U.S. Department of the Inteior The Department of Everything Else

Pertinent excerpts from the act approved March 3, 1849, establishing the Department of the Interior:

An Act to establish the Home Department...

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, from and after the passage of this act, there shall be created a new executive department of the government of the United States, to be called the Department of the Interior; the head of which department shall be called the Secretary of the Interior, who shall be appointed by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and who shall hold his office by the same tenure, and receive the same salary, as the Secretaries of the other executive departments, and who shall perform all the duties assigned to him by this act.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Interior shall exercise and perform all the acts of supervision and appeal in regard to the office of Commissioner of Patents, now exercised by the Secretary of State; and the said Secretary of the Interior shall sign all requisitions for the advance or payment of money out of the treasury on estimates or accounts, subject to the same adjustment or control now exercised on similar estimates or accounts by the First or Fifth Auditor and First Comptroller of the Treasury.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Interior shall perform all the duties in relation to the General Land Office, of supervision and appeal, now discharged by the Secretary of the Treasury; and the said Secretary of the Interior shall sign all requisitions for the advance or payment of money out the treasury, on estimates or accounts, approved or certified by the Commissioner of the General Land Office, subject to the same control now exercised by the First Comptroller of the Treasury.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the supervisory power now exercised by the Secretary of the Treasury over the accounts of the marshals, clerks, and other officers of all the courts of the United States, shall be exercised by the Secretary of the Interior, who shall sign all requisitions for the advance or payment of money out of the treasury, on estimates or accounts, subject to the same control now exercised on like estimates or accounts by the First Auditor and First Comptroller of the Treasury.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Interior shall exercise the supervisory and appellate powers now exercised by the Secretary of the War Department, in relation to all the acts of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs; and shall sign all requisitions for the advance or payment of money out of the treasury, on estimates or accounts, subject to the same adjustment or control now exercised on similar estimates or accounts by the Second Auditor and Second Comptroller of the Treasury.

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Interior shall exercise the supervisory and appellate powers now exercised by the Secretaries of the War and Navy Departments, in relation to all the acts of the Commissioner of Pensions; and shall sign all requisitions for the advance or payment of money out of the treasury, on estimates or accounts, subject to the same adjustment or control now exercised on similar estimates or accounts by the Third or Fourth Auditors and Second Comptroller of the Treasury.

SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Interior shall exercise all the supervisory and appellate powers now exercised by the Secretary of State, in relation to all acts of marshals and others in taking and returning the census of the United States; and shall sign all requisitions for the advance or payment of money out of the treasury, on estimates or accounts, subject to the same adjustment or control now exercised over similar estimates and accounts by the Fifth Auditor and First Comptroller of the Treasury.

SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That the supervisory and appellate powers now exercised by the Secretary of the Treasury over the lead and other mines of the United States, and over the accounts of the agents thereof, shall be exercised by the Secretary of the Interior; who shall sign all requisitions for the advance or payment of money out of the treasury, on estimates or accounts, subject to the same adjustment or control now exercised on similar estimates or accounts by the Second Auditor and Second Comptroller of the Treasury.

SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That the supervisory and appellate powers now exercised by the President of the United States over the Commissioner of Public Buildings, shall be exercised by the Secretary of the Interior; who shall sign all requisitions for the advance or payment of money out of the treasury, on estimates or accounts, subject to the same adjustment or control now exercised on similar estimates or accounts by the First Auditor and First Comptroller of the Treasury; Provided, That nothing in this section contained shall be construed to take from the presiding officers of the two Houses of Congress the power now possessed by them to make and enforce rules and regulations for the care, preservation, orderly keeping, and police of the Capitol, and its appurtenances.

SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Interior shall have and exercise a supervisory power and control over the Board of Inspectors and warden of the Penitentiary of the District of Columbia; and shall sign all requisitions for the advance or payment of money out of the treasury on estimates or accounts, subject to the same adjustment or control now exercised on similar estimates or accounts by the First Auditor and First Comptroller of the Treasury

SEC. 11. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized to appoint a chief clerk of his department, who shall receive a salary of two thousand dollars per annum; and that the President of the United States, on the recommendation of the said Secretary of the Interior, may transfer from the Treasury Department proper, to the Department of the Interior, such clerks in the office of the Secretary of the Treasury as perform the duties over which the supervision and control are given by this act to the Secretary of the Interior; which said clerks shall be hereafter subject to the appointing and removing power of the Secretary of the Interior, as also the clerks in the several bureaus heretofore appointed or removable by the heads of departments, which bureaus are transferred by this act to the Department of the Interior.