CHAPTER XLII. ATTORNEY GENERAL.

 It will be readily perceived that, in a country developing so rapidly as ours, producing, thereby¹, an almost unbroken series of new situations, requiring a cautious application of old laws and the constant enactment² of new ones, and so, a danger of confusion of legislative³ rules, that the President and his[373] Cabinet would need a legal adviser⁴ of eminent⁵ ability, and of extensive acquirements in legal affairs, to give instruction and counsel on various lines of action contemplated⁶ by the executive branch of the government, and of the lawful⁷ 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 prosecute⁸ 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 Superintendent⁹ of all the Attorneys and Marshals in all the Judicial¹¹ 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., Mar¹⁰. 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.

1 thereby   

adv.因此，从而

参考例句：

• I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。
• He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。

2 enactment   

n.演出，担任…角色；制订，通过

参考例句：

• Enactment refers to action.演出指行为的表演。
• We support the call for the enactment of a Bill of Rights.我们支持要求通过《权利法案》的呼声。

3 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

4 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

5 eminent   

adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的

参考例句：

• We are expecting the arrival of an eminent scientist.我们正期待一位著名科学家的来访。
• He is an eminent citizen of China.他是一个杰出的中国公民。

6 contemplated   

adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The doctor contemplated the difficult operation he had to perform. 医生仔细地考虑他所要做的棘手的手术。
• The government has contemplated reforming the entire tax system. 政府打算改革整个税收体制。

7 lawful   

adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的

参考例句：

• It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。
• We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。

8 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

9 superintendent   

n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长

参考例句：

• He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
• He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。

10 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

11 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。