Justice

DEPARTMENT OF. The act of September 24, 1789 (1 Stat L. 92), organized the judicial business of the United States, made provision for an attorney-general, and charged him with the duty of prosecuting all suits in the supreme court in which the United States was in anywise interested, and of furnishing advice and opinions upon all questtons of law when called upon to do so by the president or the heads of the other executive departments of the government. The dent of the United States,” and although it does not specify any subordinate ministerial or administrative officers, yet there is an inferential recognition of such officers in the provision that the president may require the opinion in writing of the principal officer in each of the executive departments upon any subject relating to the duties of his department, and in the provision for the appointment of certain Inferior officers “by the heads of departments.” The organization of these departments is by the constitution left to the congress, and It was for the purpose of providing for a department which should administer the legal branch of the government that the above act was passed; 6 Op. Att Gen. 327. The Department of Justice was reorganized by act of June 22, 1870. The attorneygeneral is the head of the department; provision was made for “an officer learned in the law to assist the attorney-general in the performance of his duties, called the solicitor-general.” He assists the attorney-general in the performance of his general duties, and by special provision of law, in the case of a vacancy in the office of attorney-general or in his absence, exercises all of the duties of that officer. Except when the attorney-general otherwise directs, the solicitor-general conducts and argues all cases in the supreme court and in the court of claims in which the United States is interested; and when he so directs, any such case in any court of the United States may be conducted and argued by the solicitorgeneral, and in the same way the solicitorgeneral may be sent by the attorney-general to attend to the interests of the United States in any state court or elsewhere. Provision is also made for three officers learned in the law called assistant attorneys-general, who assist the attorney -general and solicitorgeneral in the performance of their duties. A fourth was provided by act of July 11, 1890. By the act of March 8, 1891, an additional assistant attorney-general was created for the purpose of defending the United States in suits brought in the court of claims under that act, for Indian depredations. Of these assistant attorneys-general, one is charged with the defence of the United States in suits brought against the government in the court of claims under its special and general jurisdiction. The solicitor-general and assistant attorneys-general are appointed by the president of the United States by and with the advice and consent of the senate, while thq assistant attorneys are appointed by the attorney-general. The act creating the Department of Justice also provided for a solicitor of the treas-' ury, an assistant solicitor of the treasury, solicitor of internal revenue, a naval solic- State, commonly called the solicitor of the Department of State. They are appointed by the president by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and exercise their functions under the supervision and control of the bead of the Department of Justice, although they are assigned to duty In the respective departments for which they are appointed. There is also provided an assistant attorney-general for the Department of the Interior and for the Post Office Department, who likewise perform their duties under the general supervision and control of the attorney-general. The opinions of the attorney-general are published officially and have authority the same in kind, if not in degree, with the decisions of courts of justice; 6 Op. Att, Gen. 833; but see Precedent. See Executive Power; Cabinet.

I. fr. and eng. The virtue which one what is his due; that which is one's which is the object of the law; a judge judicial ofl Bcer of any lower grade, as a tice of the peace: in England a county special commission under the great seal county, the commission appointing all for that purpose jointly and severally, and to inquire of and determine felonies and in the county; in the United States, a either appointed by the executive or elected ing generally jurisdiction in smaller civil common-law powers. Justices of nisi In English law. Justices of assise: the who go circuit into the various counties pose of disposing of such causes as are In old English law. Justices of assise: a in eyre, appointed or commissioned to to death; a right which Jus publicum: public of the Roman state. Jus committed to writing, custom. Jus trium liberparent of three or more a thing; an inchoate and nomination and institution, as and full right, such as is right of the crane; the right means of a hoisting engine staple; the right of staple; stopping imported melxhansale in their own markets. Jusjurandam Inter alios an oath made between v. Res inter alios, etc. cause; a lawful ground; a by title, or upon some; to summon to do justice; consists in giving to every due or desert, the giving of of a common-law court; a justice of the peace. Jusmagistrate, appointed by to keep the peace in the justices within the county any two or more of them misdemeanors committed county officer of like powers, by the people, and havcases, in addition to the prius: v. Nisi prius. judges of the superior courts twice a year, for the purready for trial at the assizes. particular kind of justices determine certain actions to county throughout the kingdom, usually once every seven years, sometimes with a general commission to determine all manner of causes, sometimes for certain special purposes, as to deliver the gaols, and sometimes to take a single assise or two, and no more. Justices of the bench: the justices of the court of Coramon Bench or Common Pleas. Justices of gaol delivery: justices in eyre, who acted under a special commission to deliver the gaols of persons confined in them. Justices of the Jews: justices appointed by Richard L to carry into effect the laws which he made for regulating the contracts of the Jews. Justices of laborers: justices appointed to redress the forwardness of laboring men, who would either be idle or have unreasonable wages. Justices of oyer and terminer: ^ justices deputed upon some special occasion, to hear and determine some peculiar causes, such as cases of riotous assembly. Justices of trail-baston: justices appointed by King Edward L upon occasion of great disoi'ders in the realm, during his absence in the Scotch and French wars. Justices of the pavilion: judges of a pyepowder court, of a transcendent jurisdiction, anciently authorized by the Bishop of Winchester, at a fair held on St Giles' Hills.

In Scots law. Justice ayres, or aires: circuits made by the judges of the justiciary courts through the kingdom, for the distribution of justice.

In feudal law. Jurisdiction; judicial cognizance of causes or offenses; the right of dispensing justice; the hereditary jurisdiction of a feudal lord.