LEGISLATION AND EXPENSES. 



IiAW CREATING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The Department of Agriculture was established by au act of Con- 

 gress approved by President Lincoln, May 15, 18G2. The fall text of 

 the act is as follows: 



AX ACT to establish a Department of Agriculture. 



Be if enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United StaUs of America 

 iil Congress assembled, That there is hereby established at the seat of the government 

 of tlie United States a Department of Agriculture, the general designs and duties 

 of Avhich shall bo to acquire and to diffuse among the people of the United States 

 useful information on subjects connected with agriculture in the most general and 

 comprehensive sense of that word, and to procure, propagate, and distribute among 

 the people new and valuable seeds and plants. 



Skc. 2. Jndbeit fur Ihf.r enacted, That there shall be appointed Ijy the President, 

 by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, a "Commissioner of Agriiul- 

 ture," who shall be the Chief Executive officer of the Department of Agriculture, 

 ■who shall hold his office by a tenure similar to that of other civil officers appointed 

 Ly the President, and who shall receive for his compensation a salary of three 

 thousand dollars per annum. 



Sec. 3. J7id be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Commissioner of 

 Agriculture to acquire and preserve in his Department all information concerning 

 agriculture which he can obtain by means of books and correspondeme and by prac- 

 tical and scientific experiments (accurate records of which experiments shall be kept 

 in his office), by the collection of statistics, and by any other appropriate means 

 within his power; to collect, as he may be able, new and valuable seeds and plants; 

 to test by cultivation the value of such of them as may require such tests; to propa- 

 gate such as may be worthy of propagation, and to distribute them among agricul- 

 turists. He shall annually make a general report in writing of his acts to the 

 President and to Congress, in which he may recommend tlie publication of papers 

 forming parts of or accompanying his report, which report shall also contain au 

 account of all moneys received and expended by him. He shall also make special 

 reports on particular subjects whenever required to do so by the President or either 

 House of Congress, or when he shall think the subject in his charge requires it. He 

 nhall receive and have charge of all the property of the agricultural division of tlie 

 Patent Office in the Department of the Interior, including the fixtures and property 

 of the propagating garden. He shall direct and superintend the expenditure of all 

 money appropriated by Congress to the Department aud render accounts thereof, 

 aud also of all money heretofore appropriated for agriculture and remaining unex- 

 pended. And said Commissioner may send and receive through the mails, free of 

 charge, all commuuications and other matter pertaining to the business of his Depart- 

 ment, not exceeding in weight 32 ounces. 



Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the Commissioner of Agriculture shall 



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