By a law which came into force Jan. 19, 1886, in case of removal, death, resignation, or inability of both the President and Vice-President, the Secretary of State, and after him, in their order, other members of the Cabinet, shall act as President until the disability of the President is removed or a President shall be elected. Such acting President, however, continues to retain hiş office in the Cabinet. On the death of a Vice-President the duties of the office fall to the President pro tempore of the Senate, who receives the salary of the Vice-President.

The administrative business of the nation is conducted by seven chief officers, or heads of departments, who form what is called the 'Cabinet.' They are chosen by the President, but must be approved of by the Senate. Each of them presides over a separate department, and has to act under the immediate authority of the President. The heads of departments are (Jan, 1890)

:-

1. Secretary of State.-James G. Blaine, March 5, 1889.

2. Secretary of the Treasury.-William Hindom, March 5, 1889.

3. Secretary of War.-Redfield Proctor, March 5, 1889. 4. Secretary of the Navy.-Benjamin F. Tracy, March 5, 1889. 5. Secretary of the Interior.-John W. Noble, March 5, 1889. 6. Postmaster-General.-John Wanamaker, March 5, 1889.

7. Attorney-General.-William H. H. Miller, March 5, 1889. 8. Secretary of Agriculture.-Jeremiah M. Rusk, March 5, 1889.

Each of the above ministers has an annual salary of 8,000 dollars, and holds office during the pleasure of the President.

The whole legislative power is vested by the Constitution in a Congress, consisting of a Senate and House of Representatives. The Senate consists of two members from each State, chosen by the State Legislatures for six years. Senators must be not less than thirty years of age; must have been citizens of the United States for nine years; and be residents in the States for which they are chosen. Besides its legislative capacity, the Senate is invested with the power of confirming or rejecting all appointments to office made by the President, and its members constitute a High Court of Impeachment. The judgment in the latter case extends only to removal from office and disqualification. Representatives have the sole power of impeachment.

The House of Representatives is composed of members elected every second year by the vote of all male citizens over the age of 21 of the several States of the Union, who are only qualified and registered in accordance with the laws of their respective States. By the 15th Amendment to the Constitution, neither race nor colour affects the right of citizens. The franchise is

not absolutely universal; residence for at least one year in most States (in Michigan and Maine three months) is necessary; in some States the payment of taxes, in others registration. Untaxed Indians are excluded from the franchise, in most States convicts, in some States duellists and fraudulent voters; in Rhode Island, those without property to the value of 134 dollars, and in Massachusetts voters are required to be able to read English. The number of members to which each State is entitled is determined by the census taken every ten years. By the Apportionment Bill consequent on the census of 1880, the number of representatives is 325, distributed as follows:

By an Act of February 22, 1889, four new States were empowered to enter the Union, viz. :-North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington. Until the next census South Dakota should send two members to the House of Representatives, and each of the others one.

On the basis of the last census there is one representative to every 154,000 inhabitants. The popular vote for President in 1884 was about 10 millions, or one in five of the entire population. In 1880 there were 12,830,349 males over 21 years of age.

According to the terms of the Constitution, representatives must not be less than twenty-five years of age, must have been citizens of the United States for seven years, and be residents in the States from which they are chosen. In addition to the representatives from the States, the House admits a 'delegate' from each organised Territory, who has the right to debate on subjects in which his Territory is interested, but is not entitled to vote. The delegates are elected in the same manner as the representatives, with this difference, that in two Territories, Utah and Wyoming, the franchise is also accorded to women.

Every bill that has passed the House of Representatives and the Senate must, before it becomes a law, be presented to the President of the United States; if not approved, he may return it, with his objections, to the House in which it originated. If after reconsideration two-thirds of that House agree to pass the bill, it must be sent, together with the objections, to the other House, by which it must be likewise reconsidered, and if approved by two-thirds of that House it becomes a law. But in all such cases the votes of both Houses are determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the persons voting for and against the bill are entered on the journal of each House. Should the President fail to return any Act presented to him for approval to the House of Congress in which it originated, within ten days prescribed by the Constitution, it becomes a law without his approval.

Each of the two Houses of Congress is made by the Constitution the 'judge of the elections, returns, and qualifications of its own members;' and each of the Houses may, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member.

