The Diplomatic-Bureau is in charge of, and conducts all the official correspondence between the Department and the ministers and other agents of the United States residing abroad, and the representatives of foreign powers accredited to this Government. It is in this Bureau that all instructions sent from the Department, and communications to commissioners under treaties of boundaries, etc., are prepared, copied, and recorded; all similar communications received by the Department are registered and filed in this Bureau, and their contents are entered in an analytical table or index.
The Consular-Bureau has charge of all correspondence and other business between the Department and the consuls and commercial agents of the United States. Applications for such positions are received and attended to in this Bureau. A concise record of all its transactions is kept by the clerk in charge of it.
The Disbursing-Agent has charge of all correspondence and other business relating to any and all expenditures of money with which the Department is charged.
The Translator is required to furnish translations of such documents as may be submitted to him by the proper officers of the Department. He also records the commissions of the consuls and the vice-consuls, when not in English, upon which exequaturs are based.
The Clerk of Appointments and Commissions makes out and keeps a record of all commissions, letters of appointment, and nominations to the Senate; makes out and keeps a record of all exequaturs, and when in English, the commissions on which they are issued. He also has charge of the Library of the Department, which is large and valuable.
The Clerk of the Rolls and Archives has charge of the “rolls,” by which are meant the enrolled acts and resolutions of Congress, as they are received by the Department by the President. When authenticated copies thereof are called for, he prepares them. He also prepares these acts and resolutions, and the various treaties negotiated, for publication in the newspapers and in book form, and superintends their passage through the press. He distributes through the United States the various publications of the Department, and receives and answers all letters relating thereto. He has charge of all treaties with the Indian tribes, and all business relating to them.
The Clerk of Authentications is in charge of the Seals of the United States and of the Department, and prepares and attaches certificates to papers presented for authentication; receives and accounts for the fees; and records the correspondence of the Department, except the diplomatic and consular letters. He also has charge of all correspondence relating to territorial affairs.
The Clerk of Pardons and Passports prepares and records pardons and remissions of sentences by the President; and registers and files the papers and petitions upon which they are founded. He makes out and records passports, and keeps a daily register of letters received, other than diplomatic and consular, and the disposition made of them. He also has charge of the correspondence relating to his 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.