The chief clerk's salary had been increased to $2,000 per annum by the appropriation act of April 20, 1818,28 and the following year (Act of February 20, 1819) the Secretary's compensation was raised to $6,000.29 Up to the year 1853 the chief clerk was the second officer in the Department and was not only the head of the executive force, but acted as Secretary when his chief was absent. Daniel Brent held the office for twenty-six years until August 8, 1833, when he was appointed Consul at Paris. His successors passed in and out of the office in rapid succession until Robert S. Chew was appointed May 8, 1855, remaining in office until his death, August 2, 1873.

In 1853, by Act of March 3, provision was made for an Assistant Secretary of State at $3,000 per annum,30 the act of July 25, 1866, created the office of Second Assistant Secretary at $3,500 per annum, increasing the Assistant Secretary's salary at the same time; the act of June 30, 1875, added the Third Assistant Secretary at the

28 3 Stat. 445. 29 3 Stat. 484.

30 10 Stat. 212.

same compensation. These officers still remain at the head of the Department.

The act of August 12, 1848, provided that a clerk whose compensation should be $2,000 per annum, be assigned to the duty of examining claims presented to the Department of State of American citizens against foreign governments, and by act of July 25, 1866, the office of Examiner of Claims with an annual salary of $3,500 was established.31 It was abolished by the act of July 20, 1868,32 and re-established May 27, 1870,33 and when the Department of Justice was organized June 22, 1870, the office was transferred to its nominal jurisdiction, the nature of the duties, however, remaining undisturbed. By act of March 3, 1891, the title was changed to Solicitor of the Department of State.34 He was the law officer of the Department from the time the office was created, rendering opinions upon questions of law when the Secretary directed him to do so and having supervision of all questions relating to claims.

In the expansion of the Department's business certain clerks were assigned to certain branches of it and from this division of labor came the establishment of the bureaus or divisions; but there were no such bureaus or divisions recognized by title or regular arrangement until Secretary Louis McLane submitted a formal memorandum on the subject of his Department to President Andrew Jackson on August 29, 1833. He had, he said, upon entering upon the duties of his office, caused a report to be made to him upon the condition of the business of the Department with a view to more perfect organization, and had drawn up regulations which he submitted for the President's approval. He invited attention to the Magnitude of the archives of the Diplomatic Bureau," and the necessity for larger accommodations, observing that each of the other bureaus was at a similar disadvantage. IIe, accordingly, recommended that the Fifth Auditor's office, which was occupying three rooms contiguous to those appropriated to the Department of

66

31 14 Stat. 226.

32 15 Stat. 96. 33 16 Stat. 378. 34 26 Stat. 945.

State, be moved to the new building about to be rented to the Government. The President approved the report and ordered that its recommendations be carried out.

The following arrangement of the gentlemen employed, the distribution of their duties, and rules for their performance," were directed to be observed:

1. Chief Clerk. His duties were to be "such, in all respects, as pertain to an Under Secretary of State." He was to exercise an immediate superintendence of the bureaus, to see to the distribution of the letters and other communications and report all acts of misconduct or omission to the Secretary.

2. The Diplomatic Bureau. It was to attend to all notes and instructions, prepare letters of credence and treaties, receive, register and file all dispatches. The duties were to be divided among three clerks, one to have charge of the missions to England, France, Russia, The Netherlands; another to index the instructions and the dispatches and have especial charge of the missions to all other countries in Europe. The third was to have especial charge of the missions to countries in North and South America. An index of all the business was to be carefully kept, and a synopsis of the state of each mission; beside a register of daily transactions, occurrences and co amunications relative to the business of the bureau. A general weekly correspondence was to be kept up with each of the missions abroad, containing general information of a foreign and domestic character.

3. Consular Bureau. It was to have charge "of all business generally appertaining to the Consular concerns of the Department.” Indexes, registers, and synopses were to be kept as in the Diplomatic Bureau. Two clerks were to perform all the duties.

4. Home Bureau. One clerk was to perform the duties, which were to file and register all domestic correspondence, authenticate certificates under the Department seal and keep the registers of seamen and arrivals of passengers from foreign ports.

5. Bureau of Archives, Laws and Commissions. It was to keep and arrange the archives, make out and record commissions, have charge of the rolls of laws, their publication and distribution, and

also of the messages of the President and reports of Heads of Departments, and all applications for office. Ordinarily one clerk was to perform the duties, but another was to assist when the publishing and distributing of the laws was in progress, and for the present in arranging and putting in complete order the archives and papers.

6. Bureau of pardons, and remissions and copyrights and of the care of the Library. One clerk was to perform the duties, preparing the pardons for signature, receiving all copyrights directed by law to be deposited in the Department, collecting the statutes of the different states and caring for the Library.

7. Disbursing and Superintending Bureau. One clerk was to perform the duties of making purchases, keeping the accounts, and paying out the appropriations, and keeping the seal of the United States and of the Department.

8. Translating and Miscellaneous Bureau. It was to translate "all letters, papers, and documents of every description whatsoever relating to the business and duties of the Department." It was also to enter upon the mail books all communications received at the Department; to make out and record personal and special passports, and write the letters on that subject, correspond with the dispatch agent, file miscellaneous letters. One clerk was to perform the duties.

Beside this definite arrangement two clerks in the Secretary's office were to copy generally and render such assistance to the other clerks as might be rendered necessary from time to time.

One unassigned clerk was to temporarily assist in Bureau No. 4. The arrangement of clerks in the Patent Office was to remain unaltered for the present.

Notwithstanding the arrangement set forth the Secretary was to be free to direct any clerk to perform such duties as he saw fit.

The hours of business were to be from ten A. M. to three P. M., during which hours no clerk was to be absent, without special permission.

All business was to be treated as strictly confidential. All communications, except as to matters of accounts, to and from the Secretary, with the gentlemen employed in the Department, were to be

made through the chief clerk, unless otherwise invited by the Secretary.

"A particular and minute Register" was ordered to be kept, under the direction of the chief clerk, of the receipt of letters and communications and of their daily disposition, and of the Department's action.

A similar register was to be kept by each bureau.

All business referred to the respective bureaus was to be finally acted upon and disposed of on the day of reference, unless impracticable for good cause, "so that the business of one day shall not be left to accumulate for another."

Copies of papers on file were in no case to be furnished to individuals having an interest in them; "and no copy of any letter relating to the Diplomatic or Consular Bureau shall be at any time furnished to any one, without express direction of the President of the United States, or of the Secretary of State."

No one was to write any letters relative to Department business without the Secretary's approbation.

Leave of absence for a longer period of time than twenty-four hours must be requested of the Secretary in writing.35

John Forsyth, who succeeded McLane the following year, modified the distribution of duties, his order taking effect October 31, 1834.

The Home Bureau was enlarged. One division was to register the returns of passengers from foreign ports, the abstracts of registered seamen and prepare the annual statements thereof for Congress; also to record the domestic and miscellaneous correspondence; and to have custody of treaties and foreign presents permitted to be shown to visitors. Under another clerk was all the domestic correspondence of the Department not pertaining to any other bureau, the making out and recording of commissions, preparing statements of vacancies occurring and of expiring commissions, the making out and recording of exequaturs, the receiving and filing of applications for office, the preparing of certificates to be authenticated under the seal of the Department and the custody of the seals of the United

35 Papers from the President, 1833 to 1836. Dept. of State, MSS.