the Department, the payment, by warrant or draft, of accounts chargeable against appropriations for the postal service, the designation of depositories for postal funds, and the supervision and instruction of all postmasters relative to the disposition of the postal revenue from whatever source. The supervision and collection of postal revenue through the issue of postage stamps, stamped envelopes, newspaper wrappers, and postal cards, and the keeping of postmasters' accounts relative thereto; also the supplying of postmasters with envelopes for their official use, including registered-package and registered-tag envelopes. The general control of all business relating to the classification of domestic mail matter and the rates of postage thereon, including the determination of the admissibility of publications for entry to the second class of mail matter and their right to continue in that class, the general supervision of those therein, and the instruction of postmasters relative thereto. The supervision and management of the registered-mail service and the conduct of correspondence relating thereto and the preparation of record forms used therein, the establishment and control of all through registry exchanges, the compilation of registry statistics, and the instruction of all postmasters in registry matters. The duty of receiving, disposing of, and authorizing credits for redeemed, damaged, and unsalable supplies of stamped paper returned by postmasters. The duty of receiving, distributing, and indexing all papers coming into the office, of dispatching and recording all papers sent from the office, and of keeping and attending to the office files and records. The Bureau of the Third Assistant Postmaster-General also has charge of the Special Delivery System, and the supervision of proposals and letting of contracts for furnishing the Post-Office Department with postage stamps, stamped envelopes, newspaper wrappers, and postal cards, registered-package, tag, official, and dead-letter envelopes and envelopes for the use of each of the several Executive Departments. FOURTH ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL. The Fourth Assistant Postmaster-General has charge of the Bureau including the Divisions of Appointments, of Bonds and Commissions, and of Post-Office Inspectors and Mail Depredations. The duty of preparing all cases for establishment, discontinuance, and change of name or site of post-offices, and for the ap pointment of all postmasters, and attending to all correspondence consequent thereto. The duty of receiving and recording appointments; sending out papers for postmasters and their assistants to qualify; receiving, entering, and filing their bonds (and approval of same) and oaths, and issuing the commissions for postmasters. To this office is entrusted the general supervision of the work of the post-office inspectors, and the consideration and adjustment of their accounts for salary and expenses. To it are referred all complaints of losses or irregularities in the mails and all reported violations of the postal laws. THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. The Library of Congress was established in 1800, destroyed in 1814 by the burning of the Capitol, afterwards replenished by the purchase by Congress of the library of ex-President Jefferson, 6,760 volumes (cost, $23,950); in 1851, 35,000 volumes destroyed by fire; in 1852, partially replenished by an appropriation of $75,ooo; increased (1) by regular appropriations by Congress; (2) by deposits under the copyright law; (3) by gifts and exchanges; (4) by the exchanges of the Smithsonian Institution, the library of which (40,000 volumes) was, in 1866, deposited in the Library of Congress with the stipulation that future accessions should follow it. Sixty sets of Government publications are at the disposal of the Librarian of Congress for exchange, through the Smithsonian, with foreign governments, and this number may be increased up to 100. Other special accessions have been: The Peter Force collection (22,529 volumes, 37,000 pamphlets) purchased, 1867, cost $100,000; the (Count) Rochambeau collection (manuscript) purchased, 1883, cost $20,000; the Toner collection (24,484 volumes, numerous pamphlets), gift in 1882 of Dr. Joseph M. Toner; the Hubbard collection (engravings), gift in 1898 of Mrs. Gardiner G. Hubbard. The collection in the main library is now the largest single collection on the Western Hemisphere. It comprised at the end of the fiscal year (June 30, 1901) about 1,000,000 printed books and pamphlets (including the law library of 92,300 volumes, which, while a division of the Library of Congress, still remains at the Capitol), 36,600 manuscripts, 60,000 maps and charts, 311,000 pieces of music, and upwards of 106,300 photographs, prints, engravings, and lithographs. Of the printed books, probably