case the deposit of bonds must be $50,000. Upon this deposit the Treasury issues to the bank, at its request, National Bank Notes for circulation to any amount less than ninety per cent. of the bonds deposited. On its note-issue a bank pays an annual tax of one per cent.

PROHIBITIONS.—A National Bank is prohibited from making loans upon real estate, from accepting its own stock as security, from loaning to one person an amount exceeding one tenth of its capital and from impairing its capital without replacing the amount within three months after receiving notice from the Comptroller.

GOVERNMENT SUPERVISION.-Five reports a year must be made to the Comptroller at such times as he designates; and an examiner, appointed by him, visits a bank from time to time and reports the state of its affairs. By these means the Comptroller is kept constantly informed of the condition of each bank in the country. When a bank fails, its affairs are placed in the hands of a receiver, appointed by the Comptroller, who converts its assets into money and deposits them in the Treasury, out of which the Comptroller may from time to time declare dividends to the bank's creditors.

LIABILITY OF STOCKHOLDERS.-In case the assets of a bank are not sufficient to pay its debts, each stockholder may be assessed by the Comptroller to an amount not exceeding the face value of the stock which he holds.

ADVANTAGE OF SYSTEM.-The great advantages of the National Bank System are the uniformity of banking throughout the country and the security to depositors by reason of government supervision and the Comptroller's management of the affairs of a bank which has failed.

Legal Tender. Before leaving the financial branch of the government a brief statement should be made concerning "legal tender" in the United States. Legal tender is the money or currency which by law a person can require a creditor to accept in settlement of a debt. In the United States gold coins are legal tender to any

amount; silver dollars and Treasury notes of the Act of 1890 are full legal tender unless limited by contract; greenbacks (United States notes), except as interest on the national debt; national bank notes in payments to any national bank or for customs duties and debts of the Government except for interest on national bonds; silver coins of a lower denomination than a dollar are full legal tender to the amount of ten dollars; and nickel and cop per coins, to the amount of twenty-five cents.

COINS.-Any person can send to one of the mints any amount of gold bullion, and, upon the payment of the cost of minting, called "seigniorage," have it coined into money. This privilege, being unlimited, is called "free coinage." The Treasury purchases the silver, nickel and copper which are made into coins, but only such amounts can be bought and coined as Congress authorizes. There is no free coinage of these metals.

CIRCULATING NOTES.—A Treasury Note, issued under the Act of 1890, is one secured by silver dollars stored in the Treasury. A Greenback, or United States Note, is merely a promise to pay the amount to the bearer. A National Bank Note is a promise by the bank which issues it to pay the bearer the amount of it, and is secured, as has been said, by a deposit of government bonds. All varieties of circulating notes are engraved by the Treasury and are redeemed or canceled by that Department.

(c) The War Department.

Duties. This Department has charge of the construction and maintenance of the military stations and of the organization and maintenance of the military forces of the United States. The Department has also the direc tion of the Military Academy at West Point, N. Y. Prior to the establishment of the Department of the

Interior, Indian Affairs were for a time conducted by the War Department.

(d) The Department of Justice.

Duties. This Department has the general supervision of actions and proceedings brought by or against the United States in the federal courts, and also has the control of the District Attorneys and Marshals of the United States.

Duties of Attorney-General.-The Attorney-General is required to give a legal opinion upon any question submitted to him by the President or by the Heads of the Departments, and to argue suits in the Supreme Court and Court of Claims in which the United States is interested. He is required to examine and approve the title to land before it can be purchased by the United States; and he also examines and makes recommendations concerning applications for pardons and reprieves before they are acted upon by the President.

(e) The Navy Department.

Duties. This Department is charged with the construction, equipment and maintenance of the navy and naval stations, and with the organization and maintenance of the naval forces of the United States. The Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., is under this Department.

(f) The Post-Office Department.

Duties. This Department controls the foreign and domestic postal service of the United States. Its em

ployees, excepting postmasters, are generally subject to the civil service laws.

Powers of Postmaster-General.

The Postmaster-Gen

eral is empowered by law to institute and discontinue post-offices, and, with the consent of the President, and without the consent of the Senate, to negotiate postal treaties with foreign nations.

Duties.

(g) The Department of the Interior.

This Department has charge of the public lands, including mines, the care of Indian tribes in the United States, of education, and of the railroads in which the United States has an interest.

Patents; Pensions. The issuing of patents belongs to this Department, as does the granting of pensions. A pension is a stated allowance granted to soldiers and sailors disabled by wounds incurred or disease contracted in the service of their country, and also, under certain conditions, to their widows and children.

(h) The Department of Agriculture.

Duties. This Department is devoted to the securing, preservation and publication of information relative to all branches of agriculture, the collection and distribution of seeds among agriculturists, the inspection of cattle and meats exported, and the prevention of diseases among live stock.

Weather Bureau. This Department has charge of the Weather Bureau, which issues daily weather maps and forecasts for the succeeding twenty-four hours. The work of the Weather Bureau is particularly valuable along the

coasts and on the Great Lakes in giving timely warning of approaching storms, and also in making a study of the climate of the United States.

(i) The Department of Commerce and Labor.

Duties. It is the duty of this Department to promote trade, transportation and fisheries, and the laboring and manufacturing interests of the country. To this end, it has charge of lighthouses, the coast survey, immigration and foreign commerce. It also embraces the Fish and Labor Commissions and takes the national census every

ten years.

Bureaus. The Bureau of Manufacturing is charged with the development of manufacturing industries and markets for the same at home and abroad. The Bureau of Corporations is empowered to investigate the management of corporations doing business in two or more States and report the same to the President for the purpose of recommending legislation.

(j) Commissions, Bureaus, Etc.

Besides these Departments, there belong to the Executive Branch of the government the Civil Service Commission, already spoken of; the Interstate Commerce Commission, which has supervision of railroads which pass from one State into another; the Government Printing Office, which publishes the " Congressional Record," presidential messages, reports and all other official documents; the Librarian of Congress, who is in charge of the Library of Congress and of the issuance of Copyrights; and other bureaus in charge of the national museums and scientific collections.