salaries of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States and the judges and other officials of the courts in the District of Columbia, as well as the salaries of judges retired under the provisions of the Judicial Code. The Disbursing Clerk is also authorized and directed to certify to the Bureau of Pensions of the Interior Department all applications for refund of deductions from salaries under the provisions of the Retirement Act of May 22, 1920. (e) Assistant Attorney General in Charge of Claims Against the United States. This assistant has charge generally of claims against the United States in the Court of Claims and in the District Courts. When assigned thereto by the Solicitor General, he is also charged with the preparation of briefs and argument of such cases on appeal in the Supreme Court of the United States.35 (f) Assistant Attorney General in Charge of Public Land Matters, Public Lands Division.-This assistant has charge of all suits and proceedings under the public land laws, including those instituted to set aside conveyances of allotted lands, cases involving water rights, reclamation and irrigation projects, oil lands and forest reserves, boundary disputes, Indian litigation, and also condemnation proceedings instituted by the government. He also has charge of the examination of titles to land acquired by the United States and titles and land litigation in the District of Columbia.35 (g) Assistant Attorney General in Charge of Admiralty, Finance, etc.-Has charge of litigation involving admiralty, finance, foreign relations, and insular affairs, including civil proceedings under the national banking act, the Federal reserve act, the Federal farm loan act, and other like litigation; also Shipping Board and Alien Property Custodian matters, and minor regulations of commerce, such as those regulating hours of service, safety appliances on railroads, quarantine acts, pure food, meat inspection, game bird, insecticide and fungicide acts, etc.35 (h) Assistant Attorney General in Charge of Criminal Matters. Has charge of criminal cases generally, including matters involving criminal practice and procedure, such as questions concerning indictments, grand juries, search warrants, passports, alien enemies, extradition, etc.; also cases involving crimes on high seas, crimes arising under the National Banking Act and under the naturalization laws, and generally directs district attorneys with respect to the conduct of criminal cases. 35 (i) Assistant Attorney General in Charge of Prohibition, Taxation, Commerce, etc. This assistant is specifically charged with the general conduct of cases under the National Prohibition Acts and also those involving taxation, war risk insurance, federal employees' compensation, and civil pension; 35 also supervises: (1) Superintendent of Prisons.-The Superintendent of Prisons has charge of all matters directly relating to the United States prisons and prisoners, including the maintenance of such prisoners in state and federal penitentiaries, reform schools, and county jails. The superintendent is also in charge of the construction work of the federal penitentiaries at Leavenworth, Kan., and McNeil Island, Wash., as well as the management of the textile mill of the federal penitentiary at Atlanta, Ga. The Superintendent of Prisons is ex officio president of the boards of parole for the United States penitentiaries and the president of the board of parole for 35 Act June 1, 1922, c. 204, title II (42 Stat. 611); R. S. § 348 (Comp. St. § 517). In addition to the duties stated in the text, each Assistant Attorney General prepares legal opinions when directed by the Attorney General, and, under assignment of the Solicitor General, assists in the argument of cases in the Supreme Court. (c) The various services for special and technical articles used exclusively by such branches respectively. (d) Chief of Engineers: (d1) In reference to the selection of military sites; '(d2) Construction and repair of fortifications and their accessories; (d3) Construction of military bridges; (d4) Construction, operation, and maintenance of military railways, utilities, ferries, canal boats, or other means of inland water transportation within the theater of military operations; (d5) Execution of congressional acts in the improvement of rivers and harbors and other navigable waters of the United States; (d6) Establishment of harbor lines and anchor grounds; (d7) Removal of wrecks and other obstructions to navigation; (d8) Issuance of permits for structures, dredging, dumping, or other work in navigable waters; (d9) Operations affecting the scenic grandeur of Niagara Falls; (d10) Surveying and charting the Great Lakes; (d11) Improvement and care of public buildings and works in the District of Columbia. (e) The Adjutant General in reference to any military personnel matter or records of the War Department. (f) Military Intelligence Division, to give, or obtain, military information; e. g., if one should obtain information about a foreign military service that might be of value to the United States Army, it should be so communicated. (g) The Judge Advocate General: (gl) In regard to legal interpretation of a law affecting the military establishment; (g2) In regard to any person in the Army under charge of committing a military offense. If acting as counsel for an accused, a copy of the charges and specifications should be obtained from the accused or from the Judge Advocate General. Consult the Manual for Courts-Martial. |