The Congress of the United States has the power to propose alterations in the Constitution, by the 5th article of the same. The article orders that the Congress, whenever two-thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to the Constitution, or, on the application of the Legislatures of two-thirds of all the States, shall call a convention for proposing the amendments, which in either case shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the Legislatures of three-fourths of the several States, or by conventions in three-fourths thereof, as the one or other mode of ratification may be proposed by Congress.

Under an Act of Congress approved Jan. 20, 1874, the salary of a senator, representative, or delegate in Congress is 5,000 dollars per annum, with travelling expenses: these expenses are calculated by the most direct route of usual travel, and similar return, one for each session of Congress. The salary of the Speaker of the House of Representatives is, under the same Act of Congress, 8,000 dollars per annum.

The times, places, and manner of holding elections for senators and representatives are by the Constitution allowed to be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but Congress may at any time by law alter such regulations, or make new ones, except as to the places of choosing senators. Under this provision a law has been passed prescribing a method of choosing senators. No senator or representative can, during

the time for which he is elected, be appointed to any civil office under authority of the United States which shall have been created or the emoluments of which shall have been increased during such time; and no person holding any office under the United States can be a member of either House during his continuance in office. No religious test is required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.

The period usually termed a Congress,' in legislative language, continues for two years; as, for example, from noon, March 4, 1889, until noon, March 4, 1891, at which latter time the term of the representatives to the 51st Congress expires, and the term of the new House of Representatives.

commences.

STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

The powers to enact laws which concern only the States directly and immediately are among the reserved rights of the States, and as such vested in the State Legislatures. The Constitutions of the several States all agree in their main features, and the modes of administration are virtually alike. In all there is the same form, and the same principles lie at the foundation. The executive in every State is vested in a Governor. The duties of the Governors are in general analogous to those of the President, as far as the several State Governments are analogous to that of the Union. In some States the Governors have the nomination, and, in conjunction with the Senate, the appointment, of many important officers; but in most States appointments in the power of the Governors are comparatively unimportant; in New York, for example, nearly all officers and all judges are elected by the people. Like the President, they make recommendations to the Legislature, and take care that the laws are executed. Like the President, they may be impeached and removed for treason, bribery, or other crimes.

In the Indian Territory, containing upwards of 64,000 square miles, between Kansas and Texas, there are settled about 25 native tribes, of which five are civilised. Each race has a government of the republican form. In each, a Chief, Vice-chief, a Senate, and Council are chosen for two years, and a deliberative body, composed of delegates from the different races in proportion to their numbers, meets every year. The land assigned to them is not regarded as separate property, but each race holds its portion in common. Individuals settle upon particular lands, and these lands may pass from father to son, but there is no legal right to their possession, and they cannot be sold or exchanged even by the Indian Governments. The authority of these Governments extends only to the persons and personal property of their own citizens. They cannot even repel an intruder of the white race, but must, for such purpose, have recourse to the United States authorities, and in their courts no suit to which a white man is a party can be decided.

The District of Columbia is the seat of the United States Government, provided by the State of Maryland for the purposes of government in 1791. It includes the cities of Washington and Georgetown, and embraces an area of about 72 square miles. The district has no municipal legislative body, and its citizens have no right to vote either in national or municipal concerns. By an Act of Congress of 1878, its municipal government is administered by three commissioners, appointed by the President.

Slavery was abolished throughout the whole of the United States by the thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution, passed December 18, 1865. The vast change in the political and social organisation of the Republic

made by this new fundamental law was completed by the fourteenth and fifteenth Amendments of the Constitution, passed in 1868 and 1870, which gave to the former slaves all the rights and privileges of citizenship.

Area and Population.

I. PROGRESS AND PRESENT CONDITION.

The following table gives the total white and coloured population of the United States, at each of the ten censuses from 1790 to 1880 :

These figures do not include Chinese (105,613) and Indians (339,098), whose numbers bring the whole population at last census up to 50,526,222, excluding the Indian Territory and uncivilised Indians.

The subjoined table gives, in alphabetical order, the area and population of each of the States and of the 8 Territories of the Union, and the District of Columbia, of the Territory of Alaska, of the Indian Territory, both not yet organised, and the unsettled Indians, at the census of June 1870, together with that at the census of 1880, and the population on June 1, 1888, as estimated by the Government actuary. At the date of the census of 1870 there were only 37 States, but Colorado was subsequently admitted, and its area and population are therefore here included among the States composing the Union.