it will be readily perceived that, in a country developing so rapidly as ours, producing, thereby, an almost unbroken series of new situations, requiring a cautious application of old laws and the constant enactment of new ones, and so, a danger of confusion of legislative rules, that the president and his[373] cabinet would need a legal adviser of eminent ability, and of extensive acquirements in legal affairs, to give instruction and counsel on various lines of action contemplated by the executive branch of the government, and of the lawful course to be taken in the numerous particular cases constantly coming up for determination. besides, various suits require to be instituted or defended in the courts, by the government, and some officer is needed to prosecute or defend them in its name and interest.

to answer these requirements, the office of attorney general was created by the first congress in 1789. he is a member of the cabinet, is nominated by the president, and confirmed by the senate, and is removable at the pleasure of the president. he has an assistant and various clerks to aid him in the discharge of his responsible duties.

by an act passed in 1861 he is made superintendent of all the attorneys and marshals in all the judicial districts of the united states. his office is at the seat of government.

the following is a complete list of the attorneys general:

attorneys general.

edmund randolph, va., sept. 26, 1789.

william bradford, pa., june 27, 1794.

charles lee, va., dec. 10, 1795.

t. parsons, mass., feb. 20, 1800.

levi lincoln, mass., march 5, 1801.

robert smith, md., march 2, 1805.

john breckinridge, ky., dec. 1806.

c?sar a. rodney, del., jan. 20, 1807.

william pinckney, md., dec. 11, 1811.

richard rush, pa., feb. 10, 1814.

william wirt, md., dec. 16, 1817.

john mcpherson berrien, ga., mar. 9, 1829.

roger b. taney, md., july 20, 1831.

benjamin f. butler, n. y., nov. 15, 1833.

[374]felix grundy, tenn., july 7, 1838.

henry d. gilpin, pa., jan. 11, 1840.

john j. crittenden, ky., mar. 5, 1841.

hugh s. legaré, s. c., sept. 13, 1841.

john nelson, md., july 1, 1843.

john y. mason, va., mar. 5, 1845.

nathan clifford, me., oct. 16, 1846.

isaac toucey, ct., jan. 21, 1848.

reverdy johnson, md., mar. 7, 1849.

john j. crittenden, ky., july 20, 1850.

caleb cushing, mass., mar. 5, 1853.

jeremiah s. black, pa., mar. 6, 1857.

edwin m. stanton, pa., dec. 14, 1860.

edward bates, mo., mar. 5, 1861.

james speed, ky., dec. 1864.

henry stanberry, o., july, 1866.

william m. evarts, n. y., 1868.

eben e. hoar, march 5, 1869.

amos t. akerman, ga., july 8, 1870.

george h. williams, oregon, 1871.

edward pierrepont, new york, 1875.