onethird are duplicates. The main collection is rich in Federal documents, history, political science, jurisprudence, and Americana in general, including important files of American newspapers and original manuscripts (colonial, revolutionary, and formative periods). The exhibition cases on the second floor contain many rare books, including the Records of the Virginia Company. The Smithsonian deposit is strong in scientific works, and includes the largest assemblage of the transactions of learned societies which exists in this country. In 1897 the main collection was removed from the Capitol to the building erected for it under the acts of Congress approved April 15, 1886; October 2, 1888, and March 2, 1889, at a cost of $6,347,000 (limit by law, $6,500,000) exclusive of the land, which cost $585,000. The architects who furnished the original designs were John L. Smithmeyer and Paul J. Pelz. By the act of October 2, 1888, before the foundations were laid, Thomas L. Casey, Chief of Engineers of the Army, was placed in charge of the construction of the building, and the architectural details were worked out by Paul J. Pelz and Edward P. Casey. Upon the death of General Casey, in March, 1896, the entire charge of the construction devolved upon Bernard R. Green, General Casey's assistant, and under his superintendence the building was completed in February, 1897; opened to the public November, 1897. The building occupies three and three-quarters acres upon a site ten acres in extent at a distance of 1,270 feet east of the Capitol, and is the largest and most magnificent library building in the world. In the decorations, some forty painters and sculptors are represented-all American citizens. The floor space is 326,195 square feet, or nearly 8 acres. The book stacks contain about 45 miles of shelving, affording space for 2,200,000 volumes. Were the long corridors, now used in part for exhibition purposes, completely shelved, the building would accommodate over 4,000,000 volumes. The Library contains a reading room for the blind, open daily. The Library is maintained by annual appropriations by Congress for various purposes, including the purchase of books. For the year 1901-1902 these amounted to $565,345, as follows: $326,745 for services (including the Copyright Office, and including also the care of the building); $71,300 for books and periodicals; $32,300 for fuel, supplies, miscellaneous purposes, including contingent expenses ;$60,000 for furniture, shelving, etc., and $75,000 allotment for printing and binding at the Government Printing Office. Library service.-Library proper, 207 employees; Copyright, 49; disbursement and care of buildings and grounds, 116. The Copyright Office is a distinct division of the Library of Congress and is located on the ground floor, south side; open 9 to 4. It is under the immediate charge of the Register of Copyrights, who, by the act of February 19, 1897, is authorized, “under the direction and supervision of the Librarian of Congress," to perform all the duties relating to copyrights. Copyright registration was transferred to the Librarian of Congress by the act of July 8, 1870. The copyright entries from that date to September 30, 1901, numbered 1,244,988. Of most articles copyrighted two copies, and of some one copy, must be deposited in the Library of Congress to perfect copyright. Books, maps, musical compositions, photographs, periodicals, and other articles deposited in the Copyright Office to complete copyright numbered, during the fiscal year 1900-1901, 162,238 articles. Copyright fees applied and paid into the Treasury for the fiscal year 1900-1901 amounted to $63,684. The Librarian of Congress and the Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds are now appointed by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate (act of 1897). These two officials have the appointment of their respective subordinates. Entitled by law to draw books for home use are the following: The President, the Vice-President, Senators, Representatives, and Delegates in Congress (no books may be given out upon the orders of members in favor of those who are not members); heads of Departments; the justices, reporter, and clerk of the Supreme. Court; the judges and clerk of the Court of Claims; judges of the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia and judges of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia; representatives at Washington of foreign governments; the Solicitor-General and Assistant Attorneys-General; the Secretary of the Senate; the Clerk of the House of Representatives; the Solicitor of the Treasury; ex-Presidents of the United States; the chaplains of the two Houses of Congress; the secretary and Regents of the Smithsonian Institution; the members and secretary of the Interstate Commerce Commission; Chief of Engineers of the Army. |