over the Potomac, about three miles beyond Georgetown, where they were concealed. But, as General Mason's cannon-foundry was not far from the mill, though on the Maryland side of the river, apprehension arose that the cannon-foundry, which the enemy would of course seek to destroy, might bring them too near the mill, and endanger its deposits. They were, therefore, removed as far as Leesburg, a small town in Virginia, thirty-five miles from Washington, whither Mr. Pleasanton, on horseback, accompanied the wagon during the battle of Bladensburg. From Leesburg, where he slept that night, the burning city was discernible, in whose blaze the fate of his charge, if left there, was told on the horizon.

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* Mr. Pleasanton took them [the papers] in several carts to the mill, where the carts were discharged; he slept at the Rev. Mr. Maffit's, two miles from the mill, and next morning got country wagons in which he, on horseback, attended the papers to Leesburg, where they were put in a vacant stone house prepared for him by the Rev. Mr. Littlejohn. That fearful night was followed by next day's tornado, which at Leesburg, as at Washington, uprooted trees, unroofed tenements, and everywhere around superadded tempestuous to belligerent destruction and alarm.

Many of the records of the War, Treasury and Navy Departments were destroyed; some were saved, less by any care than by the tempest which arrested hostile destruction before its completion, and drove the enemy from the capital. After their departure several of the written books of the departments were found in the mud, soaked with water from the rain which so opportunely fell, which, by drying them in the sun and rebinding them, were recovered. Great numbers of books and papers, however, were irrecoverably lost.

The organization of the Department of State embraces the Secretary of State, Assistant Secretary of State, Chief Clerk, Superintendent of Statistics, Translator, Librarian, and twenty-two clerks, who, for the systematic discharge

of their official duties, are divided into the following bureaus :

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The Diplomatic Branch, which has charge of all correspondence between the department and other diplomatic agents of the United States abroad, and those of foreign powers accredited to this government. In it all diplomatic instructions sent from the department, and communications to commissioners under treaties of boundaries, &c., are prepared, copied, and recorded; and all of like character received are registered and filed, their contents being first entered in an analytic table or index.

The Consular Branch, which has charge of the correspondence between the department and the consuls and commercial agents of the United States. In it instructions to those officers, and answers to their dispatches, and to letters from other persons asking for consular agencies, or relating to consular affairs are prepared and recorded.

The Disbursing Agent, who has charge of all correspondence and other matters connected with accounts relating to any fund with the disbursement of which the department is charged.

The Translator, whose duties are to furnish such translations as the department may require. He also records the commissions of consuls and vice-consuls, when not in English, upon which exequaturs are issued.

The Clerk of Appointments and Commissions makes out and records commissions, letters of appointment, and nominations to the Senate; makes out and records exequaturs, and records, when in English, the commissions on which they are issued. He also has charge of the library.

The Clerk of the Rolls and Archives takes charge of the rolls, or enrolled acts and resolutions of Congress, as they are received at the department from the President; prepares the authenticated copies thereof which are called for; prepares for, and superintends their publication, and that of treaties, in the newspapers and in book form; attends to their distribution throughout the United States, and that of all documents and publications in regard to which this duty is assigned to the department, writing and answering all letters connected therewith. Has charge of all Indian treaties, and business relating thereto.

The Clerk of Territorial Business has charge of the seals of the United States and of the department, and prepares and attaches certificates to papers presented for authentication; has charge of the territorial business; immigration and registered seamen; records all letters from the department, other than the diplomatic and consular.

The Clerk of Pardons and Passports prepares and records pardons and remissions, and registers and files the petitions and papers on which they are founded; makes out and records passports; keeps a daily register of all letters, other than diplomatic and consular, received, and of the disposition made of them; prepares letters relating to this business.

The Superintendent of Statistics prepares the "Annual Report of the Secretary of State and Foreign Commerce," as required by the acts of 1842 and 1856.

The State Department is the official channel through which the government is addressed by the accredited agents of the following foreign powers: By Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary, from Belgium,

Brazil, Costa Rica, France, Great Britain, Guatimala, Mexico, New Granada, Portugal, Prussia, Russia, and Spain; by Ministers Resident, from Austria, Bremen, Netherlands, Peru, Sweden, Denmark, Sardinia, and Switzerland. With two or three unimportant exceptions. the Foreign Ministers reside in Washington.

The library contains a very fine collection of books, and, with the many important documents in the keeping of the department, is worthy of examination.

In the first session of the first Congress, an act was passed, which was approved on the second day of September, 1789, to "Establish the Treasury Department." By this legislation, a Secretary, Comptroller, Solicitor, Treasurer, and Assistant Secretary were ordered to be appointed.

The walls of the Treasury extension, above the cellar, are a basement story, forming a stylobate, and, resting

on it, an ordonnance of antæ, of the Ionic order, 45 feet in height: The stylobate is intended to be decidedly of a Grecian character; its base, die, and cornice are beautiful in themselves, but as here brought together they have an effect peculiarly appropriate and pleasing. The window openings in the die are managed so as to give them all the character needed, without loading them with ornament; and the whole arrangement of sills and piers, and the continued cornice, which serves as a window cap, is entirely novel. The antæ and the filling of the spaces between them are so arranged as to accomplish the very difficult combination of the adaptation of Grecian architecture to modern uses, without spoiling its inherent beauties. The style of architecture is more fully preserved, and its design carried out, by the use of single blocks for the columns and antæ. The arrangement of the interior of the new building varies essentially from that of the old, and from public offices generally, in being divided into larger and more commodious rooms. Instead of the narrow, cell-like apartments, with one, or at most two, windows, into which the public departments in Washington are generally subdivided, the Treasury extension presents the novelty of spacious and airy saloons, capable of accommodating the following bureaus:

The Secretary's Office, which is charged with the general supervision of the fiscal transactions of the government, and of the execution of the laws concerning the commerce and navigation of the United States. He superintends the survey of the coast, the light-house establishment, the marine hospitals of the United States, and the construction of certain public buildings for customhouses and other purposes.