42 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



appoint a chief clerk, with a sahxry of two thousand dollars, who in all cases during 

 the necessary absence of the Commissioner, or when the said principal office shall 

 become vacant, shall perform the duties of Commissioner, and he shall appoint such 

 other employees as Congress may from time to time provide, with salaries corre- 

 sponding to the salaries of similar officers in other departments of the Government; 

 and he shall, as Congress may from time to time provide, employ other persons, for 

 such time as their services may be needed, including chemists, botanists, entomolo- 

 gists, and other persons skilled in the natural sciences pertaining to agriculture. 

 And the said Commissioner, and every other person to be appointed in the said 

 Department, shall, before he enters upon the duties of his office or appointment, make 

 oath or affirmation truly aud faithfully to execute the trust committed to him. And 

 the said Commissioner aud the chief clerk shall also, before entering upon their duties, 

 severally give bonds with sureties to the Treasurer of the United States, tlie former 

 in the sum of ten thousand dollars aud the latter in the sum of iive thousand dollars, 

 conditional to render a true aud faithful account to him or his successor in office 

 quarter-yearly accounts of all moneys which shall be by them received by virtue of 

 the said office, with sureties to be approved as sufficient by the Solicitor of the 

 Treasury; which bonds shall bo filed in the office of the First Comptroller of the 

 Treasury, to be by him put in suit ujion auy breach of the conditions thereof. 

 Approved May 15, 1862. 



CHANGE IN RANK OF THE DEPARTMENT, 



The Department was nicide an Executive office of the first rank under 

 the law approved by President Cleveland February 9, 1889. By that 

 act the title of the head of the Department was changed froai Com- 

 missioner to Secretary, and he became a member of the President's 

 Cabinet. 



AX ACT to enlarge the powers and duties of the Department of Agriculture and to create an 

 ExecTitive Department to be known as the Department of Agriculture. 



Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Iiep7'esentatives of the United States of America 

 in Congress assembled, That the Department of Agriculture be an Executive Depart- 

 ment under the supervision and control of the Secretary of Agriculture, who shall 

 be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate; 

 and section one hundred and fifty-eight of the Revised Statutes is hereby amended 

 to include such Department, and the provisions of title four of the Revised Statutes, 

 including all amendments thereto, are hereby made applicable to said Department. 



Sec. 2. That there shall be in said Department an Assistant Secretary of Agricul- 

 ture, to be appoiuted by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the 

 Senate, who shall perform such duties as may be required by law or prescribed by 

 the Secretary. 



Sec. 3. That the Secretary of Agriculture shall receive the same salary as is paid 

 to the Secretary of each of the Executive Departments and the salary of the Assist- 

 ant Secretary of Agriculture shall be the same as that now paid to the First 

 Assistant Secretary of the Department of the Interior. 



Sec. 4. That all laws and parts of laws relating to the Department of Agriculture 

 now in existence, as far as the same are applicable and not in conflict with this act, 

 and only so far, are continued in full force and effect. 



Approved, February 9, 1889. 



Several other changes have been made in the law, including an 

 amendment which repeals the reouirement that the Commissioner 

 (Secretary) and chief clerk give bond. Neither is now charged with 

 any government jiroperl^y or money. 



